Competition Bureau Warns Against Deceptive Business Directories

Ottawa, May 5, 2010 — The Competition Bureau is warning businesses and not-for-profit organizations across the country to be wary of faxed order forms offering advertising opportunities in online business directories. These order forms may cause businesses to conclude that they originate from a well-known supplier of online directory advertising.

The faxes include a logo that closely resembles the Yellow Pages Group's walking fingers logo and names similar to YellowPages.ca. If the business completes the form and provides an authorized signature, it will be invoiced for a two-year listing in an online directory. The form does not clearly and conspicuously indicate the material terms and, in particular, the service charge, which has been, in some cases, as high as $2,800, or the cancellation policy.

Scams targeting businesses and not-for-profit organizations often succeed because the victims are under the impression they are dealing with a professional reputable business. Before responding to offers, businesses need to verify with whom they are dealing and understand what it is they are agreeing to. Here are a few things to consider:

• Read the fine print to understand what you are agreeing to;
• If you believe you have received an order form (via fax or other means) from a particularly well-known company, you should look up its number in the phone book or online and contact the company to confirm whether they actually sent the offer; and
• When reviewing bills or invoices you receive, confirm that you actually agreed to purchase the product or service involved before paying.

Businesses and consumers who believe they have been misled should contact the Bureau's Information Centre at 1-800-348-5358, or visit the Bureau's Web site at
www.competitionbureau.gc.ca to file a complaint. Businesses and consumers can also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501, or visit their Web site at
www.antifraudcentre.ca.

To learn how to protect yourself and avoid being a victim of scammers, visit the Fraud Prevention section on the Bureau's Web site and click on the FACT Campaign initiative.

The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that contributes to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.

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