Senior Girls AA title game a rematch of 2018 championship final

2 March 2019

THE championship title for the senior girls AA crown will be between a pair of foes who are more than familiar with one another.

The South Kamloops Titans are set to face Chilliwack’s G.W. Graham Grizzlies for provincial gold at the B.C. Secondary School Girls AA Basketball Championships at Langley Events Centre on Saturday afternoon. The game tips off at 3:00 p.m. and is a rematch of last year’s championship game which was won in overtime by the Titans.

Langley Christian faces St. Thomas Aquinas in the third-place game on Saturday at 1:15 p.m.

For full results from all day three for all 16 teams, click here.

No. 1 South Kamloops Titans 62 No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas Fighting Saints 58

The South Kamloops Titans built a 15-point lead after one quarter and the advantage was too much to overcome for the St. Thomas Aquinas Fighting Saints (North Vancouver) as the top-seeded Titans prevailed 62-58

The Saints scored the game’s first five points but then watched as the defending champions reeled off a 20-0 run to close the opening quarter. St. Thomas Aquinas pulled to within four points with 55 seconds to go but from there Maddy Gobeil iced the game hitting three of her four foul shots.

Gobeil, as she has done all tournament, dominated with a 31-point, 10 rebound performance. She also had four steals and two assists. Fiona Brisco (13 points, eight rebounds) and Kendra McDonald (12 points, 18 rebounds) also reached double figures.

Jessica Clarke led the Fighting Saints with 17 points and 20 boards and she was one of four STA players to reach double figures as Caelan Prescott and Olivia Thorpe each had a dozen points and Gemma Cutler had 13 points and 18 rebounds.

No. 3 G.W. Graham 74 No. 2 Langley Christian Lightning 68 (OT)

Chilliwack’s G.W. Graham Grizzlies were 2.4 seconds away from seeing their championship dreams dashed, but Deanna Tuscherer scored on a runner as the buzzer sounded to force overtime. And in the extra session, it was little sister Julia Tuscherer’s turn as she scored five of her team’s 12 overtime points in the 74-68 victory.

The game was a rematch of the Fraser Valley championship game a few weeks earlier won by Langley Christian.

In Friday’s contest, the Lightning led by six points early in the first quarter before the Grizzlies took a slim 27-25 lead at the half. Graham was up by seven with 9:20 to play only to see Langley Christian claw their way back with a 24-point fourth quarter.

Deanna Tuchscherer led her team with 24 points and 14 rebounds while Julia Tuchscherer had 26 points and 13 rebounds. Makenna Gardner led LCS with 26 points and five assists and Hailey Van Roekel had 17 points and six rebounds.

Junior Girls: Terry Fox puts perfect season on the line vs Kelowna

2 March 2019

Photo courtesy of Paul Yates – Vancouver Sports Pictures

IT will be No. 1 vs. No. 2 to decide the junior girls provincial champion.

The top seed Terry Fox Ravens (Port Coquitlam) will put their perfect season on the line as they battle the No. 2 Kelowna Owls on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre as the Junior Girls Basketball Provincial Invitational Tournament concludes its four-day run.

The third-place game features the No. 3 Riverside Rapids and the No. 13 MEI Eagles

For full results from all day three for all 24 teams, click here.

No. 2 Kelowna Owls 56 No. 3 Riverside Rapids 44

The second-seeded Kelowna Owls used hot starts in both the first and third quarters – combined score 23-4 – to defeat Port Coquitlam’s Riverside Rapids 56-44.

After falling behind 10-1 to start the game, Riverside rallied back to trail by just one point, 26-25, at the half. But the team’s shots would not drop in the third quarter as they scored just five points, allowing Kelowna to go ahead by 13 points and could not make a dent in the double-digits deficit.

Kelowna’s Shiah Holmes led her team with 16 points while Riverside’s Maria Kim had a game-high 19 points.

No. 1 Terry Fox Ravens 67 No. 13 MEI Eagles 26

The No. 1 seed Terry Fox Ravens shook off an uncharacteristic slow start as they scored just six points in the first quarter to bounce back and score 42 points in the next two quarters combined in a 67-26 win over the No. 13 MEI Eagles (Abbotsford).

Lauren Clements had 17 points and Cerys Merton chipped in with a dozen to lead the Ravens.

