Surrey’s annual WickFest female hockey tournament is the target of scammers looking to take money from teams wanting to play here this winter.
Administration with Surrey Falcons, host association of the annual gathering, are warning teams not to fall for the fraud.
“These scammers are just relentless!” the Falcons posted on Instagram. “They are now advising teams they have been removed from the waitlist and are now accepted. Any emails coming from WickFest will have Wickfest.com in the email address. PLEASE DO NOT SEND MONEY!”
Registration is full for Surrey’s 2027 edition of Canadian Tire WickFest, held Jan. 28-31 at rinks in North Surrey, Fleetwood and Cloverdale. Last year’s youth tournament involved 1,800 female players on 85 teams from around the world.
Michelle McRae, Falcons communications manager, says there’s “a huge scam going on right now for hockey tournaments and fake registration sites coming out.”
Scammers send teams an acceptance letter and request payment by e-transfer, which isn’t unusual, “but then the team is out the money and no way to get it back,” McRae emailed the Now-Leader. “I have received many emails.”
In early October, Hockey Alberta warned families about a scam targeting minor hockey associations in the province by using seemingly legitimate channels to request money for fake tournaments.
“It’s despicable,” Angie Thiessen, a tournament co-ordinator with McKnight Hockey Association in Calgary, told CBC News. “You’re scamming these kids that are trying to play hockey and have to do bottle drives to play in tournaments.”
Founded by Hayley Wickenheiser, a four-time Olympic gold medallist, WickFest was launched in 2010. A Surrey edition of the tournament was first held in 2019, with others played in Milton (Ontario), Calgary and Las Vegas in 2027.