Police uncover $30K Costco fraud scheme; two suspects face nearly 200 charges
Posted Aug 24, 2026 12:12 pm.
Last Updated Aug 24, 2026 11:58 am.
A man and a woman are facing nearly 200 charges after police uncovered a months‑long scheme that defrauded several Costco stores in Calgary and its surrounding communities.
Calgary police say the investigation began on April 24 after Costco staff reported a woman making suspicious purchases.
Investigators later determined that between April 9 and June 30, the woman repeatedly used altered or fake UPC codes, swapping barcodes from cheaper items onto more expensive ones.
Some of the items allegedly purchased from the scheme were desktop computers, televisions, gaming consoles and sound equipment. In total, the stores were defrauded of more than $30,000, according to police.
Investigators believe a man also took part in the scheme.
Police executed a search warrant at a home in the northeast community of Cornerstone on Aug. 1 and arrested both suspects. Officers also seized more than 300 grams of suspected methamphetamine, scales and packaging linked to drug trafficking, credit‑card forgery equipment, 31 credit cards, a stolen 65‑inch Samsung TV, two receipt printers, and various other suspected stolen items and fake ID documents.
A 41-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man are facing 119 charges, including possession of stolen credit cards, possession of identity documents, drug‑trafficking offences and possession of property obtained by crime.
Both are scheduled to appear in court in the coming weeks.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call police at 403‑266‑1234 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.
