The Fraud Prevention project is a series of education campaigns run every year by ICPEN countries under one theme but focusing on an issue relevant to each individual participating agency.
Through this initiative we educate market participants about scams and furnish them with appropriate information on how to protect themselves from falling prey to unfair businesses.
Each year more and more member countries of ICPEN implement various Fraud Prevention Month activities. For example in 2009, 29 countries participated in this initiative.
What do we focus on in particular? We have addresses such topics as:
• deceptive and aggressive retail tactics used to lure consumers into an agreement,
• identity theft,
• phishing,
• misleading advertising,
• legal requirements concerning pricing information and labeling,
• online shopping,
• false lottery and business directories,
• health fraud.
Often our campaigns target particular audiences including the young, the elderly, small businesses and charities, and have a range of community, non-government, and private sector organizations as partners.
Fraud Prevention Month
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Your door, your money, your decision. Sales indicator at the door.
Netherlands
As many consumers are not aware or insufficiently aware of their rights when it comes to doorstep selling, the Netherlands Consumer Authority had launched an awareness campaign in march 2010. As part of this campaign the Netherlands Consumer Authority developed the DeurWijzer: a resource for consumers who are affected by doorstep selling. The aim of this DeurWijzer is to have it on hand when the doorstep seller comes calling. This enables the consumer to verify whether the doorstep seller is abiding the rules. The DeurWijzer gives tips as to how the consumer can discover the intentions of the doorstep seller an what his rights as a consumer are. -
The lack of consumers’ confidence on electronic commerce
MexicoFrom 22nd to 26th February 2010, the Mexican Consumer Protection Federal Agency (Profeco, in Spanish language) carried out the 2010´s Fraud Prevention Month Campaign. Through different channels (Mexican Consumer Magazine, Internet, social media sites, TV, Radio, etc.), several educational activities (informative and interactive) were implemented. The aim of this campaign was to strengthen consumers´ confidence on electronic commerce. To know more about our campaign, please visit the below web pages. -
Anyone can be anything online
FinlandConsumers are misled online in many different ways. Common to all different types of scam is that appearances deceive. With different promises and stories, people are persuaded to give money, personal information or bank details. That are the reason why It is better to be too critical than too trusting on the Internet. A person or company contacting you may be something entirely different from what they claim. the Finnish Consumer Agency, The Finnish Consumers' Association, Kuluttajat-Konsumenterna ry and the Finance and Property Fraud Unit of the Finnish Police remind that many websites and e-mails are so carefully designed that, at a quick glance, one does not necessarily notice any difference to an official website or e-mail. In the press release a consumer were adviced how to avoid scams. -
Dollars and Sense: Rated A for All Ages
USANational Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is an annual campaign that highlights consumer education resources during Fraud Prevention Month. This year, NCPW was March 7-13. The theme — Dollars & Sense: Rated “A” for All Ages — highlighted the importance of using good consumer sense at every stage of life – from grade school to retirement. The FTC worked with 16 national partners to develop the NCPW website, which featured a blog and promoted free resources to help consumers protect their privacy, manage money and debt, avoid identity theft, understand credit and mortgages, and steer clear of frauds and scams. President Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation that encouraged all Americans to visit the website. The FTC and our partners hosted an event for Congressional staff to encourage them to use these free resources and to give them out to constituents. We also provided an outreach toolkit for local and state offices to help them promote NCPW. 31 states and the District of Columbia participated, hosting more than 120 local events across the country. Businesses and non-profits also joined the effort. NCPW outreach generated more than 140 blog posts and hundreds of local news stories, including local TV and radio segments. -
children - internet and advertising
GermanyPress release regarding more protection for kids in the internet : Many websites aimed at children include unacceptable advertising. It is difficult for children to distinguish advertising from editorial articles on a website. In Germany, however, the advertising content and the editorial part has to be separated. That means children must know if they click on an advertising link or if this is just part of the website without other commercial purpose. Vzbv initiated eleven proceedings regarding children websites. In six cases the traders changed and improved their websites, concerning two cases vzbv took actions. -
Fraudlant & deceptive practices in Banking Services