Makenna Reimer had a team-high 10 points for MEI.

Tuesday’s Chilliwack shooting now a homicide

1 March 2019

THE Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is requesting public assistance to further its investigation into the shooting death of a 42-year-old Chilliwack resident.

On February 26, just after 1 p.m., Chilliwack RCMP received a report of a woman who had been shot in the 9400-block of Victor Street. Police arrived on scene and found the shooting victim, Christine Denham, who was transported to hospital. Denham remained in critical condition until she succumbed to her injuries on March 1.

IHIT has taken conduct of the investigation and is working closely with its partners from Chilliwack RCMP, the Integrated Forensic Identification Services and the B.C. Coroners Service to gather evidence.

Investigators believe this was not a random incident and there are no indications so far to link this shooting to any gang conflict.

“IHIT detectives are working with the Chilliwack RCMP Serious Crime Unit to identify and interview key witnesses to determine a motive behind Christine Denham’s murder,” said Cpl. Frank Jang of IHIT. “Anyone who knew what Ms. Denham was doing or who she was meeting with on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 is urged to contact IHIT immediately.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551- IHIT (4448), or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

Should you wish to remain anonymous, contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Asian American Coalition of Chicago celebrates its 36th Annual Lunar New Year

1 March 2019

Asian American Coalition of Chicago Board members and guests.

CHICAGO: The Asian American Coalition of Chicago (AACC) celebrated its 36th annual Lunar New Year Celebration – the Year of the Pig – at Hyatt Regency O’Hare on Saturday, February 23 with the theme “One World. One Vision.”

The dinner banquet this year was hosted by the Filipino American community of Chicago, chaired by Aurora Austriaco, a law firm owner who in 2012 became the first Asian American President of Chicago Bar Association.

PCS Members with US Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.

An extravagant Asian-inspired dinner menu along with an award ceremony to honor community leaders and outstanding youths and captivating Asian cultural performances of local talent including Punjabi Bhangra entertained the guests. The celebrations brought together more than 1,000 guests including Asian American community leaders, dignitaries, elected officials, corporate sponsors and the City’s movers and shakers. The AACC Lunar New Year Gala is the largest event of its kind in the Midwest.

“The purpose of Asian American Coalition of Chicago is to unite all Asian Americans into a significant force for strengthening the Asian American community in the United States, and recognizing Asian American contributions to the American democracy and economy,” said Rajinder Singh Mago, Executive Secretary of AACC Board.

Secretary of State Jesse White, State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, Comptroller Susan Mendoza, US Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthy and Sean Casten, US Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, State Senator Ram Villivalam, State Representatives Theresa Mah, State Representative Karina Villa were amongst many federal, state and local government officials. Most of the Chicago mayoral candidates participated in the political forum which took place before the dinner banquet started. The Asian American candidates running for office in the upcoming primaries were also highlighted. The Consuls General of many Asian countries also attended and were recognized. More than 70 Indian American community members attended the dinner banquet.

Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago members with the Northwestern University Bhangra team.

ABC-7 Chicago TV anchors Ravi Baichwal, Eric Hong and Cate Cauguiran; Billy Dec, an entertainment personality, and Marc Rita, a theater and video actor and director, served as emcees for the evening.

This year, AACC’s most prestigious Pan Asian American Ping Tom Memorial Award was presented to Tina Tchen, who served as an assistant to President Barack Obama and Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama.

The Grand Asian American Sandra Otaka Memorial Award was given to ABC7 Chicago which has for many years shown its strong connection to the Asian community by consistently hiring the most Asian talent of any network. It also honors Asian Heritage Month every year.

The Coalition presented the awardees of the 2019 Exemplary Community Service Awards and the Youth Who Excels Awards.

Balwinder Singh Girn, a senior Project Manager with Northern Trust Corporation with leadership roles in Asian American Business Resource Council and the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), received the Indian American Community Service award and Julian Pierce Prem Lalvani-Dudley a senior at Glenbard South High School, received the Indian American Community Youth Who Excels award for his amazing accomplishments.

Rajinder Singh Mago and other Indian American Community members accepting the gavel for 2020.

The AACC, founded in 1983, is represented by more than 16 Asian American cultures including Bangladeshi, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Nepalese, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Thailand, and Vietnamese communities. The nine major Asian American communities have been taking turns to host this event.

