E-transfer fraudsters are cashing in during the pandemic

Monday, February 01, 2021 – by Helen Surgenor

Here’s what you need to know to get the day started:

E-transfer fraudsters are cashing in during the pandemic

E-transfers hit an all-time high in December — more than 77 million transactions — and the pandemic is driving that growth.

Interac's own numbers show the use of e-transfer has been climbing since last April, when people started avoiding cash, and curbside pickup became a normal way to shop.

The problem is, all those new online transactions have led to a surge in fraud. Senior RCMP intelligence analyst and spokesperson Jeff Thomson said fraudsters made off with nearly $3 million last year.

Snack food creator Alysia Lok is one of the small business owners who fell victim. A client sent her an e-transfer for $320, but when she clicked to deposit it three weeks later, she got a notification saying it had already been deposited.

Her bank said her email was probably hacked and the money had been redirected to someone else's account. Not the bank’s responsibility, said Servus Credit Union.

Lok was eventually reimbursed for her stolen money, after CBC’s Go Public unit started asking questions. But dozens of other e-transfer users have reached out saying financial institutions need to do much more to warn Canadians about e-transfer fraud.

Toronto lawyer Paige Backman, co-founder of Knowledgeflow Cybersafety Foundation, a non-profit aimed at educating the public about cybercrime, said the banks could play a much bigger role in preventing e-transfer issues for customers.

She also said customers need to do their part to protect their money.

More on this issue

Read about what you can do to protect your e-transfers here.

Read about the Toronto-area man who lost $2,775 to e-transfer fraudsters.

Read what the banks say when customers ask for reimbursement.

Why aren't vaccine providers wearing gloves?

(Michael Bell/The Canadian Press)

Gloves are not a part of routine infection control practices when delivering most forms of immunizations. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, gloves are "not recommended" unless the vaccine provider's skin is broken — with cuts or blisters, for example — or when administering certain kinds of vaccines, such as the smallpox vaccine. More than 7,000 Canadians have emailed ask@cbc.ca and received custom answers to their COVID-19 questions. Find more answers here.

In brief

The next generation of personal protective equipment is being developed right now. Teams across Canada are trying to make masks and other PPE more comfortable, safer and easier to breathe in. Medical professionals are asking for these new innovations to make their jobs easier. but there could be an added benefit to creating a mask the general public doesn’t mind wearing. It could mean some protective gear will continue to be worn after the pandemic. Read about the developments researchers are working on here.

Financial commentators are warning of a possible stock market bubble. It’s not just GameStop surge that has them worried. Experts like Financial Times editor Robert Armstrong was asking cautious questions even before rebel traders started sticking it to the man by bidding up shares of video game retailer GamesStop. Many other credible analysts have also expressed the view that asset markets may be in a bubble. The scary thing is, you can’t tell if something is in a bubble until it has popped. Read more about what experts are saying here.

Air travellers arriving in Canada could face mandatory hotel quarantine as early as Thursday. "I can't tell you if that's exactly when it's going to start, but I would ask people to be ready for it as soon as possible," said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live on Sunday. Travellers will then have to wait up to three days at a government-approved hotel for their COVID-19 test results. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the hotel must be paid for by the traveller and could cost upwards of $2,000. Read more about the new restrictions here.

Myanmar's military has seized power in a coup against the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. She was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy party in early morning raids. The army is alleging election fraud, and has handed power to military chief Min Aung Hlaing, who is imposing a one-year state of emergency. International observers deemed the election free and fair, and the military’s actions are being condemned by the UN, U.S. and other Western nations that have been working for years to establish democracy in Myanmar. Read more reaction here.

Retailers have a racial bias problem and it is costing them customers. A survey found three in five retail shoppers have experienced discriminatory treatment, and two in five said it was based on their race or the colour of their skin. That study was commissioned by beauty giant Sephora in the U.S., but Canadian shoppers say it reflects their experience too. A 2013 report from the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission found African Canadian and Indigenous shoppers were more likely to receive slow service, be ignored by staff, followed by a store employee, or questioned about their ability to afford to pay for a product. Experiences like that make customers not want to return to a store. Read what retailers are trying to do to improve here.

Now for some good news to start your Monday: Edmonton antique hunter Alex Archbold was taking a chance when he purchased a piano teacher’s estate after her death. It paid off. Bette-Joan Rac’s home turned out to be a treasure trove. In her lifetime, she had amassed a vast collection of jewelry, designer clothing, art, furniture and antiques — she even had a silver bar hidden under her mattress! Archbold estimates that the total contents of Rac's home could be worth about $400,000. He plans on using his windfall to realize his dream of opening a café. He says he’ll display Rac’s grand piano there, and invite her former students to come by and play. Read more about Madame Rac’s house of treasures here.

Why has Canada's COVID-19 vaccine rate slipped globally?

As of Sunday, Canada had fallen to 27th in the world in vaccines administered, behind the U.S., the U.K. and smaller countries like Poland and Serbia, according to data aggregated by the University of Oxford.

Canada was one of the first countries in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for use and have reserved record doses per person — but the country is facing significant shipment delays. There are also growing questions about whether the vaccine contracts signed by the federal government are in the country's best interest, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assures the public that Canada is on track to meet its vaccination goals.

Today on Front Burner, CBC News senior writer J.P. Tasker discusses why Canada is falling behind and what might be done about it.
Listen to today's episode

Today in history: February 1

1799: Ile St. Jean is given royal assent to change its name to Prince Edward Island.

1854: Fire destroys the Canadian Parliament buildings in Quebec City.

1971: Canada and China exchange diplomats in anticipation of the opening of embassies in the two countries.

1979: Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran after living in exile in France for nearly 15 years.

2007: A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says global warming is human-made and largely caused by the burning of oil and other fossil fuels.