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STAVELY, AB. – Grief is rippling through the Canadian hockey community after three junior hockey players were killed in a highway collision in southern Alberta.
RCMP say the crash happened Monday as players with the Southern Alberta Mustangs were travelling to a team practice when their vehicle collided with a semi truck. The Mustangs are a United States Premier Hockey League team based in Stavely.
The team confirmed the deaths of Cameron Casorso, 18, and JJ Wright, 18, both from Kamloops, B.C., and Caden Fine, 17, of Birmingham, Ala. Condolences have poured in from across the country, including from Prime Minister Mark Carney, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and leaders from across the hockey community.
As teams, families and volunteers continue to mourn, consumer watchdogs are warning the tragedy is unfolding amid a broader pattern of scams targeting junior hockey organizations and the businesses that support them.
The Better Business Bureau Serving Alberta and East Kootenay says fraudsters are sending fake invoices to vendors with existing relationships to junior hockey teams, attempting to trick recipients into paying for goods or services that were never ordered.
Mary O’Sullivan-Andersen, president and chief executive officer of the organization, says the scheme is a modern twist on a long running scam, with email now replacing mailed invoices.
She says the most recent reports involve vendors connected to the Okotoks Oilers, a junior hockey team that competes in the British Columbia Hockey League. The invoices are designed to appear legitimate and can seek hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
O’Sullivan-Andersen says businesses should carefully verify invoices, confirm payment requests through trusted contacts and ensure staff are trained to recognize fraudulent billing attempts.
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