Other performances included Lions Dance, Niles North High School Filipino Dance Group, Tsukasa Taiko Drummers, Vietnamese Truc Lam Youth Association, and Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago which presented the Northwestern University Bhangra team.

The gavel was passed on to the Indian American community who will host the 37t Annual AACC Lunar New Year Celebration event on Saturday, February 8, 2020, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Rosemont, Illinois.

Second targeted shooting in Chilliwack

1 March 2019

RCMP in Chilliwack are seeking the public’s assistance in a targeted shooting which occurred on Thursday evening.
On February 28, at approximately 9 p.m., Chilliwack RCMP responded to a report of shots fired and screaming heard in the 45400-block of South Sumas Road.
A 23-year-old man was located with a gunshot wound and was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with this incident and remains in custody pending further investigation.
This incident is believed to be targeted, but is not believed to be related to the previous shooting in Chilliwack earlier this week.
If anyone has any information about this shooting, they are requested to call the Chilliwack RCMP Serious Crime Unit at (604)792-4611 or, should they wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477(TIPS).

City of Surrey selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers

1 March 2019

THE City of Surrey has been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2019. Canada’s Best Diversity Employers recognizes employers across the country that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs, including programs for five major employee groups: Women; Members of visible minorities; Persons with disabilities; Aboriginal peoples; and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered / Transsexual (LGBT) peoples.

“We are honoured to receive this award and all that it represents,” said Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum. “Diversity is an important part of our city’s culture. Recognition on this level speaks volumes about the work we have done to promote, support, and celebrate diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and to advance Surrey as a welcoming community for all.”

The City of Surrey was selected based on innovative and progressive initiatives offered to create a more inclusive and respectful workplace. Highlights include:

* Creating an Inclusive Employer Awards program to recognize local businesses that create welcoming environments for persons with disabilities and partnering with Avia Employment Services and Surrey WorkBC to host an inclusive hiring fair.
* Adapting the City of Surrey’s recreational sports programming to support individuals with disabilities, such as wheelchair tennis, sledge hockey, power soccer, wheelchair basketball and an “I AM Game” initiative to introduce adapted sports to a broad audience.
* Developing a pilot program to help improve the economic prosperity of Indigenous peoples, refugees and youth aging out of care — the pilot will offer residents opportunities to gain work experience with the aim of transitioning to long-term employment.

The City of Surrey was also recently recognized in a separate category as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.

B.C. EVENTS: For the week of Saturday, March 2

1 March 2019

(These are FREE listings. Submit your event / announcement at EditorVoice@gmail.com)

Note: Please do not send posters and pdf’s. Just type out the event details in a simple format in your emails or they may not be accepted.

Surrey Board of Trade Lunch

Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister, Navdeep Bains, will be speaking at a Surrey Board of Trade Lunch, co-hosted with the South Asian Business Association (SABA), on Monday, March 4 at 11:30 a.m. at Eaglequest Golf Course, 7778 152^nd Street, Surrey. Bains will present updates on Canada’s innovation agenda through the “Building a Nation of Innovators” Report. Time: Registration and Lunch: 11:30 a.m.; Program: 12-1:30 p.m. For more questions, contact Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade, at anita@businessinsurrey.com or at 604-340-3899.

Vancity, Newton BIA & LOCO BC

Newton Buy Local Marketing Workshop at Vancity, Cedar Hills Branch, 12820 96th Avenue, Surrey, on Monday, March 4, 6-8 p.m. Free, but registration required.

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day at Muriel Arnason Library on Friday, March 8 from 2-4 p.m. Muriel Arnason Library is celebrating its annual International Women’s Day, and everyone is invited. Enjoy henna, refreshments, a draw, and a display on the most successful Canadian women in different fields. This is a free, drop-in program. Muriel Arnason Library is located in the Township of Langley Civic Facility at 20338 – 65^th Avenue. Phone: 604-532-3590.

