A Calgary man faces fraud and money-laundering charges after police investigated a scheme in which callers allegedly posed as bank investigators and police officers to collect victims' bank cards.
The Calgary Police Service announced the charges Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Investigators received several reports of the scam between June 7 and July 14, 2025.
Police say the callers used number-spoofing technology so that victims' phones displayed customer-service numbers belonging to real financial institutions. The callers allegedly told victims their accounts had been compromised by unauthorized transactions and connected to criminal activity.
Victims were then directed to people pretending to be Calgary police officers. They were instructed to place bank cards in envelopes for couriers to collect from their homes. Police say the cards and banking information were later used for unauthorized ATM withdrawals and purchases.
Charges announced after CCTV investigation
Investigators reviewed security footage and identified a suspect who allegedly bought and redeemed gift cards using proceeds from the fraud. Imani Lionel Cross, 26, of Calgary, was arrested October 14, 2026, according to police.
Cross is charged with one count of fraud over $5,000, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime and one count of laundering the proceeds of crime. Police say he was also arrested on an outstanding warrant.
He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday, October 29. The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court. Police did not provide a total loss figure for the incidents addressed in Wednesday's release.
Police report continuing impersonation scams
CPS says it recorded 24 reports involving both bank and police impersonation in 2025, compared with seven reports in 2026 as of October 24. For police impersonation scams specifically, CPS recorded 171 reports in 2025 and 27 in 2026 through that same date. The 2026 figures are year-to-date and are not full-year totals.
Police also warn of impersonators claiming to be RCMP officers and instructing people to transfer cryptocurrency or deposit money at Bitcoin ATMs.
How to avoid the scam
Police say financial institutions and officers will not ask customers to send bank cards, disclose account credentials, transfer cryptocurrency or buy items as part of an investigation. A familiar caller ID does not establish that a call is genuine because numbers can be spoofed.
Residents who receive an unexpected call about compromised accounts should hang up and contact their bank or police independently through a number found on an official website or on the back of a bank card. Do not share passwords, PINs or verification codes with an unsolicited caller.
Anyone with information about this investigation can call Calgary police at 403-266-1234. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or calgarycrimestoppers.org. The CPS case number is CA25337952.