Ontario man in years-long battle with RBC for $8,000 after someone stole his PIN

The RBC Royal Bank of Canada logo is seen in Halifax on Tuesday, April 2, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

An Ontario man says he’s been in a “helpless” years-long battle with the RBC, and is now in debt and on the hook for more than $8,000, after someone stole his debit card and guessed his PIN.

Kyle Paul Wilson, a 28-year-old student in Toronto, said someone used his card and pin at a Hamilton RBC branch to deposit and cash out two fraudulent child support cheques for $6,000.

“I have felt helpless and at a loss for hope because they’ve told me for years that there’s nothing else I can do, but pay,” Wilson told CTV News Toronto. “I’m in debt for money that someone else got from my account. They are saying I have to make payments or my credit will be ruined.”

“It’s not fair they do this to people.”

Wilson said the bank told him they have video footage of the suspect at the bank cashing the cheques, proving it was not him. However, he said they hold him responsible because the person used his PIN, which he was supposed to protect.

Wilson said he never shared his pin with anybody and never wrote it down, adding that he is unsure how the individual got a hold of the number.

He said he very rarely ever cashed a cheque prior to the incident, and questions why the actions were never flagged by the bank.

"They didn't even flag that I have never had a child support cheque before," he said.

He said his account also has a limit of $100 that can be withdrawn immediatly after a cheque deposit. The limit, he said, is imposed for three days.

“So it’s awful they cashed a large cheque for someone who is not me and did not even ask for photo ID."

Since the incident in 2018, the bank has been sending letters to Wilson, asking him to pay the total amount with interest of more than $8,000.

A spokesperson for RBC told CTV News Toronto said that they review complaints carefully on a “case-by-case” basis, and that they have notified Wilson that he was responsible for “his loss.”

“We remind clients to immediately notify the bank if they become aware of an unauthorized transaction or if their client card is lost or stolen,” Edith Galinaitis, director of communications with RBC said. “It is also important for clients to protect their PIN and client card.”

CTV News Toronto reported on a similar situation last week, where someone used a woman’s RBC account to deposit and gather fake cheques over the course of months totaling to $14,000.

The bank conducted an investigation into the cheques, but initially determined the woman would have to repay the money. She said they told her she was responsible for protecting her PIN and card.

After CTV News Toronto contacted RBC, the family said they received a call from the bank saying they would no longer have to repay the funds. It's not clear why the bank reversed its decision to ask the Wards to repay the funds.