Cracking Down on Cross-Border Scams

Competition Bureau Signs Cooperation Arrangement with U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Ottawa, April 2, 2008 - The Competition Bureau has signed a Cooperation Arrangement with the United States Postal Inspection Service in Washington to improve competition law enforcement in areas such as mass marketing fraud and other deceptive marketing practices with a cross-border component.

The Arrangement formalizes the existing cooperative relationship between the agencies by establishing a framework to facilitate enforcement cooperation, coordination and information sharing.

“Cross-border mass marketing fraud is designed to avoid detection and investigation by local law enforcement,” said Andrea Rosen, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Competition. “This cooperation agreement sends a clear message to scammers both in Canada and the U.S. that they can’t hide behind our borders.”

“Postal Inspectors have been working closely with the Competition Bureau in several cross-border fraud partnerships for over a decade,” said Alexander Lazaroff, Chief Postal Inspector, United States Postal Inspection Service. “We will continue to ensure the public's trust in the mail as we fight fraud that targets consumers in both our countries.”

The Arrangement builds on a previous cooperation arrangement between Canada and the United States, and on recommendations adopted by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) in June 2003, which provides international guidelines for cooperation in the fight against cross-border fraudulent and deceptive commercial practices. The Arrangement is also part of an ongoing effort to ensure that the Competition Bureau has the tools to effectively deal with increasingly globalized markets.

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.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Maureen McGrath
Senior Advisor
Communications & Stakeholder Relations
819-953-8982

For general enquiries, please contact:
Information Centre
Competition Bureau
819-997-4282
1-800-348-5358