Multiple businesses in Toronto's east end and across Ontario have lost thousands of dollars due to 'point of sale' (POS) scams, prompting a BIA warning. Thieves are either guessing default passwords to issue refunds or swapping POS terminals.
Toronto BIA warns business owners of 'point of sale' scam after thousands of dollars in thefts
OntarioTorontoBusinessFraud and scamsTheft
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Multiple businesses in Toronto's east end and across Ontario have lost thousands of dollars due to 'point of sale' (POS) scams, prompting a BIA warning. Thieves are either guessing default passwords to issue refunds or swapping POS terminals.
Trending- 1 June 21, 2025: Shiro Maruo's NaNa Florist is victimized by a POS scam.
- 2 Approximately three weeks prior to July 12, 2025: Lori Van Soelen learns of POS thefts in the Beaches area.
- 3 Recent past: Four Halibut House Fish and Chips locations are robbed.
- 4 July 12, 2025: CBC News publishes article warning about the scam.
- Businesses losing thousands of dollars
- Financial strain on independent businesses
- Frozen bank accounts
- Increased vigilance recommended for business owners
- Warnings issued by BIAs and police
What: Multiple businesses in Toronto and across Ontario have been victims of 'point of sale' (POS) scams, resulting in thousands of dollars in thefts. Thieves are either refunding themselves money by guessing default passwords or swapping POS terminals.
When: Thefts have been occurring for at least three weeks prior to July 12, 2025. One specific incident occurred on June 21, 2025.
Where: Toronto's east end, Beaches area, near Danforth Avenue and Main Street (Upper Beaches), Oshawa, Thornhill, and other locations across Ontario.
Why: Thieves are exploiting vulnerabilities in POS terminals, specifically default passwords and lack of full security setup, or by physically swapping devices, to steal money.
How: Thieves pretend tap function isn't working, then access the POS system to refund themselves money, or they swap the POS terminal with their own when the owner isn't looking.