A Hamilton resident lost $27,000 in a sophisticated bank impersonation scam, highlighting the growing threat of digital fraud in Ontario.
On August 3, 61-year-old Terry Kucik received a call from someone claiming to be from Scotiabank. The caller said suspicious charges had been detected on his accounts and advised that all his credit and debit cards be collected by courier. The call, which appeared to come from the number listed on Kucik’s card, lasted more than 10 hours. By the next day, hackers had infiltrated his accounts, changed passwords, and drained $27,000.
The incident is part of a wider “phantom hacker” campaign—a form of vishing (voice phishing)—where criminals impersonate banks, police, or government agencies. Increasingly, scammers are using AI voice cloning to sound convincing.
Expert Advice on Red Flags
Toronto-based cybersecurity expert Edward Kiledjian, who has over 20 years of experience in the field, shared tips to spot fraud and protect finances:
- Don’t trust caller ID: Numbers can be spoofed. Always hang up and call the bank back using the official number.
- Refuse unusual requests: Legitimate institutions will never send a courier to collect cards, keep you on the line for hours, or ask you to move money to a “safe account.”
- Protect personal data: Avoid sharing one-time passcodes, card details, or personal identifiers by phone.
- Use safeguards: Turn on banking alerts, enable two-factor authentication, and set up a telephone banking passphrase.
- Lock down your digital footprint: Restrict social media sharing, disable location-tagging, and protect your phone number with SIM-swap PINs.
Kiledjian stressed the importance of adopting a “safety mindset” when approached with urgent financial requests: “Stop, think, and challenge the request.”
Rising Threat
Cybersecurity experts warn that AI and automation have made scams easier to scale, while criminals use leaked personal data or information from malware to make their calls more convincing.
Victims are urged to contact their bank immediately, change credentials, and report incidents to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and local police. Monitoring account and credit activity regularly is also recommended.
The case underscores how quickly digital fraud can devastate finances and why greater public awareness and caution remain critical.