Consumers and businesses should be vigilant year-round in the fight against fraud

Ottawa, March 31, 2008 - As Fraud Prevention Month comes to a close, the Competition Bureau is warning consumers and businesses to be vigilant all year long in the fight against fraud.

New scams are being invented daily. Scam artists are up-to-date and well organized. They use the latest trends and sophisticated techniques. An Environics survey commissioned for the Bureau revealed that in 2007, Canadians lost more than $450,000,000 to mass marketing fraud (MMF), which is fraud committed by mail, telephone and Internet.

Education and awareness campaigns such as Fraud Prevention Month are essential to address the issue of fraud and ensure confidence in the marketplace. These campaigns provide businesses and consumers with the tools necessary to recognize fraud, report it to the authorities and stop the scammers.

During Fraud Prevention Month, Fraud Prevention Forum members hosted numerous activities all across Canada. The Bureau launched two education and outreach initiatives: Project False Hope, which targets cancer-related health fraud online, and the FACT Campaign (Fraud Awareness for Commercial Targets), which provides businesses and not-for-profit organizations with the facts necessary to avoid becoming victims of fraud.

At the international level, the Fraud Prevention Forum model has been adopted around the world. Thirty countries, who are members of ICPEN, the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network, hosted various Fraud Prevention Month activities this year. International agencies working together in the fight against fraud sends a clear message to scammers that there is Nowhere to Hide.

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

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

FRAUD: Recognize It. Report It. Stop It.

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For media enquiries, please contact:
Maureen McGrath
Senior Advisor
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819-953-8982

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