Advance Fee Scams

Be cautious about advertisements promising guaranteed jobs, guaranteed loans, credit repair, debt consolidation or similar claims. In many cases, you will be asked to send money in advance to a company but will receive little or nothing in return.

There have been a number of cases where consumers have being contacted via email and through the mail by bogus retailers attempting to fraudulently obtain credit card information and other personal data. More information on common scams can be found on the Fraud Prevention section of Competition Bureau’s website.

Consumers should be aware of the following:

• Be cautious when responding to advertisements, particularly those that use 1-900 telephone numbers. You can be charged large amounts for calls to 1-900 numbers.
• Be careful about giving out any of your personal information, including your social insurance number, credit card numbers and bank account numbers. Fraudulent businesses could use this information to make unauthorized charges to your credit card or to withdraw money from your bank account. In the case of your social insurance number, while there are no laws preventing businesses from asking for it, you are only required to give it out for a very few specific reasons, such as for tax purposes. Go to the website of the Federal Privacy Commissioner for more information.
• Before you make any payment, ask the business to send you a contract and other information stating the terms of the service and whether you may cancel the service and get a refund.
• Ask how long the firm has been in business and, if required, whether it is licensed in your muncipality, province or territory.Review all contracts carefully. If you are unsure about a contract, take it to a lawyer or trusted advisor for his or her opinion before you sign.
• Contact your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office or the Better Business Bureau to find out about legislation governing business practices where you live.
• When you suspect that advertising is fraudulent, contact the local police, your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office or the Competition Bureau.

You can also learn about consumer scams and find advice on how to deal with them on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police website.

Contact your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office or the Better Business Bureau to find out about legislation governing business practices where you live.