Hockey Alberta has issued a caution to families regarding a recent fraudulent scheme that targets minor hockey associations within the province, employing seemingly legitimate means to solicit funds for fictitious tournaments. The provincial hockey governing body disclosed in a social media update on Tuesday that there has been a surge in dubious tournament emails closely resembling official email accounts and registration documents. Angie Thiessen, a tournament coordinator at the McKnight Hockey Association in Calgary, expressed dismay, highlighting the impact on young players who rely on fundraising efforts like bottle drives to participate in tournaments.
Thiessen emphasized that the fall season is a hectic period for newly established minor hockey teams as they vie for limited spots in highly sought-after tournaments. She revealed that an overwhelming 120 teams applied for their U18 tournaments. The scam came to Thiessen’s attention when she received an inquiry from another hockey association member seeking validation for an email claiming acceptance into an upcoming McKnight tournament, accompanied by a fee request. Subsequently, she confirmed the email as fraudulent and discovered similar incidents affecting various associations across the province.
Notable hockey organizations like the Knights Hockey Club in southeast Calgary, Trails West Hockey Association in southwest Calgary, and Devon Minor Hockey near Edmonton have also alerted their members about the deceptive tournament ploy. While Hockey Canada indicated no knowledge of similar scams in other provinces, Drew Dixon, Hockey Alberta’s director of membership, highlighted instances where teams unwittingly fell victim to the scheme.
The scam operates by exploiting information provided by tournament hosts during the sanctioning process, including details like date, location, age group, and division, to craft deceptive invitations and solicit payments via different email channels. Tournament fees typically hover around $2,000, with variations depending on the association. Dixon acknowledged the challenge in preventing scammers from accessing registration details readily available online and stressed the importance of vigilance among registrants. He advised teams to be wary of unsolicited invitations, cross-check contact information with official sanction sites, and exercise caution before making e-transfers.
In response, Hockey Alberta is intensifying efforts to raise awareness of potential warning signs for registrants to detect fraudulent activities. They emphasize that legitimate tournament hosts usually require teams to apply for participation, making unsolicited invitations a key red flag. Dixon underscored the need for thorough verification before any financial transactions are made to safeguard against such scams.