Imagine waking up to find that millions of dollars in hard-earned tips have vanished into thin air—and it’s been over a month with no clear answers. This is the shocking reality for thousands of Canadian hospitality businesses, who are now grappling with the disappearance of funds from the Everyday Payments app. For David Duprey, owner of the Narrow Group, the loss of $14,000 in tips wasn’t just a financial blow—it was a betrayal of trust. ‘This money was supposed to be held in trust,’ Duprey laments. ‘What does trust even mean if there’s no money left?’ He’s not alone in his frustration. With estimates suggesting the missing funds could be nearing $19 million, the scale of this crisis is staggering. But here’s where it gets controversial: the app’s creators, XTM and Everyday People Financial Corporation, are pointing fingers at each other, each claiming the other was responsible for managing the money. Meanwhile, the Bank of Canada has temporarily halted XTM’s operations, citing a failure to safeguard user funds—only to later allow them to resume limited activities under strict conditions. Is this a case of mismanagement, security gaps, or something more sinister? Cyberfraud expert Ryan Duquette warns, ‘Missing funds don’t always mean fraud, but the investigation will take time, especially with two interconnected companies.’ He suggests possibilities ranging from operational blunders to potential misconduct. And this is the part most people miss: while businesses like Duprey’s are left covering losses out of pocket, industry leaders in B.C. are urging affected parties to file claims with police and consider joining a potential class-action lawsuit. Duprey himself is pragmatic: ‘I’m not an optimist, I’m a realist. I don’t expect to get all my money back, but someone needs to be held accountable.’ His bold statement, ‘Somebody needs to go to jail here,’ echoes the sentiment of many who feel betrayed by the system. As the investigation unfolds, one question lingers: Who is truly to blame, and will justice ever be served? Share your thoughts in the comments—do you think this is a case of fraud, mismanagement, or something else entirely?
