Rogers Customer Left Owing Nearly $17,000 After Phone-Return Scam

A Rogers customer in Cathcart, Ontario, says he is still facing nearly $17,000 in charges after falling victim to a phone-return scam involving fraudsters pretending to work for the wireless carrier.

According to CTV News (which is owned by Rogers rival Bell Media), Tex Dunham was considering switching carriers when he received a call from someone claiming to represent Rogers. The caller offered him a wireless deal that sounded too good to pass up.

Dunham agreed to order a new phone and accessories, which arrived at his home two days later. But shortly afterward, the caller told him the wrong phone had been shipped and instructed him to return it using a prepaid shipping label they provided.

After sending the phone back, Dunham was told the return had been processed and a refund was on the way. He was then encouraged to order another device while waiting for the refund.

The same thing happened several more times. By the time it was over, Dunham had no new phone and was facing nearly $17,000 in charges for six devices that Rogers says it never received.

He only realized something was wrong when a legitimate Rogers representative from Toronto called to ask whether he had ordered another phone and added two new lines to his account.

Rogers says it warns customers about these scams through alerts on its website, shipping notification emails and information included in device packaging. Dunham, however, says he never received any of those warnings.

Local police in the Brant area say they’ve received approximately 20 reports of similar scams in recent weeks. Officers are advising victims to contact Rogers directly, since the devices are legitimately ordered through the carrier before scammers trick customers into shipping them elsewhere.

Rogers has since cancelled Dunham’s wireless lines and waived about $300 in service fees. However, Dunham says he is still being held responsible for nearly $17,000 in device charges and was warned his account could be sent to collections if he doesn’t pay.

The carrier says it is continuing to work with Dunham, but there is no indication yet that the remaining device charges have been forgiven.

This isn’t the first time Rogers customers have been targeted by similar scams. In September, Ontario Provincial Police issued another warning about fraudsters offering fake phone upgrades and convincing customers to order devices through their own accounts.

Police also warned customers in Innisfil and Bradford in August, while a B.C. Rogers customer was left owing more than $4,000 after falling for a similar scheme. Another phone delivery scam was reported in July.

What makes this scam particularly convincing is that the phones really do come from Rogers. Customers receive legitimate devices ordered through their own accounts, but the scammers provide return labels that send the hardware somewhere else. The phones disappear, while the charges remain on the customer’s bill.

It’s another reminder to be suspicious of unexpected calls, texts or emails offering wireless deals, even if the person contacting you claims to work for your carrier. If something sounds too good to be true, hang up and contact the carrier directly using its official website or customer service number.

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