Ryan Kenzie met people selling phones, watches, and jewellery. He told them he had sent an e-transfer. He left with the item. The money never arrived.
This happened at least nine times between late April and mid-October 2025 in Edmonton and Sherwood Park. Kenzie, 46, was convicted of nine fraud-related offences, served his sentence, and was released on probation.
Then he did it again.
After his release, Kenzie was charged with fraud involving the same scheme. An arrest warrant has been issued and is currently outstanding. Edmonton Police posted his photo and name publicly on June 10 and are asking anyone who believes they may have been victimized to come forward.
"The repeated nature of these incidents suggests this individual may have targeted many more people," said Constable Emily Kostuik from the EPS West Branch. "By raising awareness, we hope to prevent others from falling victim to fraud and encourage anyone impacted to report it to police."
How the scam works
The setup is simple and effective. Kenzie would contact people selling items through buy-and-sell platforms Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, or similar. He would arrange a meeting, show up in person, inspect the item, and tell the seller the e-transfer had been sent. The seller, seeing a pending transfer notification or simply trusting the person standing in front of them, hands over the item. Kenzie leaves. The transfer never clears because it was never sent.
The scam works for a few reasons. E-transfers are not instant there is typically a delay between sending and the recipient seeing confirmed funds. A fraudster can claim the transfer is processing and use that window to leave with the item before the seller realizes nothing is coming. Some sellers use the Autodeposit feature, which means they do not see a pending notification at all and simply trust the verbal confirmation.
The items targeted phones, watches, jewellery are chosen deliberately. They are easy to carry, easy to resell, and high enough in value to be worth the effort. A single successful transaction can net hundreds of dollars. Nine transactions, as Kenzie was convicted of, could represent thousands.
Why this keeps happening
Fake e-transfer fraud on buy-and-sell platforms is one of the most consistently reported fraud types in Alberta. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received more than 15,000 reports of online buy-and-sell fraud in 2024 alone and that figure reflects only what gets reported. Most incidents go unreported because victims are embarrassed, do not think the amount is worth reporting, or do not know how.
The platforms themselves have limited ability to prevent it. Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji verify very little about their users. An account can be created in minutes. Once a fraudster is banned, a new account takes seconds to make.
What makes Kenzie's case notable is that conviction and a sentence did not stop the behaviour. He was released on probation and charged again almost immediately. EPS is now asking for the public's help locating him.
How to protect yourself when selling online
The simplest protection is also the most underused: do not hand over the item until the money is confirmed in your account. Not pending. Not processing. Actually in your account. Log into your bank app and verify the balance has changed before the item leaves your hands.
If a buyer pressures you to hand something over before the transfer clears, that is the signal to walk away.
Edmonton Police also operate Buy and Sell Exchange Zones at police station parking lots across the city. These are designated meeting locations that are well-lit and monitored by video surveillance. Meeting in one of these locations does not eliminate the risk of fake e-transfers you still need to confirm the money before handing anything over but it deters in-person intimidation and provides a record if something goes wrong.
The full list of EPS Buy and Sell Exchange Zone locations is at edmontonpolice.ca/CrimePrevention/PersonalFamilySafety/OnlineSafety/OnlineClassifiedsSafety.
If you were targeted
If you believe you were defrauded by Ryan Kenzie in Edmonton, Sherwood Park, or elsewhere — contact EPS at 780-423-4567 or dial #377 from a mobile phone.
To submit an anonymous tip, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or p3tips.com/250.
Sources:
Edmonton Police Service news release, Police warn public of fraudulent buy-and-sell transactions, June 10, 2026 (edmontonpolice.ca)
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Annual Statistical Report 2024 (antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca)
EPS, Buy and Sell Exchange Zones (edmontonpolice.ca/CrimePrevention/PersonalFamilySafety/OnlineSafety/OnlineClassifiedsSafety)
