Backgrounder

FRAUD PREVENTION FORUM
FRAUD: RECOGNIZE IT. REPORT IT. STOP IT.

The Fraud Prevention Forum is a concerned group of private sector firms, consumer and volunteer groups, government agencies and law enforcement organizations, who are committed to fighting fraud aimed at consumers and businesses. Through its partners, the Forum, which is chaired by the Competition Bureau, works to prevent Canadians from becoming victims of fraud by educating them on how to “Recognize it. Report it. Stop it.”

To help prevent this problem and ensure confidence in the marketplace, the Forum organizes a month-long education campaign each March to improve consumers’ awareness and understanding about the dangers of fraud.

To gauge Canadians’ awareness and understanding, the Strategic Counsel conducted a post-Fraud Prevention Month survey in 2006 of one thousand Canadians, aged 18 years and older. Some of the results were:

• 17% were the victim of identity theft
• 31% were the victim of mass marketing fraud (by phone, mail or email)
• 41% were motivated to change their behaviour based on the anti-fraud messages
• 53% said public education is the most effective approach to combatting mass marketing fraud and identity theft in Canada

The Forum’s month-long campaign of public education and awareness activities during Fraud Prevention Month 2007 will include:

• Scam Jams, which are one-day anti-fraud events hosted by Better Business Bureaus that combine education and information about consumer protection
• Public Service Announcements in 18 French- and English-language dailies and on radio and TV stations across the country
• Community Shredding Events in 20 cities across Canada on March 31

In 2006, the Competition Bureau partnered with Shred-it to launch the first-ever national Fraud Prevention Community Shredding Event in 20 cities across Canada. Canadians were encouraged to come out for the day and shred any unwanted personal documents. A total of 122,066 pounds of paper was shredded.

Membership in the Forum has grown considerably over the past four years. At the initial launch in 2004, there were 22 members. Today, there are over 80. For a complete list of partners, please visit the Fraud Prevention Forum page.

At the international level, the Fraud Prevention Forum model has been adopted around the world. Twenty-nine countries, including the U.S., Australia, England, Chile and Japan, will host Fraud Prevention Month activities this year.