StFX student Lauren Harback’s initiative to reduce the amount of fraud Canadians experience nets $50,000 first place prize at Spark North Nova Scotia

“It was a surreal experience,” StFX student Lauren Harback says as she recalls winning $50,000 and first place at the Spark North Nova Scotia Pitch Competition for an initiative she’s building to keep Canadians safe from fraud.

“Having the opportunity to pitch at an event with such high stakes was incredible,” she notes on the event held June 10th at the Ignite Centre in New Glasgow, NS. “I actually really love pitching but this was at another level for me in terms of the competition and pressure. I was in complete shock and deeply honoured to place first. Receiving that level of validation on my concept from such a significant institution meant a lot.”

Ms. Harback, an Ottawa, ON native who graduated from StFX with her accounting degree in 2026 and who will complete her finance degree in May 2027, is developing a Canadian platform called ‘Is this a Scam?.’ The platform is built to combat fraud by combining a scam database, a public reporting tool, and victim resource supports that direct Canadians to the right help based on their specific situation.