A Calgary Man Is Charged In A 'Fraud & Romance Scam' Involving Dozens Of Women

A Calgary man has been charged with fraud after it was alleged that he swindled money through a fake tech scam and used it to "woo" women he met on dating sites.

Calgary Police said Bryan Christopher Syryda was initially reported to the police in 2020 after several people claimed to have given him money in exchange for discounted electronics, such as televisions.

Victims allege they were told he worked for well-known tech companies and had access to electronics at discounted rates. Several charges were laid at the time, according to police.

In August 2021, police received additional complaints from several people in B.C. who paid money to a man for high-end electronics that were allegedly never delivered.

As investigators looked into the allegations, they found several local women who claimed to have met the same man “via online dating sites and were treated to extravagant outings."

“The man also offered the women and their friends deals on electronics, however, after receiving money, no items were ever received,” the police said.

“It’s believed the money used to woo the women was obtained through the earlier fraudulent activity and was intended to groom the victims into trusting the man and giving him their money," they added.

Police said, in many cases, victims of the scam had convinced family members and friends to "take advantage" of the proposed electronics deal. Victims have been located in Langley, Surrey and Delta in B.C., and Cochrane and Calgary in Alberta so far.

Syryda is believed to have obtained close to $25,000 through the scam and has been charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000 and possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000. Additional charges are pending, police say.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.