Latest news with #JoyceHarper
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Number of Montreal RBC customers defrauded in phone scams could be higher
There are reportedly more than 200 RBC customers in Montreal who were defrauded in phone scams. Bank scams are not new but what is new is just how often its happening in Montreal. Over the past several months, CTV News has been contacted by several RBC customers who fell victim to phone scams. Last July, Joyce Harper got a call — one she normally wouldn't answer. But the week before, her bank had alerted to a legitimate fraudulent charge made on her credit card so she picked up this time. It was about an e-transfer. 'I don't know something about my limit. I didn't know anything about that limit,' she recalled. She followed instructions and it appears that the person on the phone was able to intercept the money transfer. Within minutes of hanging up, she was out $2,500. 'They were so professional,' Harper said. If her story sounds familiar, that's because it is. In April, Cassandra Schafhausen shared her story of being defrauded of more than $80,000 from a fake RBC agent. In May, CTV News met Ida Pala, who lost $25,000 to a similar scheme. All three were customers of RBC and say they were refused a refund. They may just be the tip of the iceberg. The Montreal police service (SPVM), who were not available for an interview Monday, told La Presse that they've received reports from 220 RBC customers claiming they were defrauded and that the real number of victims is likely much higher. Option Consommateurs is offering legal help to some of the RBC victims who are now on the hook for money they didn't even borrow. 'Banks can very easily shift the responsibility for losses onto consumers,' said Option Consommateurs lawyer Alexandre Plourde. 'When it comes to online transfers, Interac transfers, and debit cards, there is no real legal protection for consumers against fraud.' The organization is calling on the federal government to hold banks accountable. In an email statement to CTV News, RBC says while they cannot comment on specific cases they are working with law enforcement. 'Financial crimes are increasingly sophisticated, and we collaborate with regulators, industry associations, government, and law enforcement on an ongoing basis to ensure we have robust programs designed to deter, detect and report suspicious activity in each jurisdiction where we operate. We have a team of dedicated fraud experts working 24/7 to prevent, detect and investigate fraud,' a company spokesperson added. Meanwhile, Harper says she won't pick up the phone next time. 'Listen to your gut,' she said. 'Hang up.'
Express Tribune
11-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
World's first baby born via AI-powered IVF system
What a medical professional sees when they supervise the IVF procedure via a livestream Photo: Conceivable Life Sciences Listen to article A baby has been born following a form of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) largely carried out by a machine, in what researchers say is a world first. The development could signal a major shift in how fertility treatments are performed. The machine, developed by New York-based biotech firm Conceivable Life Sciences, was used to complete 23 critical steps of a procedure known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A human operator supervised the process remotely via livestream, initiating each step with the press of a button. "This level of automation could reduce the chance of human error and fatigue affecting the outcomes," said Jacques Cohen, co-founder of the company and an expert in assisted reproduction. In ICSI, a single sperm is injected directly into an egg, a technique often used when male infertility is involved. However, the manual nature of the process requires extreme precision and concentration, making it prone to errors. To test the automated system, researchers recruited a couple struggling with infertility. The male partner's sperm had limited motility, and the female partner received donor eggs due to ovulatory issues. Of the eight donor eggs, five were fertilised using the automated system, and three through conventional manual ICSI. All eight developed into embryos. An AI model then evaluated the embryos, selecting two deemed most viable—both from the automated process. One embryo failed to implant, but the other resulted in the successful birth. Joyce Harper, a reproductive science professor at University College London, described the result as an "exciting proof-of-concept" but noted that larger, controlled trials would be needed to determine if the system is more effective than manual IVF. The system incorporates artificial intelligence to choose optimal sperm based on visual cues and uses a laser to immobilise them before injection. Though not immediately expected to become widespread due to cost, Cohen believes the expense will decrease with further development and standardisation.
