Four men are facing dozens of charges in connection with a scam that allegedly bilked a Calgary woman out of $25,000. The victim said she received a call at 5 p.m. on Aug. 5 from a man claiming to be from her bank’s fraud department. She was asked to verify several fraudulent transactions on her credit card before the caller told her that her card had been frozen to prevent further fraudulent activity. “The suspect then directed the victim to cut up her credit card and place it in an envelope to be picked up by a courier driving a silver Honda CRV,” police said in a Monday news release. “The victim was contacted again by the suspect, who asked her to confirm her old personal identification number (PIN) and to verify a new PIN for her new card that would later be sent to her in the mail.” Police say the next day, the victim’s credit card had several transactions totalling $25,824. She contacted her bank directly, at which time she discovered her bank card had never been frozen. She then called police. On Aug. 29, police searched at home in the 500 block of 15 Ave. S.W. and seized the following items: Four men are connected to the investigation: Badr Ghassan Salim Al-Saffar, 28, is charged with four counts of breaching a release order, including cutting off his ankle monitor. He remains in custody. Jordan Tyler Oldford, 37, is charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000, three counts of uttering a forged document and possession of a stolen bank card, and three counts of breaching a release order. Jeremy Sauve, 41, is charged with eight weapons-related breaches of a release order and one count each of fraud over $5,000, possession of a forged bank card, possession of a stolen bank card, uttering a forged document, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace and possession of instruments of forgery. Brandon Laroy Fordham, 31, is charged with two counts of breaching a release order and has two warrants out for his arrest. “Thanks to prompt action from the victim in reporting this incident to police and alerting her bank, we were able to investigate and quickly apprehend several individuals who have participated in bank and courier scams,” said Insp. Scott Neilson. “If someone contacts you claiming to be from your bank and asks for your PIN, bank card, cash or valuables to be picked up by a courier, it is a scam. “Hang up, contact your bank directly and speak with a trusted family member or friend before taking any action. A few minutes of verification can prevent a significant financial loss.”
