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A British Columbia woman is taking legal action after falling victim to a high-stakes SIM-swapping scam that wiped out her entire Bitcoin holdings—now worth more than $1.36 million.
Raelene Vandenbosch, a pharmacy manager from Squamish, alleges that poor security protocols at both her telecom provider, Rogers Communications, and retail partner, Match Transact Inc., paved the way for a sophisticated hack that led to the theft of 12.58 BTC.
SIM Swap Attack Traced to Montreal Kiosk
According to court documents, the security breach occurred around June 30, 2021. The alleged point of compromise was a WOW! Mobile Boutique kiosk in Montreal, operated by Match Transact Inc. A store clerk reportedly fell victim to a social engineering ploy when a scammer, posing as a Rogers technician, convinced the employee to share their computer screen remotely.
This action allegedly gave the attacker unrestricted access to Rogers’ internal customer database, which they used to gather Vandenbosch’s personal details. Despite her residence being in a different province, the hacker reportedly cloned her account onto a SIM card they controlled, effectively hijacking her mobile identity.
The following day, Vandenbosch found herself locked out of her mobile number, unable to access calls, texts, or messaging apps. By then, the attacker had already accessed her crypto wallets on both Ledger and Shakepay platforms, draining them of Bitcoin then valued at approximately $392,000.
Source: create.vista.com
Lawsuit Alleges Corporate Negligence
Vandenbosch has launched a lawsuit citing negligence, breach of privacy, and contract violations. She contends that Rogers failed to implement adequate safeguards against SIM swap scams, despite longstanding awareness of the threat dating back to 2015. The lawsuit also claims the company allowed third-party employees excessive access to sensitive customer data without enforcing strict verification procedures.
Match Transact Inc. is similarly accused of failing to protect customer privacy and data security at its retail location.
Legal Proceedings Divided Between Arbitration and Court
While both Rogers and Match Transact have not formally responded to the allegations, they are seeking to move the case into private arbitration, referencing an arbitration clause in Vandenbosch’s service agreement.
However, a June 27 ruling by British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Anita Chan split the legal proceedings. The court determined that while most of the claims must be addressed through arbitration, a specific portion—Vandenbosch’s demand for a public acknowledgment of wrongdoing—can proceed in open court due to its relevance to the public interest.
At this stage, Vandenbosch’s legal team, led by Alexia Majidi of Hammerco Lawyers, has not confirmed how they plan to proceed with the ruling. Vandenbosch has declined public comment.
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