 |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 1993 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Parent Agencies | |
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC; formerly known as PhoneBusters National Call Centre) is Canada's national anti-fraud call centre and central fraud data repository.[1] It was established in January 1993 in North Bay, Ontario, and is jointly operated by the Ontario Provincial Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Competition Bureau.[2]
Today, the centre's mandate includes gathering intelligence and receiving complaints on mass marketing fraud (e.g., Nigerian Letter scam), identity theft, deceptive marketing practices, and telemarketing frauds. Once received, the centre analyzes the data, disseminates victim evidence, statistics, and documentation, and prepares reports for other law enforcement agencies in Canada and the United States to follow up.[1]
It also educates and provides awareness campaign on fraud prevention and telemarketing pitches, particularly in March (Fraud Awareness Month) to prevent future victimization.
History
The centre was established in January 1993 as PhoneBusters National Call Centre in North Bay, Ontario.[2]
The original mandate of PhoneBusters was to prosecute key individuals in Ontario and Quebec involved in telemarketing fraud under the Criminal Code.
It began under the Supervision of Staff Sergeant Ray Duguay, Ontario Provincial Police, North Bay Anti-Rackets Field Unit O.I.C. Sergeant Barry Elliott took an interest in the new phenomenon of fraudulent pen sales and fridge magnets to businesses promising free vacation trips that never were fulfilled. He began a collection process of victims and their documents throughout the Province of Ontario and filling many banker’s boxes while maintaining his regular caseload. Elliott requested assistance from the OPP District Headquarters and Constable David McClocklin was seconded full-time to the mail and telephone fraud. The two worked together and discovered patterns, similarities, and a disturbing number of Canadian victims from coast to coast. It soon became clear that this type of fraud knew no boundaries and would require many strategic partnerships along its journey. What began as one man’s interest and another man’s natural intelligence analysis, helped form the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre which is now led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
References
- ^ a b "Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC): About us". Archived from the original on 2010-11-12. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
- ^ a b "Annual Report 2021." Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. 2022. ISSN 2816-8348.
