Man faces multiple charges for allegedly defrauding Albertans of nearly $320,000

A 68-year-old man is facing multiple fraud charges for allegedly defrauding Albertans of nearly $320,000 as part of an investment scheme, Edmonton police said in a news release Tuesday.

Detectives believe Gary Walker targeted women through online dating websites and targeted men that he’d conducted business with between 2007 and 2010.

The accused is alleged to have convinced five people from across Alberta — including in Edmonton, Calgary and Wetaskiwin — to give him large sums of money under the false pretence that he was investing it in the stock market. In one case, Walker is alleged to have convinced one woman that he met on a popular online dating site to give him $201,000 to invest in stocks, the release said. It is alleged that the initial investment and dividends were never returned.

Calgary police recently arrested Walker on fraud warrants. He has been charged with five counts of fraud over $5,000. He is also wanted on a fraud warrant in Brantford, Ont.