Fraud schemes are everywhere these days, but no one expects it to happen all the way across the country without you even being present for it.
One B.C. woman allegedly lost $530,000 in bitcoin due to a “SIM swap” scam after her personal information was stolen by a scammer that tricked a mobile kiosk employee. She then brought it to court.
THE LAWSUIT
After Raelene Vandenbosch sued Rogers Communications and Match Transact Inc. due to an employee at a Match-owned mobile phone kiosk, B.C.’s Supreme Court determined in June 2025 that she will have to resolve the issue in private arbitration.
Vandenbosch initially approached Rogers about the problem and was offered a refund on one month’s service– worth $95– said her court filing. She subsequently filed lawsuits in 2023 in B.C., Ontario, and Quebec.
SWAPPING SIMS
Vandenbosch alleges that an employee working at a Montreal Match-owned mobile kiosk was convinced by a scammer pretending to be a Rogers technician to share their computer screen. The scammer was then able to gain access to Vandenbosch’s personal information in spite of her living in B.C.. Her information was then downloaded onto a SIM card that the scammer now possessed.
A SIM swap results when a victim’s phone number is moved to a new SIM card that is not controlled by the victim. The scammer essentially has access to the victim’s entire phone, which can allow them to exploit two-step authentication processes.
After the SIM swap, the scammer stole bitcoin from two of Vandenbosch’s cryptocurrency accounts. The scam occurred in 2021, and Vandenbosch’s total losses are now worth approximately $1.8 million.
Rogers and Match did not admit to or deny the allegations, and advocated for resolution through arbitration. An arbitration agreement was signed by Vandendosch with Rogers.
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