Gov’t should launch public awareness campaign about COVID-19 fraud: INDU

As its work was being put on hiatus due to prorogation of the House of Commons, the industry committee sent a letter to Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains saying the federal government must act to “prevent any further harm to Canadians.” The committee has been studying the threat of fraud and scam calls since before the COVID-19 pandemic began. In May, it heard from the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre that criminals were cashing in on the pandemic. “Fraud targeting Canadians has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Aug. 18 letter from the committee said. It cited statements from the RCMP that the number of fraud reports was up 25 per cent between January and April of this year compared to the same time period last year. “While fraudsters deliver scams through the usual channels – mainly texts and emails, but also phone calls and the Web – they now take advantage of uncertainties, anxieties, and misinformation surrounding the pandemic to fool their victims,” the committee members outlined in the letter. In the short term, the best way to combat this is through increased public awareness, which “is crucial to help Canadians protect themselves,” the committee members said. “Time being of the essence, the federal government should act now by launching a public awareness campaign in Canadian local and national media to warn Canadians against COVID-19−related fraud.” It said federal authorities, telecom companies, “financial authorities, and other stakeholders must tackle this emerging threat and quickly formulate countermeasures.” It also called for the federal government to facilitate collaborations with domestic and foreign partners, and examine whether current criminal provisions are enough to protect Canadians. The letter said that despite “the technical challenges it raises, the Committee supports the implementation of the STIR/SHAKEN framework and acknowledges the CRTC’s determination to see it deployed as soon as possible and in close collaboration with .” The committee also said it would urge the CRTC to launch a “formal public inquiry” into unauthorized porting. The regulator has asked industry for information about the issue but has not launched a consultation.

Gov’t should launch public awareness campaign about COVID-19 fraud: INDU

Brief | August 20, 2020

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Gov’t should launch public awareness campaign about COVID-19 fraud: INDU

Brief | August 20, 2020

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