April 22, 2008

The FBI and US Department of Homeland Security recently honoured two investigators from Ontario’s Consumer Protection Branch for their part in helping crack several North American consumer scams. 

Helen Hatton and Dermot Jennings worked on these consumer scam cases as part of the Toronto Strategic Partnership on cross-border fraud, which includes Canada’s Competition Bureau, several police services units and key US agencies.  

The Partnership managed to shut down a number of criminal “boiler rooms”, or specific locations from which frauds are perpetrated.  Many of the key players involved in these crimes were sentenced to five and 10-year prison terms. 

The Ontario investigators also uncovered frauds such as loan brokering and credit repair scams on both sides of the border.  Hatton and Jennings were presented with certificates of appreciation for their outstanding contributions at a ceremony in Buffalo, New York. 

QUOTES

“Ontario’s Consumer Protection Branch is succeeding in its many investigations and prosecutions.  I am very proud of the work they do and the role we play in combating cross- border fraud,” said Ted McMeekin, Minister of Government and Consumer Services.

QUICK FACTS

• The Toronto Strategic Partnership includes the Toronto Police Fraud Squad, OPP Anti-rackets Agency, the RCMP, the FBI, the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Attorney General’s Office and the United Kingdom’s Office of Fair Trading.
• 
  The Consumer Protection Branch, part of the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, has made significant contributions to nearly 950 convictions in the last five years.
   

LEARN MORE

Learn more about Ontario’s efforts to protect consumers www.ontario.ca/consumerprotection

Read more about cross-border fraud prevention www.competitionbureau.gc.ca

Bacgrounder: Charges and Convictions under Ontario's Consumer Protection Act

Greg Dennis,
Minister’s Office,
416-327-3072

Ciaran Ganley,
Communications Branch,
416-325-8659