Edmonton police, U.S. Secret Service partner with ‘ethical hackers’ to stop $42M in fraud

The Edmonton Police Service headquarters in the city's downtown core. (Galen McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has partnered with the United States Secret Service, the Collin County Texas Sheriff’s Office, and so-called ethical hackers to prevent more than $42 million CAD in losses to scammers, EPS says.

Between July 2025 and May 2026 EPS says it developed a relationship with an ethical hacking network, also known as scam baiters, to gather intelligence related to in-progress scams.

The group intercepted the victim’s information and shared it with police.

EPS says it identified victims with the help of the United States Secret Service, the Collin County Texas Sheriff’s Office.

All three agencies then contacted the victims and attempted to disrupt fund transfers, including contacting police in the victim’s jurisdiction and contacting banks and service providers to stop or freeze financial accounts before the losses occurred.

“Contacting victims was often difficult because the information received was fragmented and incomplete,” Const. Brian Mason with the EPS Virtual Investigations Section said in a news release.

“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.”

Police say the scammers frequently persuaded victims to allow them access to their computers or mobile devices, allowing the criminals access to personal and financial information.

Investigators say the criminals also tried to persuade victims that police were the 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,” Mason said.

“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.”

Police contacted more than 50 law enforcement agencies during the operation, including police in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada, and were able to stop 300 people from losing money.

The largest loss prevented to date was $4 million from a victim in the U.S.

EPS says more than $42 million CAD was saved from scammers during the operation.

“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.”

Police are reminding customers that retailers and government agencies will not ask for personal or financial information over the phone, via email, or text message.

They also will not ask for access to your computer to assist you.

If you are unsure about a communication or are not expecting an interaction from one of these agencies, ignore it, disengage, and report it to your local anti-fraud centre.

If you believe you were scammed contact your local police.