Man charged as Edmonton police warn of cellphone scam tied to $20M in losses

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is warning residents about a cellphone scam after its investigation helped disrupt an international fraud network believed to be responsible for more than $20 million in losses for Edmontonians, police said in a release published Nov. 3, 2026. A 31-year-old man has been charged.

How the scam works

According to police, callers falsely claimed to represent major telecommunications providers, including Rogers, Telus and Virgin Mobile. Victims were offered free or heavily discounted cellphones and phone plans, and were persuaded to give personal information and order new devices through their legitimate service providers.

Once the phones arrived, victims got follow-up calls saying the wrong devices had been shipped and were told to send them to another address. Police said people associated with the scheme then collected the devices and resold them.

Investigators believe the scam had been running since at least October 2024 and was linked to several call centres in Lahore, Pakistan. Police said they have been made aware of about 100 reports of the scam in Edmonton so far this year, with estimated losses of about $20 million.

Arrest and charges

In early October, police executed a search warrant at a home in the area of 97 Street and 113 Avenue and arrested a 31-year-old man. Police said they 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.

Police said information from the investigation helped identify several suspected scam call centres in Pakistan. It was shared with international law enforcement partners in late October 2026 and contributed to enforcement action by local authorities that disrupted several centres. The EPS worked with telecommunications providers, shipping companies, Peel Regional Police, the RCMP and the Ontario Provincial Police.

Advice from police

"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."

That advice came from Cst. Brian Mason of the EPS Virtual Investigations Section. Police urge residents to be cautious of unsolicited calls, texts or emails claiming to be from telecom providers and to verify any offer through official channels.

Edmonton's Crime Severity Index was 95.55 in 2025, down 6.88% from a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada.