Note
"Nov. 2007."
"This report was jointly prepared by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
Commercial Crime Branch and Criminal Intelligence."
"Collaboration on the part of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre (CAFCC), the
members of the Canadian mass-marketing fraud enforcement partnerships and the
National Mass Marketing Fraud Strategy Working Group was invaluable.
This threat assessment was initiated in support of the National Mass Marketing Fraud
Strategy. This assessment will be used as the Canadian submission to Project STOP
PAYMENT, a Joint International Threat Assessment on Mass Marketing Fraud."
"Unclassified."
Issued also in French under title: Évaluation de la menace : fraude en marketing de masse : la perspectice canadienne.
Summary
Over the past 10 to 15 years mass-marketing fraud (MMF) has proliferated.
Criminals and criminal organizations are involved. In Canada, the majority of schemes
documented are advance fee lottery, sweepstakes pitches with counterfeit cheques, credit
card pitches, government grant and loan pitches, directory pitches, investment pitches,
job offer schemes, and schemes involving sales of merchandise over the Internet.
MMF has been identified as a cross-border crime concern between Canada and the
United States (U.S.) since 1997. Joint responses to MMF include the creation of six
regionalized partnerships and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre (CAFCC), also
known as PhoneBusters. All of these partnerships require coordination and cooperation
amongst law enforcement and regulatory agencies at local, provincial, national and
international levels.
Contents
Executive summary -- Introduction -- A. Historical perspective – The response to MMF -- B. Current types of criminal activities -- C. Incidence and prevalence of criminal activities -- D. Types of criminal organizations and groups -- E. Principal techniques used for fraud -- F. Receipt and laundering of mass-marketing fraud proceeds -- G. Current “best practices” for reducing incidence and prevalence of mass-marketing fraud -- Conclusion -- Appendices.