Edmonton police say they were involved in a crackdown on a large-scale international cellphone fraud network that’s been targeting Canadians for at least two years now.
The Edmonton Police Service says scammers, who were linked to multiple call centres in Lahore, Pakistan, called Canadians claiming to represent major telecommunications providers.
The fraudsters would offer free or heavily discounted cellphones and phone plans, and victims were persuaded to provide personal information and order new devices through their service providers.
“Once the phones arrived, victims received follow-up calls claiming the wrong devices had been shipped and were instructed to send them to another address. The devices were then collected by individuals associated with the scheme and resold,” EPS said in a news release.
EPS, which began investigating this fall, says investigators are aware of about 100 reports of this scam targeting Edmontonians.
“This scam is highly convincing and designed to exploit people’s trust,” said EPS Cst. Brian Mason. “If you receive an unsolicited offer for a free or heavily discounted cellphone that might seem too good to be true, contact your service provider directly using trusted contact information before providing personal information or taking any action.”
Authorities say the information gathered in the investigation was shared with law enforcement partners in Pakistan and “contributed to enforcement action by local authorities that disrupted several centres believed to be involved in the scheme.”
It also led to an arrest in Alberta’s capital. Early last month, a search of a home on 97 Street and 113 Avenue led to the seizure of forgery equipment, fraudulent identification documents and electronic devices believed to be connected to the investigation.
Johnathan Cesar, 31, was arrested and charged with fraud over $5,000, trafficking in property obtained by crime and possession of forgery equipment. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.
