Tuition scams; Sobeys faces scrutiny from Manitoba; soaring plane ticket costs: CBC's Marketplace Cheat Sheet

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Fraudsters took $37,000 from this woman in a new tuition scam | Go Public

Mira Burgess didn't have to wonder where her money went. 

More than $37,000 in fraudulent credit and debit card transactions showed up at one place — paid to a private university, just a few kilometres from her Vancouver home.

"I know where the money is," said Burgess. "And nobody will help me get it back."

For months, neither the university, her bank nor police would help reverse the charges — leaving her on the hook for thousands of dollars in a growing tuition scam until Go Public started investigating.

The scam targets international students — and unwitting credit card holders like Burgess — and is now surfacing in cities across the country.

Fraudsters promise discounted tuition in exchange for an upfront payment. They collect and keep the student's money, then "pay" the school using stolen credit and debit cards. The student believes their tuition is covered — until the fraudulent payment is flagged.

In Burgess's case, scammers used her debit and credit cards to make 25 fraudulent charges. On her statements, the charges appeared as payments to UCW — University Canada West — an accredited private institution in downtown Vancouver that primarily caters to international students.

A legal expert says fraud victims like Burgess often have few options in these situations beyond hiring a lawyer — which can be expensive. 

"It's just unfortunate that consumers are put in a position where their only recourse is to resort to investing in legal advice," said Anique Dublin, a Toronto lawyer who specializes in consumer protection. "It feels like everybody was failing this poor woman."

Read more from Go Public’s Erica Johnson and Ana Komnenic.

Manitoba is down to one grocery giant still using property restrictions to keep potential competitors away from its stores after the province curbed the practice through legislation it passed last year.

Now, the province is asking that chain, Sobeys Capital Incorporated, to reconsider.

In a letter to the company Tuesday, Public Service Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu asked to meet with Sobeys CEO Pierre St-Laurent "should you wish to discuss removing these controls."

Otherwise, Sandhu wrote, his office would refer the matter this spring to the municipal board, which would determine whether the targeted property controls — known as restrictive covenants and exclusivity clauses — are contrary to the public interest.

Sandhu believes they are.

"When supermarkets register property controls, they restrict competition that would otherwise help keep food prices affordable. The cost of living remains a top concern for Manitobans, and open, fair competition in the grocery sector is essential to supporting affordable access to food," Sandhu wrote in the letter.

And to learn about how grocery giants control who can sell food in your neighbourhood, read more from Marketplace journalists Katie Pedersen, Jenny Cowley, Chris Glover and Tomi Joseph-Raji.

Air Transat is charging more for flights to Europe and Air Canada is adjusting prices as the soaring cost of jet fuel — triggered by an oil crisis that has emerged from the war in the Middle East — weighs on Canadian and international carriers.

"We have increased fuel surcharges on Europe. However, this is blended in the total price," said Jean-François Pruneau, chief financial officer at Air Transat, during the company's first quarter earnings call on Wednesday.

"What we're also doing is currently raising fares on peak travel dates and routes where we see less competition, where we have more flexibility," he told investors.

Several international airlines have added fuel surcharges — an extra fee tacked onto airfare to cover unforeseen oil costs — to account for a spike in jet fuel prices since the U.S. And Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, the start of a regional war that has disrupted the global supply of oil.

CRTC to eliminate fees when cancelling or switching cellphone and internet plans

Move will make it easier for consumers to switch internet and cellphone plans, regulator says. Next week, watch Marketplace investigate complaints about telecom customer service.

Canada's auto market is officially open to Chinese EVs, but you won't see cheaper models right away

Chances are more familiar brands that are manufactured in China, such as Polestar, Volvo or Tesla, will hit Canada first, according to industry watchers.

Paid out of pocket for a fender-bender? Fine, but the law says you have to tell your insurer

Four out of 10 people who got in a crash paid for repairs themselves, poll found.

Live Nation, U.S. Department of Justice reach settlement in antitrust trial

The trial targeted the company's alleged monopoly over parts of the entertainment industry, ranging from ticketing to venues. In case you missed it, you can watch Marketplace's most recent story on Live Nation here.

Canadian company seeks to stand out with domestically-made generic Ozempic

"You could say we're betting everything on this one drug," said David Suchon, co-founder of Toronto-based Vimy Pharma.

Do you know someone who has been hurt by an e-bike or e-scooter? Do you have concerns about e-bikes and e-scooters? If so, we want to hear from you. Email us at marketplace@cbc.ca.

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