Surrey Truck Parking Open House

You are invited on Saturday, March 9, 1-4 p.m. at Surrey City Hall’s Atrium, 13450 104^th Street to help create truck parking solutions. Learn more at www.surrey.ca/truckparking. Did you know that Surrey City Council has established a new task force to develop creative options and help facilitate equitable and sustainable truck parking solutions in the city? To generate practical and effective options by fall 2019, getting the input of a wide range of local truckers and stakeholders from the start is key. Knowing concerns, priorities, and ideas for solutions is the focus of the first phase of work by the Truck Parking Task Force, and their first event. Information, refreshments and input stations will be the focus at this “drop-in” meeting. Can’t make it to the open house in person? It’s not the only way to get involved. An online survey will be launched March 10-24. It will offer key information, gather preferences, and ask for ideas to help shape possible truck parking solutions in Surrey. Check back at www.surrey.ca/truckparking to participate.

Lohana Cultural Association of BC

Invites all to the occasion of Shree Jalaram Bapa’s Punya Tithi on Saturday, March 9 at Shiv Mandir, 5600 Dorset Street, Burnaby. 6-7:30 p.m. Bhajan Kirtan followed by Priti Bhojan. For more info, call Vasant Lakhani at (604) 987-1925.

Mauritius’ 51st Independence Anniversary

Sunday, March 10, 2-5 p.m. at Museum of Surrey, 17710 56A Avenue, Surrey. People of Mauritian descent, together with Canadian friends and families of Metro Vancouver, will be celebrating Mauritius’ 51st Independence Anniversary (Independence Day being March 12, 1968) at the Museum of Surrey. This commemorative event will be organized by the Mauritian Canadian Multicultural Association B.C. (MCMA), and will enable the Mauritian community to showcase the cultural fabric of Mauritius. (Follow on Facebook)

South Asian Seniors: Filing Income Tax Returns Free

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey informs South Asian seniors that during the tax filing period we can help you to file your income tax returns for the year 2018, free of cost, through the community volunteer program of Canada Revenue Agency, from now to April 30 if you are living in Surrey / Delta. The eligibility criteria: 1.Single individual with annual income limit up to $ 35,000. 2. Couples with annual income up to $ 45,000. 3. Three persons income $47,500, 4. Four persons income $50,000 , 5. Five persons or more, add $ 2,500 for additional members. Interest income not over $ 1,000 and this income will be included as total eligibility. With no investment income, no rental income, no business or partnership income and no capital gain or loss. Sin# card and photo identity will be required as proof for documents. If you are eligible, contact Surendra Handa, Coordinatotr, at 604-507-9945 for further information.

Surrey Top 25 Under 25 Awards

The Surrey Board of Trade is looking for nominations for the 9th Annual Surrey Top 25 Under 25 Awards. It is looking for individuals that are 25 years old or younger that are doing great things in Surrey. They could be running their own business, volunteering, working on a community or school project that has made a significant difference in Surrey. The nomination deadline is Monday, March 11. Award Criteria: * Must be working on / worked on a business or community project in Surrey (including students) and / or; * Must be working in the Surrey business community and / or; * Must be contributing / have recently contributed to a business or community related project in Surrey and; * Must be 25 years of age or younger prior to April 24, 2019. The winners will be chosen based upon a subjective analysis of their business or community achievements, leadership ability, community involvement, professional achievements and uniqueness of their business or community projects. The nomination form is available on website: businessinsurrey.com. If you have any questions about the nomination form or process, contact: Melissa Peel: melissa@businessinsurrey.com or 604-634-0347. The selected winners will be recognized at Surrey’s Top 25 Under 25 Awards event on Thursday, April 24, 5:30 – 8 p.m.

Surrey Board of Trade

Surrey Hot Topic on Cyber Crime and Protecting Businesses at Civic Hotel Autograph Collections, 13475 Central Avenue on Tuesday, March 12, 7:30-9:30 a.m. Free, but registration required. Cyber crime affects more and more businesses in the digital age. How can you protect your data, and businesses from hackers? Attend to voice your concerns, ask your questions, and learn the facts. Panelists include: David Izzard, Architecture & Cyber Security Manager at the City of Surrey; Calvin Engen, Director of IT at F12.net group of companies and Level4 Technologies; Victor Badejo, Senior Cybersecurity Analyst at Bestbuy Canada; Saurabh Rana, Manager at PwC LLP.

