Your case just improved. Don't screw around with the low guys at TD, you'll just end up with the run around and misinformation. Get the name of someone in charge. Speak with them directly and deal only with them from this point forward. Try to talk to John See personally. Keep calling. Don't stop. Put your concerns in writing. Contact a lawyer. Contact the IDA.
If the hacker used a remote terminal, then their IP address will be different than your address. Maybe from another country other than U.S. or Canada. I know when I log into my trading accounts, it tells me the last time my account was accessed and from where. You are really in a strange situation as you are dealing with a U.S. run company but live in Canada. Usually the feds from one side of the border do nothing for the other. I remember a story about how U.S. citizens would drive up to Canada, have their cars stolen and Canadian police would do nothing. One of the cars was stolen from a U.S. sheriff and Canadian authorities did nothing. I think by contacting the SEC, FBI, etc. they will just ignore you. I would get an attorney fast. Make sure you keep all your past transactions to prove you dont trade penny stocks; never traded that WOLV symbol, etc. Good luck.
Find a lawyer that will take the bank on in a civil suit for a percentage. These large banks have unlimited legal resources and will fight you tooth and nail. If you pay a lawyer other than on a contingency basis the bank will bankrupt you dragging you through the legal process which moves slower than maple syrup in January. Another angle is immediately go public. Go to all media and start yelling "Fire". Open up a website. If you increase the bank's pain in terms of negative press and potential customer fallout then they may settle with you quickly as the $ amounts to them are nothing in relation to potential lost profits/customers. Go for the fu**ing jugular!
tomhaden, TD Waterhouse in Canada is still run by TD Bank which is a Canadian corporation. jck will have recourse through the IDA in Canada if he files a complaint (Investment Dealers Association). The IDA is quite stringent and it's probably his best bet to get this resolved (granted the whole truth is being told here).
When in the heck will there be an entity accountable for prosecuting securities violators? When a burglar breaks in, you call the police. With a securities violation, agencies stand around and point fingers at each other. It's unbelievable. You can bet that fact hasn't escaped the notice of Wall Street. They can play faster and looser with the rules, when the cops on the beat are on the dole, or in the doughnut shop. Start following links, within the link given below. These days the SEC can actually delay, or trip the the public investor, if it serves the financial industry. I've had an issue where the SEC has done just that. http://www.law.uc.edu/CCL/index.html
The IDA is a waste of time. You can try them but they are the lapdogs of the banks/securities dealers in Canada. I would suggest that you contact these places: The Canadian Banking Ombudsman (as well as the TD Ombudsman) Regulation Services or RS The organization owned and run by investors in Canada that champions cases like this. I can't remember the name of it right now but it does exist and it has done a lot of good (especially when IDA refuses to move their ass one inch). Ask around and you'll find them. TD Waterhouse is one of the *worst* brokers in Canada (all bank owned ones suck). I know. I used to work for them. What I've seen on the inside makes me want to take out my brain and scrub it under hot water.
Here's an article about Mortgage Fraud involving unsuspecting victims and Canadian Banks. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe..._050318/20050321/?hub=WFive&subhub=PrintStory This was part of a CTV W-5 investigative report on TV. The upshot. The banks want to keep all fraud completely silent. They won't even co-operate with Police. They ultimately make the victims Whole in order to keep the lid on negative press. I would meet with TD ( Go camp at their head office until they see you). Let them know in no uncertain terms that they have 72 hrs to make you whole or you go to the media. Don't reley on cops, IDA or any other government orgs. They are useless.
I like your 'brain under hot water' comment. But i do think his best bet is through the IDA, they're not as bad as you might think. Just another question for jck, who else had access to your account? Did anyone else ever place trades in your account on your behalf?
Actually, I just thought of something else. We need the typical "shark" lawyers involved in some of these issues. Start chumming the waters by sending the ET link to every plaintiff's securities website. We need "ambulance chasing" plaintiff attorneys trolling this website to beat each other to the phone when something like this happens. They can search by the keyword "fraud", or there can be a fraud forum. It can only benefit us all in the long run.
No one has ever traded in my account except me. I have never disclosed my account information to anyone even family members.