Published on April 29, 2010 in the Globe and Mail supplement on fraud:

In a few short days, Fraud Prevention Month will draw to a close, but I can assure you that our government’s efforts will continue throughout the year.

Online fraud is a specific focus of our awareness campaign this year. Ten years ago, online fraud was virtually unknown. Today, the Internet is one of the primary vehicles for fraudsters.

We all know someone who has fallen victim to these scammers. They are ruthless, and they are prolific. The experts at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (formerly PhoneBusters) have detected an alarming rise in online scams in recent years – a 77 per cent increase since 2005.

The effect of online fraud on our economy cannot be overstated. The Internet has become the primary platform for online commerce and general communications. The online marketplace represents a major segment of Canada's economy, with $62.7 billion in sales in 2007. Worldwide, electronic commerce was projected to exceed $8.75 trillion in 2009. Any adverse impact on consumer confidence in electronic commerce not only slows the rate of online sales, but reduces the ability of Canadian businesses to compete internationally.

That is why our government takes this type of crime seriously. In 2009, we established tougher criminal penalties for those convicted of mass-marketing fraud by raising the maximum term of imprisonment from five to 14 years.

Financial crime continues to be a concern to our government. In the most recent Speech from the Throne, we committed to introducing further legislation to crack down on white-collar crime and secure justice for victims through tougher sentences and restitution.

But prosecution is not the only tool at our disposal. Education is also a powerful weapon in combating fraud. The Competition Bureau chairs the Fraud Prevention Forum, a group of over 100 private-and public-sector organizations dedicated to raising consumer and business awareness about mass-marketing fraud.

In the age of Internet scams, some might say that the best offence is, in fact, a good defence. The most important thing you can do to protect yourself is learn how to recognize the signs of fraud, and know how and where to report it so that our law enforcement agencies can track down the criminals responsible.

You can rest assured that, if you were contacted with a fraudulent pitch, it is likely that many others were as well. That is why helping to catch these criminals is so critical, and why the government urges you to recognize it, report it, and help stop it.

The Honourable Tony Clement
Minister of Industry

To help in this endeavour, the Competition Bureau ands its partners have set up dedicated web pages and telephone lines. For tips on recognizing fraud, or to report a scam, contact the Competition Bureau at
www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/fraud or call 1-800-348-5358, or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at
www.antifraudcentre.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.