A 49 year old resident of Airdrie faces charges following an investigation by the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region’s Provincial Financial Crime Team (PFCT).
Mounties say “the accused is alleged to have fraudulently received in excess of $100,000 from domestic and international victims who sent money via e-transfer and wire transfer to purchase goods from online sales platforms.”
According to police, the fraudulent sales included goods such as hay bales, deer antlers, antiseptic cleaning wipes, and sea urchins.
These fraudulent sales allegedly occurred between January and July of 2023.
RCMP note that the accused is also believed to have been running an informal value transfer system – known as hawala – using trade-based money laundering methods that contravene the Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act.
The accused, Mbua Ngomba Kalla, is slated to appear in court on October 17th in Airdrie.
Inspector John Lamming with the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region says “by working with our partners at the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and law enforcement agencies across Canada, we found that the individual used the internet to commit multiple frauds with victims across western Canada and abroad.”
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre can be reached at 1-888-495-8501 if you believe you are a victim of fraud.
