More than 20 Calgary seniors out about $186K in scam; suspect in custody

Calgary police have arrested a man from southern Ontario after he allegedly defrauded 18 seniors here out of almost $190,000.

A man has been charged for allegedly defrauding 18 different Calgarian seniors out of roughly $186,000 total.

Calgary police claim the crimes happened in the late summer and autumn over the span of five weeks.

They say elderly people were contacted by phone by an unknown person, who claimed to be with a company investigating suspicious financial transactions linked to the victims’ bank accounts.

The unknown caller would tell the seniors a courier would be sent to their homes to retrieve their bank cards in order to expedite the investigation.

Police say that’s when the man who was charged would show up and collect bank cards—and even electronics, including cell phones and iPads.

“He basically was defrauding people out of their personal information,” Insp. Scott Neilson with the Calgary Police Service said.

“He was showing up at their houses, allegedly going right into their place to secure information right off their devices.

“So incredibly invasive and ballsy beyond belief that anyone would do that.”

Joshmin Jerrel Garnett was arrested in Richmond, B.C.

The 31-year-old faces numerous charges, including:

· fraud over $5,000 (x13);

· fraud under $5,000 (x5);

· identity theft; and

· uttering a forged passport.

Garnett is set to appear in court on Jan. 12, 2026.

“He’s based in Southern Ontario, but he has probably left a path of destruction, so to speak, all across Canada,” Neilson said.

“I know he was operating specifically in Calgary, Edmonton and the Lower Mainland.”

Neilson says he encourages people to be extremely cautious when receiving phone calls from anyone claiming to be working for a financial institution.

That’s because technology is making cybercrime more frequent and more complex.

Scammers often utilize fake phone numbers and email addresses that closely mimic real ones.

“Exploitation is what it is,” he said.

“Exploiting a vulnerable population that doesn’t deserve to be exploited. There’s a special place for this individual if what he’s allegedly done is true.“

The allegations against Garnett have yet to be proven.

If someone is ever unsure of the legitimacy of a phone call, they are encouraged to contact police.

Police have provided information on how seniors can protect themselves from scams.

That’s available online, here.

Public tips regarding scams can be shared with police by calling 403-266-1234 or with Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477.