An Edmonton resident has been given a 12-month jail term for admitting guilt to deceiving a vulnerable client out of over $73,000. Shum Shabat Yousouf, aged 35, confessed to a fraud exceeding $5,000 in November 2025. She received her sentence on Friday at the Edmonton Court of Justice.
Yousouf, a program manager and housing worker for Contentment Social Services Foundation (CSSF), a non-profit offering assisted-living services, was identified as an authorized representative on the organization’s records. The victim, a 59-year-old man with diagnosed mental health issues needing daily care, signed a service agreement with CSSF in April 2022.
Under the contract, the individual paid $1,450 monthly for accommodation, meals, cleaning services, and transportation. Yousouf instructed him to obtain bank drafts for amounts surpassing his monthly fee and managed his online banking, including setting up his password. She then accessed his account, sending multiple e-transfers, with most funds redirected to CSSF’s account. Additional transfers were made to a personal account, and payments were made to a property management company.
The fraud was discovered in December 2023 when the victim’s sister found his savings drastically reduced. Yousouf initially denied involvement, falsely implicating a non-existent employee. The victim’s family later discovered unpaid rent and terminated the relationship with CSSF in June 2024, with the victim’s savings nearly depleted.
During sentencing, the judge emphasized Yousouf’s breach of trust and the victim’s vulnerability, noting the extensive, concealed nature of the fraud. Yousouf, with no prior criminal record, expressed remorse and made partial restitution payments. The defense requested a conditional sentence, but the judge imposed jail time, restitution payments, and a prohibition from managing others’ finances without disclosure.
Yousouf must pay $73,598.99 in restitution by December 1, 2035, and $69,295 in lieu of forfeiture by August 21, 2037. She faces a five-year ban on roles involving financial authority unless disclosing her case’s facts.