**Title: Scammers Target Girl Guide Cookie Buyers in B.C. and Ontario**

Scammers in British Columbia and Ontario are deceiving consumers by posing as sellers of Girl Guide cookies. The B.C. Girl Guides recently issued a warning after multiple social media users reported being scammed while attempting to buy cookies online. Victims claimed they were ghosted by sellers after sending e-transfer payments.

Cynthia Tomey, District Commissioner from Sooke on southern Vancouver Island, posted on Facebook on September 30, stating, "You should never have to pay up front for Girl Guide cookies. If the seller is asking for money to hold cookies, it is most likely a scam." She encouraged buyers to participate in in-person sales scheduled for the weekend of October 24-26 at local stores.

The Better Business Bureau in B.C. also alerted the public about fraudulent online ads promoting Girl Guide cookies. "Recent reports show fraudulent ads circulating on social media promoting ‘Girl Guide cookies’ for sale in B.C.," the BBB stated. "These posts often overcharge, request e-transfers, and never deliver any cookies."

Lisa Gillis, Monashee Area Commissioner for the B.C. Girl Guides, emphasized the seriousness of the situation. She noted, "Evidently there are some dishonest people in our community who are purportedly selling Girl Guide cookies for $10 per box and are soliciting donations. Please do not buy from these people, nor give them any donations." Gillis mentioned that reports of scammers have emerged from the West Kelowna area and the Lower Mainland.

Gillis reassured the public that there are many legitimate Girl Guide members selling cookies through door-to-door sales and booths at public locations. Interested buyers can locate authentic sellers via the Girl Guides’ cookie finder webpage. She added, "When selling door-to-door, younger children are always accompanied by their leaders or their parents/guardians. Adults do not sell cookies door-to-door. Girl Guides who are selling cookies will never solicit a donation but certainly appreciate receiving them."

The Girl Guides have been selling cookies for 99 years, and these sales are a crucial fundraising source for the organization. Last year, they sold five million boxes of cookies across Canada. The cookies are sold during two main campaigns each year, with the first campaign featuring classic chocolate and vanilla sandwich cookies from March to June. The second campaign, which has just begun, runs through the end of the year and includes the popular chocolatey-mint cookies. Each box sells for $6, with all proceeds benefiting Girl Guides Canada.

Diamond Isinger, a volunteer spokesperson for B.C. Girl Guides, remarked, "Girl Guide cookies power everything that we do as an organization. To my knowledge, we haven’t seen a scam attempt like this before."

In Ontario, the Girl Guides of Canada in Sault Ste. Marie also issued a warning about scams. They alerted the community to false posts about cookie sales. A local Facebook group removed a misleading post that appeared to be from a real parent, which included photos of cookies and solicited funds. Similar warnings have been shared by Girl Guide chapters in Marathon and South Frontenac, Ontario.