Edmonton Journal has reported:

Edmonton police have helped disrupt an international cellphone scam network believed to have taken more than $20 million from people in the city. Police say roughly 100 Edmontonians lost a total of $20 million to the scheme so far this year, and the operation had been active since at least October 2024.

The Edmonton Police Service began investigating in the fall after uncovering a large-scale fraud operation targeting Canadians. In a Tuesday news release, EPS said the investigation identified suspected call centres operating in Pakistan and led to information being shared with international law enforcement partners last month.

Pakistan authorities then took enforcement action and shut down several centres, police said. The investigation was aimed at a network whose members posed as representatives of major telecommunications companies, including Rogers, Telus and Virgin Mobile.

Scammers called residents with offers of free or heavily discounted cellphones and plans. After a victim received a phone, the caller would contact them again and say the wrong device had been shipped. The victim was told to send the phone to another address, where a conspirator would collect it, without the victim knowing the device was being diverted.

Police executed a search warrant in early October at a home near 97 Street and 113 Avenue. They seized suspected forgery equipment, fake 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 police information did not provide further details about the charges or the next steps in the case.

Const. Brian Mason, of the EPS virtual investigations section, said the scheme was designed to gain victims’ confidence. “This scam is highly convincing and designed to exploit people’s trust,” Mason said. “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.”

EPS is urging residents to be careful with unsolicited calls, texts and emails that claim to come from telecommunications providers. Police advise people to verify offers independently through official channels before sharing personal information or acting on them.

Anyone who believes they may have been targeted by the scam is asked to contact EPS at 780-423-4567.