CALGARY – Police have charged two people in connection to a lottery scam with potential victims across Canada and in the United States.
They were arrested in March, as officers searched a residence in the community of Glamorgan.
Police say the suspects tried to get away by jumping from a second floor balcony, but were apprehended shortly after by officers who chased them on foot.
As they searched the home in the 0-100 block of Glamis Drive S.W., investigators found credit card data, mail with counterfeit postage, mailing lists, computers and documents allegedly used to create fraudulent letters to purported lottery winners.
Canada Post was able to locate more than 5,000 letters with the same counterfeit postage, addressed to people across Canada and the United States.
It’s alleged the accused are behind a scam in which victims receive letters in the mail which say they have won the lottery – but are required to deposit large sums of money in to a specific account in order to collect the entire winnings.
Police have charged 34-year-old Albert Egbe Onolunose with five counts of possession of credit card data, and one count each of fraud over $5,000, using mail to defraud, and counterfeiting stamps.
Police have also charged 25-year-old Abeba Girma with one count of identity theft.
Onolunose is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, June 12th, while Girma is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, June 23rd.
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