BC Housing is warning of scammers targeting recipients of a support scheme for elderly low-income renters, just one day after it was announced. The housing agency says in a "fraud alert" on its website and social media that it will never use text messages to invite recipients to claim benefits.
Vancouver police are looking for a purse snatcher believed to be responsible for a number of robberies and attempted robberies of women throughout the city. Officers say in one case in March the man used a large knife to cut a woman's purse strap and fled with the purse after a brief struggle.
A recent scam where people impersonated officers to rob a senior has prompted a warning from police in New Westminster, B.C., east of Vancouver. A statement from the department says several people posing as police spoke to a senior at her home, convincing her to hand over her credit and debit cards.
British Columbia is proposing legal changes that would allow the government to regulate the supply of electricity to cryptocurrency miners. A statement from the Ministry of Energy says cryptocurrency miners consume large amounts of electricity to constantly run high-powered computers, while creating very few jobs or economic opportunities.
Elections BC said in a news release that the potential violations relate to accepting prohibited contributions, failing to deal with such contributions, or sponsoring election advertisements without an authorization statement. It said the parties under investigation include Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim's ABC Vancouver and the Burnaby Citizen's Association, both of which won council majorities.
The British Columbia government tabled legislation Thursday that's designed to hold public bodies accountable for addressing systemic racism in policy and programs, the province's attorney general said. Niki Sharma said the proposed law would cover provincial ministries, agencies, health-care and social service providers, and require the development of a public action plan using data the government has collected on systemic racism.