The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has charged a 60-year-old woman with defrauding a local senior of millions of dollars over nearly a decade.Police say Tina “Phoeut” Soeung, 60, was charged with one count of fraud over $5,000 following a lengthy investigation by the EPS Financial Crimes Section.The investigation began in 2019 after the family of an 88-year-old Edmonton man contacted police, alleging that Soeung had befriended the man and gradually defrauded him of an estimated $5 million between 2008 and 2017. To date, investigators have substantiated $1.6 million in stolen funds.“This is an unfortunate case of the accused actively taking advantage of someone’s kindness and generosity, as is often the circumstance in frauds,” said Detective Dayna Bulas of the EPS Financial Crimes Section. “While we’re unable to recover the funds that were lost, we’re hopeful we can prevent the accused from victimizing others in a similar way.”The EPS believes Soeung may have targeted other individuals in similar schemes and is urging anyone who may have been defrauded by her to come forward.Victims or anyone with relevant information are encouraged to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.Authorities emphasize the importance of vigilance to prevent similar frauds and encourage individuals to report any suspected cases of exploitation.
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has charged a 60-year-old woman with defrauding a local senior of millions of dollars over nearly a decade.Police say Tina “Phoeut” Soeung, 60, was charged with one count of fraud over $5,000 following a lengthy investigation by the EPS Financial Crimes Section.The investigation began in 2019 after the family of an 88-year-old Edmonton man contacted police, alleging that Soeung had befriended the man and gradually defrauded him of an estimated $5 million between 2008 and 2017. To date, investigators have substantiated $1.6 million in stolen funds.“This is an unfortunate case of the accused actively taking advantage of someone’s kindness and generosity, as is often the circumstance in frauds,” said Detective Dayna Bulas of the EPS Financial Crimes Section. “While we’re unable to recover the funds that were lost, we’re hopeful we can prevent the accused from victimizing others in a similar way.”The EPS believes Soeung may have targeted other individuals in similar schemes and is urging anyone who may have been defrauded by her to come forward.Victims or anyone with relevant information are encouraged to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.Authorities emphasize the importance of vigilance to prevent similar frauds and encourage individuals to report any suspected cases of exploitation.
