Group of Four Accused in Organized ATM Scam at Alberta Casinos
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Federal Policing Northwest Region (NWR) has announced the arrest and charging of four men in connection with a coordinated ATM fraud scheme that targeted multiple casinos in Edmonton. The fraud, estimated to have caused over $1 million in losses, involved a series of high-value withdrawals at casino-based ATMs in the city, deliberately timed and coordinated to evade detection mechanisms and exploit vulnerabilities in financial institution controls.
The arrests were made following the execution of six search warrants in Edmonton, in collaboration with the Edmonton Police Service. The four men charged are Elliot Miao (42), Van Bau Ta (39), Hassan Jaafar Haydar Ahmad (37), and Dennis Jones (42). A fifth suspect, Hisham Ismaeel (28), is still wanted by police under an Alberta-wide warrant and faces drug trafficking charges related to cocaine found during the investigation.
The withdrawals triggered service disruptions to several ATMs across Western Canada. Despite the disruptions, the specific casinos affected have not been publicly disclosed. The charges against the four men include fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime, money laundering, and for the fifth suspect, drug trafficking.
The aim of the fraud was to evade detection and exploit financial institutions. The investigation into the fraud is ongoing, and none of the allegations have been tested in court as of now. The case remains before the Alberta Court of Justice.
The RCMP considers this a "coordinated ATM fraud" case, indicating that the fraud was planned and executed in a coordinated manner. No further details about the men charged or the casinos involved were provided in the news release. The NWR seized evidence related to fraud, money laundering, and drugs during the execution of the search warrants, but no further details about the execution were provided.
As the investigation continues, the public is reminded to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities. The RCMP encourages financial institutions to strengthen their security measures to prevent such fraudulent activities.
The ongoing investigation focuses on a "coordinated ATM fraud" case that targeted casino-games and resulted in losses exceeding $1 million. General-news outlets report that this scheme involved four men, Elliot Miao, Van Bau Ta, Hassan Jaafar Haydar Ahmad, and Dennis Jones, who have been arrested and charged with various crimes, including casino-and-gambling-related fraud, possession of property obtained by crime, money laundering, and (for a fifth suspect) drug trafficking. Crime-and-justice authorities are still searching for Hisham Ismaeel under an Alberta-wide warrant.
