Edmonton police say a phone scam that used fake calls from carriers to trick people into ordering new devices has cost Edmontonians about $20 million. Their investigation also helped shut down several call centres in Pakistan tied to the scheme.
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) shared the details in a news release on Tuesday. Investigators say the operation has been running since at least October 2024 and was linked to multiple call centres in Lahore, Pakistan.
Callers claimed to represent Rogers, Telus and Virgin Mobile, offering free or heavily discounted cellphones and plans. Victims were persuaded to hand over personal information and order new devices through their real service providers.
Once the phones arrived, a second call followed. Scammers told victims the wrong device had been shipped and instructed them to mail it to another address, where people connected to the scheme collected the phones and resold them. It is a close cousin of the phone return scam that hit Vancouver Island last month.
Police say they are aware of roughly 100 reports of this scam in Edmonton so far this year, with estimated losses of about $20 million. Spread across the roughly two years the scheme has been running, that works out to about $833,000 a month, or roughly $28,000 a day, taken from people who thought they were getting a deal from their own carrier.
In early October, officers executed a search warrant at a home near 97 Street and 113 Avenue and arrested a 31-year-old man. Police seized suspected forgery equipment, fraudulent identification documents and electronic devices believed to be connected to the investigation.
Johnathan Cesar, 31, has been charged with fraud over $5,000, trafficking in property obtained by crime and possession of forgery equipment. The allegations have not been tested in court.
According to police, information gathered during the probe helped identify multiple suspected scam call centres in Pakistan. EPS shared that information with international law enforcement partners in late October, which contributed to enforcement action by local authorities that disrupted several of the centres.
The investigation involved telecom providers, shipping companies and police agencies across Canada, including Peel Regional Police, the RCMP and the Ontario Provincial Police. Carriers and banks have been stepping up their own efforts too, with Rogers, Bell and Telus teaming up with Canada’s banks to fight fraud.
“This scam is highly convincing and designed to exploit people’s trust,” said Cst. Brian Mason with the EPS Virtual Investigations Section. “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.”
Police are urging Edmontonians to be cautious of unsolicited calls, texts or emails claiming to be from telecom providers, and to verify any offer through official channels. As one Rogers customer left owing nearly $17,000 found out, victims can be stuck paying for devices they never kept.
Anyone who believes they were targeted can contact EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.
Have you ever received a call offering a free or discounted phone from someone claiming to be your carrier? How did you handle it?
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