The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) and its partners at the United States Secret Service (U.S. Secret Service) and the Collin County Texas Sherrif’s Office have collaborated with ethical hackers to prevent more than $42 million Cdn in losses to scammers.
Between July 2025 and May 2026, the EPS developed a relationship with an ethical hacker network, also known as scam baiters, who provided police with intelligence related to in-progress scams. The ethical hackers intercepted the victim’s information and shared it with police, at which time the EPS partnered closely with the U.S. Secret Service and Collin County Texas Sherriff’s Office to identify victims. All three agencies then used all methods possible to contact victims and disrupt fund transfers, including contacting law enforcement in the victim’s jurisdiction and engaging banks and service providers to stop or freeze financial accounts before losses occurred.
“Contacting victims was often difficult because the information received was fragmented and incomplete,” says Cst. Brian Mason with the EPS Virtual Investigations Section. “Once contacted, convincing them they are being scammed wasn’t always easy and often involved the support of local police agencies and sometimes family members.”
Scammers frequently persuaded their victims to allow them access to their computers and devices and, as a result, gained access to vast amounts of personal and financial information. Often, they also watched and listened as victims engaged with police and actively worked to convince them the police were the actual scammers.
“These scammers used manipulation, fear and urgency to coerce complainants into sending their life savings to a network of money mules and couriers, many of whom are part of vast networks that fund terrorist activities such as human, weapons and drug trafficking,” says Mason. “They used a variety of scam types, including pretending victims are owed a refund from a prominent retailer, or impersonating government agencies, and then requested funds via wire transfer, mailed cheque, product shipment, cash/gold for courier pick up or cryptocurrency.”
In total, police contacted more than 50 law enforcement agencies, including agencies in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, and engaged with over 300 victims, preventing losses for each of them. The largest loss prevented was in the United States at $4 million dollars and to date, more than $42 million Cdn has been saved.
“Scammers relentlessly target victims across borders, making their crimes a truly global threat,” says Peter Murphy, the Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Vancouver Resident Office. “We deeply appreciate the efforts of everyone involved – from ethical hackers that provide valuable information that can jumpstart an investigation to the banking partners who freeze accounts and help return stolen funds. We are especially grateful for our close and ongoing partnership with the Edmonton Police Service and their unwavering commitment to investigating these scams.”
“The efforts of the U.S. Secret Service, the Edmonton Police Service, and their partners to disrupt these scams helped prevent the victimization of hundreds of people and kept millions of dollars from potentially reaching criminal networks,” says Emily Fleckner, U.S. Consul General to Calgary. “Decades of trust and collaboration between American and Canadian law enforcement agencies culminate in outcomes like these and underscore the continued importance of cross-border law enforcement cooperation.”
The EPS would like to thank the many law enforcement partners engaged in this project who assisted with disrupting these scams. In addition, the EPS is reminding everyone to remain vigilant and discerning.
“Retailers and government agencies will not ask you for personal or financial information over the phone, via email or text message, nor will they ask for access to your computer to assist you,” says Cst. Mason. “If you are unsure about a communication, or you are not expecting an interaction with a government agency or a refund from a retailer, ignore or disengage and report it to your local anti-fraud centre. If you were scammed, contact your local police.”