Tsawwassen Library: Getting to Know Dementia

If you, a family member or friend are experiencing, or know someone who is in the early symptoms of dementia, register for Getting to Know Dementia. Enhance your basic knowledge about dementia on Tuesday, March 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Tsawwassen Library and learn about the different types of support services, education and information available at any stage of the journey. Registration required. To register, contact the Alzheimer Society of BC at 604-449-5000 or email info.southfraser@alzheimerbc.org. If you are a caregiver or person living with dementia looking for information or assistance, call the First Link Dementia Helpline at 1-800-936-6033.

Surrey Board of Trade

On Wednesday, March 13, the Surrey Board of Trade will host the 10th Annual Surrey Women in Business Awards Luncheon. The winners will be announced at this event at Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, 15269 104^th Avenue, Surrey. This event recognizes the hard work of Surrey’s business women and their contributions to Surrey. Coleen Christie will join as Master of Ceremonies. Networking and Registration: 11 a.m.-12 p.m.; Program: 12-2 p.m. Admission: $95 +GST each, $1,045 + GST for a table of 11. For further information, contact Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade, at anita@businessinsurrey.com or at 604-634-0342.

South Asian Health Forum

Living well with chronic conditions: * Diabetes * Hypertension. On Saturday, March 16, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Forum: 1-3:30 p.m. Location: Garden Park Tower, 101 12815 Clearbrook Road, Abbotsford. Free parking. Register online at www.iconproject.org or on phone at 1-877-357-7611. Jay: 604-763-6523. * Join our health experts to learn about self-management strategies to better manage your chronic conditions and prevent complications. * Nutrition, medication management, healthy living, exercise, community resources and more. * Caregiving tips and wellness strategies.

Neha Kakkar in Vancouver

Neha Kakkar who recently regaled audiences worldwide with her stint as judge at the Indian Idol Season 10, is coming with all her popular songs at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Sunday, April 1. Accompanied by Indian Idol singer and talented Mumbai musicians with her latest Aankh Maare and Kaala Chashma and many more upbeat songs. Tickets available at www.vtixonline.com and www.kvpentertainers.com or call Kamal Sharma of Kamal’s Video Palace and KVP Entertainers at (604) 833-1977 or (604) 592-9777.

Walk for Alzheimer

IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer on Sunday, May 5. The Alzheimer Society of B.C. invites the public to join us. Time: Registration 9:30 a.m. / Walk 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Eaglequest Golf at Coyote Creek, 7778 152^nd Street, Surrey. Website: www.walkforalzheimers.ca

(For more events, visit the “Events” section of our website at voiceonline.com)

OBITUARY: BIKKAR SINGH LALLI

1 March 2019

June 5, 1928 to February 13, 2019

Dr. Bikkar Singh Lalli, BA (Hons)’49, MA’51 (Punjab University) and PhD’66 (UBC), was born in Kotli, in Punjab. He was the first in his family to do post-secondary education. During his 42-year career, he taught at Punjab University, UBC and University of Saskatchewan. He received grants from NRC and NSERC to do research in Mathematics. A distinguished scholar, he published over 150 journal articles and was invited to lecture in about forty universities and research institutes, worldwide. He was also a visiting scholar in four countries. In retirement, he championed education. He served as a UBC Convocation Senator for 18 years (1999 to 2017). He served on many other committees, including Coalition to Eliminate Abuse of Seniors, City of Surrey Seniors Advisory and Accessibility Committee, Kwantlen Foundation Board, KPU’s South Asian Community Coalition against Youth Violence, and SFU’s Komagata Maru Advisory Board. He wrote successful grant applications for seniors’ societies. These funded a computer lab for a decade and provided workshops and trips. KPU awarded Dr. Lalli with Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) in 2011 for his community service. His beloved presence will be missed by family and friends.

Celebration of Life and Bhog (prayers) will be held on Friday, March 8 at 10 a.m. at Gurudwara Shahib York Centre, #103 7938 128^th Street, Surrey.

Wilkinson’s non-apology shows he still doesn’t understand the reality of renters: NDP

1 March 2019

SINCE suggesting on Wednesday that renting was just a wacky rite of passage, BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson has had numerous opportunities to clarify his remarks. But so far he has refused to genuinely correct or retract his comments, said the NDP on Friday.

On Thursday, CBC reporter Justin McElroy asked Wilkinson repeatedly if he would change his comments, but Wilkinson refused to answer directly. After apparently realizing this was a bad idea, Wilkinson attempted to fix things Friday morning in interviews with Jon McComb and Stephen Quinn.

