A B.C. business owner, Jenell Parsons of The Pie Hole, lost nearly $40,000 in product and credit card compromise after falling victim to a sophisticated phishing scam impersonating a BC Lions representative. The scam involved an email invitation to be a vendor at the team's home opener, leading Parsons to pay a vendor fee and prepare products. The BC Lions' real VP, Carolyn Cody, confirmed the scam, which had also affected the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Vancouver police are investigating, and cybersecurity experts advise caution.
B.C. business out thousands to scam impersonating BC Lions rep
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AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️A B.C. business owner, Jenell Parsons of The Pie Hole, lost nearly $40,000 in product and credit card compromise after falling victim to a sophisticated phishing scam impersonating a BC Lions representative. The scam involved an email invitation to be a vendor at the team's home opener, leading Parsons to pay a vendor fee and prepare products. The BC Lions' real VP, Carolyn Cody, confirmed the scam, which had also affected the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Vancouver police are investigating, and cybersecurity experts advise caution.
Trending- 1 May: Carolyn Cody alerted about phishing scam by Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- 2 June: Jenell Parsons receives scam email from fake BC Lions representative
- 3 Days before home opener: Parsons accepts offer, pays fee, fills out form, bakes products
- 4 Game day: Parsons arrives at BC Place, discovers scam from security
- 5 Shortly after: Carolyn Cody informs Parsons she was scammed
- 6 Ongoing: Vancouver Police Department conducts investigation
- Financial loss for The Pie Hole (nearly $40,000)
- Credit card compromise for Jenell Parsons
- Mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion for Jenell Parsons
- Police investigation initiated
- Other CFL teams issuing scam alerts
What: A B.C. business owner was scammed out of nearly $40,000 by individuals impersonating a BC Lions representative through a sophisticated phishing email, leading to financial loss and product waste.
When: The scam email was received in June; the incident was discovered on game day (home opener); the real BC Lions VP was alerted in May. Article published July 3, 2025.
Where: British Columbia (B.C.), specifically Vancouver (BC Place), and Hamilton (Hamilton Tiger-Cats were also targeted).
Why: Scammers aimed to defraud businesses by leveraging the credibility of a sports organization (BC Lions) to collect vendor fees and credit card information.
How: Scammers sent a highly detailed and seemingly authentic phishing email, including links to the BC Lions homepage, inviting the business to be a vendor at a team event, prompting quick action due to the imminent event date.