BMO, Bank of Montreal unlisted numbers

Anonymous callers

The daily barrage of telemarketers, research firms and scam artists using the telephone networks to ply their trade, forces most of us to screen our calls, “picking-up” only when we recognize the name of the person or company trying to contact us.  But, if you are a client of BMO, Bank of Montreal one of those unregistered, anonymous callers may be your bank.

BMO, Bank of Montreal is in the custom of using unregistered numbers to contact their customers, sometimes on subjects of great importance to the clients.  Why they participate in this practice of anonymity is a mystery.  One can only speculate that  with some subjects, such as pending interest rate hikes or margin calls, they don’t really want to contact their client base but are forced, by internal policy or regulators, to show an attempt at contact has been made.  Whatever their reasons the practice can have unintended and damaging effects.

Montreal the Tele-fraud Centre of North America 

One of the unregistered numbers they like to use is a 514 area code number, 877-2100. 

For those unfamiliar, 514 is the area code for Montreal, an area code synonymous with telephone scams preying the elderly in the US and Canada.  A CBC documentary reports, “Canada has become a haven for telephone scam artists, with many operating out of Montreal”,

 When using these numbers, BMO will often simply leave a message, “contact the bank”  At best most rational individuals see these unregistered calls as crank calls, not worth responding to. At worst they cause unnecessary angst and worry with clients sensing a scam artist is trying to access their accounts.

By the way, don’t try this number (514-877-2100) outside of Eastern Standard Time Zone business hours unless you speak French.  The number is answered by a French only message, with no reference to BMO, Bank of Montreal, and does not allow you to leave a message. That takes me to the subject of BMO’s practice of contacting clients in languages they don’t understand; but that will have to hold for a future blog post.

Just Wrong

Most BMO, Bank of Montreal clients don’t appreciate being contacted in an anonymous manner.

Most BMO, Bank of Montreal clients simply don’t consider this practice proper business etiquette.

And most clients certainly do not see this as BMO, Bank of Montreal upholding its fiduciary responsibility to its clients, a responsibility BMO has sworn to maintain.

Nevertheless……

Use of Unlisted Numbers Condoned at the Highest Corporate Level

BMO, Bank of Montreal sees nothing wrong in the practice.  They are not only unapologetic, their Ombudsman, John A. Graham BMO.Ombudsman@bmo.com, is on record condoning the practice as acceptable banking practice as defined by BMO,  Bank of Montreal.

Let BMO it is Unacceptable

If you have been a target of this anonymous calling, tell BMO it is an unacceptable business practice.   At the same time lodge a complaint with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada; Ursula Menke, Commissioner ursula.menke@fcac-acfc.gc.ca; Lucie Tedesco, Deputy Commissioner lucie.tedesco@fcac-acfc.gc.ca

Let me Know

If you have been financially harmed by this practice or otherwise victimized by the BMO please let me know.  With your permission, I may address your situation in future blog posts.  Regardless, messages sent to POedSenior@gmail.com will be kept strictly confidential

           

Remember:

You are important!

You do have rights!