Multiple communities warned about fraudulent vehicle sale scheme

Florin Constantin, left, and Constantin Dumitru, right, were accused in a fraudulent vehicle sale scheme in Alberta in May 2026. (Source: Edmonton Police Service)

Police are warning multiple Alberta communities about a fraud scheme involving private vehicle sales.

Six men are accused of distracting sellers to damage the vehicles and purchase them for less than their worth.

Edmonton Police Service (EPS) says the group has done this in Edmonton, Calgary, Sherwood Park, Leduc and Thorsby.

To date, 13 victims have been identified.

EPS alleges the vehicles were later registered with forged documents and used in other criminal offences.

How the scheme worked

Often, the purported buyers arrived in groups of two or three and would tell the seller they are siblings.

They’d get the seller to retrieve an item from the house or distract them in another way while they tampered with the vehicle, then point out a damaged head gasket or oil leak.

“The buyers may then claim to call a mechanic, who confirms the damage and the high price to fix the vehicle, as a means of intimidating the seller to sell it for a lower price,” Const. Shiva Shunmugam said in a press release Monday.

In some cases, the group argued with sellers for up to two hours, according to EPS.

In all cases, the issue with the vehicle had not been present before the meeting.

Charges laid

Police executed a search warrant at a south Edmonton home in October.

Nine vehicles connected with the address were seized.

Six men face a total of 33 charges:

• Constantin Dumitru, 26;
• Tiberius Grigore, 34;
• Cosmin Mustata, 26;
• Remus Rafaila, 32;
• Orlando Turcan, 24; and
• Florin Constantin, 39.

Constantin, Dumitru, Mustata and Turcan are wanted on Alberta-wide warrants.