Two Calgarians are facing a combined 189 charges after police say multiple Costco stores in the area were defrauded of more than $30,000 in about three months.
Aaron Lee Head, 39, faces 119 charges. Kristie Marie Constantinoff, 41, faces 70.
None of the allegations has been proven, and none has been tested in court.
What police say happened at the till
Calgary police say that between April 9 and June 30, altered or fraudulent UPC codes taken from cheaper items were used to buy high-value electronics at Costco locations in Calgary and the surrounding area. Desktop computers, televisions, gaming consoles and sound equipment.
The method is old and low-tech. Swap the code, and the register reads the price it's given rather than the price on the shelf. What makes this file unusual is the run: three months, multiple stores, more than $30,000.
District 6 officers investigated after the stores reported the losses.
"Fraud offences are often complex and can involve numerous victims and substantial financial losses, and we want to thank the affected businesses for coming forward," District 6 Insp. Scott Neilson said.
How it unfolded
April 24 — Police are told about an unidentified woman suspected of making fraudulent purchases at multiple Costco locations in Calgary and the surrounding area. By then, according to the alleged timeline, the purchases have been going on for about two weeks.
April 9 to June 30 — The window investigators say the fraudulent transactions covered. Police later concluded a man was involved alongside the woman.
August 1 — Officers search a home in the 0 to 100 block of Cornerbrook Manor N.E. and arrest two people.
August 24 — Police announce the charges. Head faces 119 counts, Constantinoff 70.
Four months from the first report to the announcement, and the alleged scheme ran for close to three of them.
The search warrant found more than Costco receipts
Police say the August 1 search turned up 302.4 grams of suspected methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $6,048, along with digital scales and packaging materials.
The rest of the list reads like a fraud shop:
Credit card manufacturing equipment
Credit card scanners
Card skimming devices
31 credit cards, some appearing altered
Two receipt printing machines
False identification documents
Two 65-inch televisions
Receipt printers and card manufacturing equipment have nothing to do with a barcode swap. They point at something wider than a retail file, which is the likeliest explanation for how two people end up carrying 189 counts between them.
Police haven't said whether the credit card equipment is connected to any other reported frauds, and they haven't released a breakdown of the individual charges.
What police are asking of everyone else
Neilson used the announcement to repeat the standard advice: guard your personal information, watch your statements, report anything that looks off.
Card skimming devices copy card data at the point of sale, and account holders usually find out from a statement rather than at the counter. If something looks wrong, call your bank or card issuer first to stop the card, then report it.
Calgary police take reports at 403-266-1234 or online at calgarypolice.ca. Anonymous tips go to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Fraud can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call police at 403-266-1234.
Sources
Calgary Police Service news release, Aug. 24, 2026, via the City of Calgary Newsroom — https://newsroom.calgary.ca/police-news-releases/
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre — https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/
The names, charge counts and seizure inventory were reported by LiveWire Calgary; additional details from CTV News Calgary.
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