Seeking Public Assistance - Fraud Warrants

The Calgary Police Service has issued warrants for a local woman in connection with a cellphone scam targeting elderly Calgarians.

It’s alleged that at least three seniors were duped into allowing the woman to purchase cellphones and subsequent cellphones plans using their identities. The woman would then take the cellphones and resell them to unsuspecting buyers.

The suspect in this case lived in the same building as the victims and is alleged to have befriended them in the months leading up to the purchases in March and April 2013. The victims were in their 80s and 90s.

Violet BANH, 40, of Calgary, is charged with six counts of fraud under $5,000. Her whereabouts are currently unknown.

BANH is Asian, 5’4” tall, 120 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She sometimes uses the alias Vicky CHAN. A photo of BANH is available on the City of Calgary Newsroom.

Anyone with information as to BANH’s whereabouts is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously using any of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477

TYPE: tttTIPS.com

TEXT: tttTIPS to 274637