Brandon-area man left financially drained after $4.6K disappears from Amazon account
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BRANDON — A Brandon-area senior has been left frustrated and financially drained after more than $4,600 disappeared from his family’s Amazon account this summer, with little progress made despite repeated calls to the online retail giant.
Gerald Allen said the ordeal began in June, shortly after he and his wife, Janice, returned from vacation to their home in the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis.
“We took our bitcoin and put it into an Amazon gift card,” Allen said. “When we came back, it was down to $169 from about $4,800. I phoned Amazon, and we have been — well, I didn’t want to use the word ‘fighting’ — but we’ve been stalling back and forth with them to tell us where the money went. And we’ve been doing this since the 25th of June.”
Allen said Amazon representatives initially reassured him that the missing balance would be reimbursed within seven days, but the promised refund never arrived. Instead, he said he and his wife were locked out of their account multiple times. Even the remaining $169 balance eventually disappeared.
“From June 9 to July 15, it was gone — $4,645 is missing,” he said. “They keep saying in 24 hours we’ll know more, but nothing ever happens. When we ask for a supervisor, sometimes they hang up on us. It’s been a nightmare.”
Allen said Amazon staff acknowledged that purchases were made on his account — including a lawnmower, food, drinks, two phones and a gaming computer — but would not disclose where the goods were shipped or who received them.
“They know somebody is taking it, but they won’t tell us where it’s going,” he said. “They are not a secure company.”
Brandon Police Service spokesperson Janet Reichert said anyone who thinks they are the victim of a scam should contact police.
“If someone calls in and says they think they are being scammed by Amazon but no money has been exchanged, they will be directed to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Department,” Reichert said. “If funds are lost, we investigate and can work with outside agencies.”
Amazon Canada did not respond to email questions before press time.
For Allen and his wife, the unanswered questions remain as troubling as the missing funds.
“They’ve been saying since June they’d fix this,” Allen said. “We just want our money back — and for them to stop letting whoever did this keep draining accounts.”
— Brandon Sun