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By rdnewsNOW staff

don't fall prey

Better Business Bureau warns of parent strike pay spoofing sites

Oct 15, 2025 | 10:13 AM

Albertans are being warned by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to be wary of spoof websites imitating the provincial government’s Parent Payment Program portal.

That’s the site by which the UCP are giving parents $30/day per child under 12 during the province-wide teachers strike.

The site was launched Oct. 14.

The province is now clarifying ‘any website requesting personal and financial information to register for payments is fraudulent and not affiliated with the Government of Alberta.’

“This is a classic spoof scam,” says Mary O’Sullivan-Andersen, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Alberta and East Kootenay.

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“Scammers are first and foremost opportunists. The current situation is viewed by fraudsters as an opportunity to scam people out of their personal information and hard-earned money. Also be aware that scammers may be sending out links for fake websites through email and text messages.”

How to avoid fake websites (via the BBB):

• Look closely at the domain name: One way fake websites trick people is by using a domain name that is extremely close to a real business’ or organization’s domain name. Upon closer examination, you might notice that two letters are swapped or it’s just slightly misspelled. If you find a spelling error in the domain name, you’re not on the official site and it’s best to close the tab.
• Be careful with links in emails: Phishing scams are extremely common. A scammer might send you an email that looks like it comes from a reputable source in hopes that you’ll click on the links without a second thought. Always hover over links in unsolicited emails and even in emails that come from a brand, business, or person you think you know. If the link doesn’t match the blue text or if it’s a short link and you can’t tell where it leads, don’t click it. If you do, you may end up on a lookalike website where your personal information could be compromised.
• Check the design quality: Watch out for low quality visuals, odd layouts, and poor web design can all be warning signs of a fake website. Before you take action on a site, ask yourself if the design quality measures up to the reputation of the organization, business, or person it represents.

To apply for the funds, parents must log-in with a verified Alberta.ca account.