A new product-return scam claiming to be a Rogers cellphone deal has cost multiple victims in northern Ontario thousands of dollars. In one case, a Sudbury woman says she now owes the telecom almost $17,000 because of scammers. Joanne Landry was thinking of switching phone companies when someone claiming to be from Rogers called and offered her a deal that her other plan could not compete with. “We ordered the product and the accessories and stuff and then it came to my house within two days,” Landry said. But then the scammers called and told her there had been a mistake. “When I received it, (they said) ‘We sent you the wrong phone. You’ll have to send it back.’ What do you mean, I have to send it back?” Landry sent the phone back, using the return label issued to her by the fraudsters. At that point, they told her the return had been processed, and she would receive a refund and that she should order a replacement phone from Rogers in the meantime. The fraudsters had her repeat the process multiple times, leaving her with a bill of just under $17,000 -- and no new phone. In a statement to CTV News, Rogers said they work to ensure their customers are protected from these types of fraud. “We use a variety of ways to warn our customers about return scams, including prominent alerts when shopping online, in customized shipping notification emails, and in information sheets inside the box when their device arrives.” Landry claimed she didn’t receive these warnings. ‘It looks like you have been scammed’ “I got a call from Rogers from Toronto saying, ‘Did you place an order for another phone and two new lines?’ I said, ‘No … well, kind of, I don’t know.” She asked to have her orders reversed, at which point she was told, “It looks like you’ve been scammed.” That’s when Landry said she was told none of the returns were processed or received by Rogers, and she owed the telecom for the six phones. Sudbury police said she isn’t the only victim. “Over the past few weeks, we have received around 20 reports of these incidents happening,” said police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn. “They can contact police. However, the best way to do it is to contact Rogers, because these devices are actually coming from Rogers as an outlet. So it’s contacting them and making sure that they’re aware of the fact that you purchased this hardware and that it was under false pretenses.” Rogers said they understand how difficult it is for victims of these types of scams. “We are continually updating our processes and sharing information with our customers on how to stay protected as scammers evolve their tactics,” the company said in a statement. Rogers told CTV News it has cancelled the phone lines and waived service fees, and it will continue to work with Landry. Landry said the company forgave around $300 of what she owed. She said she was also told that if she does not pay the remaining almost $17 000 in device charges, her account could be sent to receivership and collections. Anyone who has been the victim of fraud can report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