EgyptThe Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency has embarked for the third time in the ICPEN Fraud Prevention Month. CPA has chosen Banking Services and to enhance consumer & Business awareness against its fraudlant and deceptive practices. The Campaign took place in March 2010. CPA is not the regulator of such sector, the Central Bank Of Egypt is the regulator and enforcer agency. The CPA campaign addressed the following topics: - Consumer general satisfaction towards dealing with banks and their services - Consumer outreach and access channels to get information about banking services - Transparency against banks' credit card offers The CPA FPM campaign included: - A comparison research study by the CPA about top 25 banks' credit cards offers. - A survey by one of the consumer NGOs about consumer general satisfaction - A workshop comprising senior representatives from Central Bank of Egypt, public & private banks, civil society, CPA and media to address the findings of the two above mentioned studies - World Consumer's Rights Day theme on financial services. - 14 awareness seminars organized by eight consumer NGOs from six populated regions throught Egypt. - Printed materials and educational flyers. -
The most shocking fraud
BelgiumWe have organised an election of 'the most shocking fraud': during one month 3 national radio stations have presented 20 different forms of consumer fraud to their listeners. Consumers could then react, vote or simply find more information about those different fraud forms. Fraud on auction websites was elected as the most shocking fraud by the Belgian consumer. -
Fraud Prevention
CanadaFraud Prevention Month is an annual education and awareness campaign in Canada and around the world. The Competition Bureau chairs the Fraud Prevention Forum, a committed group of over 100 private sector firms, consumer and volunteer groups, government agencies and law enforcement organizations, concerned with fighting fraud aimed at consumers and businesses. -
Scamnesty
United KingdomScamnesty is a national event to raise awareness of scams, carried out in partnership with local authority Trading Standards Services (TSS) during Scams Awareness Month (February). The Office of Fair Trading and TSS encouraged the public to deposit scam mailings they had received into special bins placed in local libraries and other public areas. This year online Scamnesty was piloted, a reporting system to collate email and website scams only. Strategic objective • to increase consumer awareness of scams Communication objectives • to encourage as many TSS as possible to participate in Scamnesty 2010 • to support TSS in running the campaign locally • to promote Scamnesty on a national level • to raise awareness of scams – postal, email, web and text • to pilot online Scamnesty Target audience A review by the OFT in 2006 and research into the psychology of scams completed in 2009 indicated that anyone can fall for a scam, making the potential target audience very wide. This campaign will target all consumers specifically vulnerable consumers (the elderly, unemployed etc). The secondary target audience will comprise of intermediaries such as family, friends, carers, neighbours etc as well as the younger scam victim. Key messages For consumer audiences: • Help us beat the scammers by dropping in your mailings and by forwarding us your scam emails. • Pass on the warning to watch out for scams. • Your actions may help protect others from being targeted by scammers. • If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Activity The campaign was supported by national and regional PR activity, stakeholder support, a national radio campaign and digital campaign including baner advertising and social media activity. -
Promotion of a new piece of legislation: Act on unfair commercial practices
PolandThe aim of the initiative was the dissemination of information about the Act on unfair commercial practices, which came into force on 21 December 2007. The Act is the effect of the transposition of Community directive into the Polish legal system. The OCCP’s past experience shows that both misleading advertising and aggressive sales practices may concern every kind of service. Letters informing about record winnings you will never receive, touting the effects of preparations that – contrary to the promises – do not work, passing on misleading information on bank account interests – these are only a few examples of abuses which have been questioned by the OCCP and with which, thanks to the transposition of the Community rules in Poland, individual consumers will now be able to fight more effectively. The list includes aggressive sales practices, e.g. threats of physical or psychological duress, which limit or may limit a consumer’s freedom of choice. The new legislation enables each consumer to take matters into his or her own hands. Pursuing claims individually is now easier, first of all thanks to the right to bring an action to court in the case of a threat or infringing of economic interests and moving the burden of proof to the trader accused of misleading practices. The aim of the 2008 FPM was to promote this piece of law and spread the information among the biggest possible group of consumers as well as institutions responsible for consumers’ individual rights protection through: - publication of guidelines for the entrepreneurs on the provisions of the Act - workshops for entrepreneurs with a focus on codes of conduct (eg. among advertising agencies) - diiscussion panel with the Council of Consumer Ombudsmen devoted to the application of the Act - articles addressed to institutions responsible for individual consumer rights protection.