What to know<\/p>\n
Toronto resident Sally Ritchie had her chequing account drained after scammers swapped her debit card during a fake pizza delivery interaction<\/p>\n
The fraud involved two teenage girls and a man posing as a delivery driver, who distracted Ritchie while obtaining her PIN and switching her card.<\/p>\n
Ritchie lost $1,300 within minutes and says the scam worked because it targeted her instincts as a mother to help.<\/p>\n
Toronto police say they are aware of similar incidents and warn that debit card switch scams carry serious criminal charges.<\/p>\n
A Toronto woman is warning others after falling victim to a debit card swap scam where fraudsters emptied her bank account within minutes.<\/p>\n
On her way to a local pharmacy, Sally Ritchie says she was approached by two teenage girls near the intersection of Bloor Street and Runnymede Road earlier this month. The girls claimed their mother had ordered a pizza but only had cash, while the delivery driver insisted for a card to be used to complete the transaction.<\/p>\n
In a hurry and believing she was helping out, Ritchie agreed to cover the $20 charge on her debit card in exchange for cash and walked with them to a white van parked nearby, topped with what appeared to be a Domino\u2019s delivery sign.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re kids, they\u2019re hungry. One\u2019s saying, \u2018We can\u2019t reach mom.\u2019 \u2026 In the back of my mind, I\u2019m thinking, \u2018This is stupid,\u2019 but I did it anyway because they were teenage girls, and they looked like they needed help,\u201d Ritchie told Now Toronto.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ritchie said she initially tried to tap her card, but the man in the van, who posed as the delivery driver, told her the card would have to be inserted. He took her card as the girls continued to chat with her, handed her the terminal to enter her PIN, and provided a receipt that appeared legitimate.<\/p>\n
The girls thanked her as Ritchie walked away, unaware her card had been swapped for a fake.<\/p>\n
Five minutes after the interaction, the woman headed to Shoppers Drug Mart to pick up her prescription, but her debit card was declined. When she checked her account, she discovered her chequing balance had been completely drained.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew instantly what had happened,\u201d she said. \u201cThey took $1,300.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She says it took about 10 minutes to realize the driver had actually switched her card during the transaction. Her immediate fear was that the fraudsters would gain access to her entire bank account or even open a line of credit in her name, but she\u2019s grateful the loss was limited to what was in her chequing account. Ritchie says she would normally never fall for a scam, but as a mother, this situation felt different.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m used to ignoring phone calls, texts and emails that I know are fraudulent. But this one, because it involved two girls, and they looked to be teenage girls, it hit my heart. I\u2019m not gonna leave these girls cold and hungry on the street,\u201d she said. \u201cThey were very good actors.\u201d<\/p>\n