Achi news desk-
The Alberta Society of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists apologized Saturday after some members were billed for thousands of dollars in phone charges.
Evan Loughlin, a professional software engineer, was shocked when he woke up to find a $15,322 phone bill in his email inbox. The phone plan is for APEGA members and is operated through Rogers, he said.
More than $12,000 of that bill went toward equipment costs, with the rest going toward long-distance and roaming charges.
Evan Loughlin, a professional software engineer, was shocked when he woke up to find a $15,322 phone bill in his email inbox.
Evan Loughlin/Provided
Loughlin said he felt concerned about his data after he saw the bill.
“I can’t say for sure (that it was a malicious attack) … Everyone is accused of a completely different amount,” he told Global News on Saturday.
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“APEGA sent out a wide e-mail, and I’m sure they’re going to be managing the problem on their end. The only thing I’ve seen is an email suggesting it’s a technical issue.”
Loughlin said he felt relieved when he saw a Reddit post full of people experiencing the same problem. He is concerned that his bank did not detect these huge charges as fraudulent.
“I think it’s interesting that massive charges like this haven’t been brought to light. And it must have something to do with being the trusted trader,” he said.
“I think it’s likely to be reversed and it’s not going to be a huge problem.”
APEGA apologized to its member in an email on Saturday morning, saying it was aware of the matter and was “actively working” with Rogers to ensure that any false accusations were reversed as soon as possible.
As of 3:45 p.m., APEGA said the majority of its members should have had their incorrect payments determined and that a correct account statement should be available in “the next few hours.”
“Once again, we apologize for the mistake. Account information was not compromised at any time during this period,” the email said.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