When asked if he wanted to rephrase his comments, Wilkinson said: “Sure, why not?” (CBC)

Wilkinson attempted to explain his remarks by claiming he was talking about his own experience:

“I was talking about me at age 21.” (CKNW)

“The reference to wacky was my own life experience in my twenties, so let’s not amplify this completely out of context.” (CBC)

But the record shows that while Wilkinson did bring up his own experience, he clearly believed that his own “fun” experience was universal:

“We’ve seen the same attitude with this government’s approach to rentals. “Let’s protect the renters.” I was a renter for 15 years. I lived in a dozen different rentals. It was challenging at times, but it was fun. It was part of growing up and getting better. We’ve all done it. It’s kind of a wacky time of life, but it can be really enjoyable. Being a renter is a fact of life that’s a rite of passage.”

And instead of taking responsibility for his words, Wilkinson gave a halfhearted apology while attempting to pin blame on the renters who took offense:

“Now if people have misunderstood those remarks as talking about the fate of people throughout our society, I’m sorry.” (CBC)

“So if my remarks are taken or misconstrued, I’m sorry about that.” (CBC)

In response to Stephen Quinn’s questions, Andrew Wilkinson again implied that renting was just a phase that people should move out of:

In his response, Wilkinson said: “As I said, most people rent. I rented for 18 years. And I was fortunate enough to be able to move out of that state.”

Quinn responded: “I guess where people are having difficulty – and there was a lot of reaction to this online – you just said ‘I was fortunate enough to move out of that state.’ The suggestion is that renters are less than people who can afford to own homes.”

BC NDP Housing Minister Selina Robinson said: “The more Andrew Wilkinson talks about renters, the more it becomes clear just out how out of touch he is. Even his halfhearted attempt at apologizing further highlights how little he understands the lives of renters. Given how little he thinks of renters, it’s no surprise that he wants to strip away our government’s caps on rent increases and protections for tenants.”

New record set as Canadians lose over $121 million to scammers in 2018

1 March 2019

CANADIANS lost over $121 million to scammers in 2018, moving up from $95 million in 2017, and more than doubling the amount from 2015.

While the losses continue to trend upwards, the percentage of victims that actually come forward to report the crime is still less than 10%, suggesting that actual losses are somewhere in the range of $3 billion this year.

“In the past, people believed scammers only targeted seniors, however, the statistics are telling a different story,’ says Danielle Primrose, President and CEO of Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Mainland BC and representative for BBBs across Canada. “Scams are evolving – they are more aggressive, devastating, convincing and there is now a scam for everyone. Scammers are bolder than ever, which is why we need to keep informed and take proactive steps to protect our information and finances. I cannot stress enough how important it is to report every instance of scams and frauds.”

For over 25 years, BBB’s National List of Top 10 Scams has been instrumental in promoting scam awareness and fraud prevention across Canada. This year’s list was generated using key information from the BBB Scam Tracker, critical concerns highlighted by BBB’s community partners and sponsors, as well as collaborative input from the 10 BBB’s in the country and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

This year, there are three new scams that have hit the Top 10 radar, as well as one scam that has evolved and extended its impact in such a way that it has earned the number one spot.

The Top 10 Scams of 2018

Romance scams
Income tax extortion scams
Online purchase scams
Employment scams
Phishing
Subscription scams
Advance fee loans
Tech support scams
Home improvement scams
Bank investigator scams

For more details on the Top 10 Scams and tips to avoid them, visit bit.ly/top10scams.

Reporting scams and frauds plays a vital role in assisting law enforcement and organizations like BBB to gather accurate statistics, as well as track, apprehend and prosecute criminals. If you are a victim or you have encountered a business or offer that sounds like an illegal scheme or fraud, tell BBB about it by visiting www.bbb.org/scamtracker. Scam Tracker not only allows you to report scams, but to also identity the ones that may be operating in your area.

Make cybersecurity a priority by regularly changing the passwords to your online accounts. Using strong passwords and changing them every few months makes it difficult for scammers and hackers to gain access to confidential information. On March 15, try changing the passwords for the top 3 online accounts you would not want to get hacked. Celebrate BBB Password Day by using #bbbpasswordday to show you have changed your passwords and that you are promoting proactive cybersecurity.