UPDATE: Warrant Issued For Accused Fraudster

ADDITIONAL CHARGE LAID

Man Soek CHOI has now been charged with another count of fraud and an additional warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Two new photos of CHOI are available on The City of Calgary Newsroom.

ORIGINAL RELEASE

We are looking for a man accused of defrauding at least one person after gaining their trust.

At around 3:30 PM on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, a man approached the victim at the Calgary Central Library and struck up a conversation, bonding over their shared Korean heritage.

The man claimed he was visiting from Toronto and that his wallet and identification had been stolen. He said he needed $1,500 cash to retrieve his passport and offered to wire transfer the same amount to the victim in exchange for cash. The victim agreed, accepting the wire transfer and turning over $1,000 cash and $500 worth of gift cards to the suspect the following day.

However the victim soon learned the transfer was fraudulent, from an account that was closed and empty. He tried to contact the man, but the man’s phone number was no longer in service.  The victim then contacted police to report the incident.

We have issued a warrant for 53-year-old Man Soek CHOI, of no fixed address, for one count of fraud under $5,000. He is described as 5’8” tall and approximately 209 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone who may know where CHOI is or has any other information about this case is asked to contact police by calling 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers through any of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
APP: P3 Tips

Case #CA25391230/5844