Fraudsters rob $15K of struggling Eastern Township Food Bank using fake checks. CBC News
A food bank, already struggling to provide relief to thousands of residents in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, is in trouble after a $15,000 fraud.
One or more persons created counterfeit checks using Moison Estri’s banking information after managing to obtain their account number.
Till date, two counterfeit checks were presented to banking institutions. The first, in the amount of $50,000, was deemed suspicious and blocked by a bank employee.
The second, in the amount of $15,000, fell through the cracks and was redeemed, however.
“The $15,000 hole is still huge. We don’t have millions in reserves, we really don’t,” said the organization’s director, Genevieve Cte.
Moison Estri noticed an unusual return a few days later. Its administrators are now wondering why the check was accepted when it was not authentic and was not signed by one of the signatories recognized by the organization’s financial institution, Desjardins.
The $15,000 hole is still huge. We do not have a reserve of lakhs.
“It looks like, but is not the same as the signature of the person who writes our charitable donation receipts but does not issue the checks,” Cote said.
“This leads me to believe that the person who wrote this check did his research in relation to Moisson Estri to find the account number, reproduce the check, and imitate an employee’s signature.”
The organization should get its money back, but the process is not that easy. Cote said reimbursement has been pending for two weeks — a heavy burden on Moisson Estri’s budget as a non-profit organization.
He added that there is also tension attached to wondering whether there will be any more withdrawals, and the only way to know is to check the account every day.
“We are not protected from other checks that look like this,” Cote said. “We find ourselves with our hands tied, ‘Hopefully we don’t have other situations like this.'”
A complaint has been filed with Sherbrooke Police, who say an investigation is underway.
Cote hopes that the suspect or suspects will be caught as soon as possible so that “there is no second victim.”
Like other food banks across Canada, Moison Estri – one of the main food relief organizations in the Sherbrooke area – is struggling to keep up with demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Radio-Canada)
Every check is checked: Desjardins
Meanwhile, Desjardins Group says that each check goes through a verification process, but it can take a few days.
Desjardins Group senior spokesman, Chantal Corbeil, could not disclose the company’s verification methods, citing security risks. But she said Desjardins sticks with market best practices, as are other financial institutions.
“We have a lot of collaboration. The checks are verified. There are multiple levels of verification,” Corbeil said.
The kind of fraud that Moisson Estri has experienced is widespread, he said. The organization would be reimbursed, but Corbeil did not say when the money would be returned to the group’s account.
“What is important is that the member, when he or she is the victim of this type of fraud, is not held responsible, and the person who believes the loss is actually the financial institution, in this case Desjardins,” she said.
There are steps the public can take to protect themselves from this type of fraud, said Mark Wright, communications director for the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI), an impartial organization that deals with banking services and investment firms and disputes between them. solves the. customer.
Wright suggested that people ensure that checks and bank statements are kept in a safe place; breaking paper statements or checks they are no longer needed for; And check the account statement at least once a month.
Wright said many banks also have alert systems that people can sign up to signal when their accounts are withdrawn, which should make it possible to stop unusual activity quickly.
“If a consumer notices anything unusual, they should immediately contact their bank,” he said.
