In January 2025, the EPS received a report that an 85-year-old man was scammed after receiving a call from someone claiming to be a bank employee who stated that his credit cards were being used outside of Edmonton. They instructed him to cut up all his credit and debit cards and give them to an alleged “bank courier”. Shortly thereafter, two unknown male suspects were captured on surveillance camera using the senior’s credit cards. The fraud amounted to approximately $30,000.
In March 2025, the EPS issued a news release containing images of the two suspects, who were subsequently identified as Aude Gnahore, 22 and Massamba Sow, 38, and charged with fraud over $5,000.
Since that time, the EPS has received at least 36 reports of the same scam, typically targeting seniors, and in working with the Calgary Police Service and the RCMP, investigators have determined that the same group of suspects is involved in similar scams in Calgary and elsewhere in Canada, including B.C., Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.
At least 24 unknown suspects have been observed in connection to the fraud, and police are releasing surveillance photos in hopes of identifying some of them.
Pictured above: surveillance images of suspects associated with the scam
“Unfortunately, these types of scams are common, and seniors can be particularly vulnerable,” says Cst. Clayton Tipton with EPS Beats. “We always encourage families to talk to their senior relatives about scams, and remind them that the bank will never call you to ask for your PIN or tell you to cut up your bank card and send it back to them. If you get a call from someone who says they are with your bank, it’s always ok to end the call and then contact the bank yourself to verify the request.”
For more information on how to spot a scam, visit the EPS website.
Anyone with information about the suspects’ identities is asked to call EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.