Fraud Alert: Government bureau acts to shut down phone directory scam

The federal government is taking action against five companies, who are accused of deceptive marketing schemes aimed at businesses. The five companies and three individuals under investigation by the Competition Bureau are charged with impersonating Yellow Pages Group, thus deceiving businesses across the country. The Bureau is seeking an injunction to put an immediate end to the deceptive marketing representations, freeze corporate assets for future restitution to victims, and stop the deceptive conduct.

"This scam has targeted thousands of businesses in Canada and around the world, forcing them to pay for a directory listing of little or no value," said Melanie Aitken, Commissioner of Competition. "We are committed to cracking down on fraud that victimizes consumers and businesses. Significantly, the action we are taking today underscores the importance of working with our international partners to frustrate these types of multi-jurisdictional scams."

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