Consumer protection and fraud

These online videos are provided by the Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association and cover a range of topics such as gangs, drugs and a number of different types of fraud.

The Consumer Bill of Rights outlines the protections that consumers have when buying goods or signing contracts.

The Alberta Securities Commission is the regulatory agency responsible for administering the province’s securities laws. This page provides information on how to file a complaint. ASC use complaints filed by the public as well as other means to identify potential breaches of securities laws, and take enforcement action including investigating and prosecuting either administratively or quasi-criminally, as appropriate, to protect investors and the integrity of Alberta’s capital market.

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) is a quasi-judicial independent agency established by the Government of Alberta to regulate investor-owned natural gas, electric, and water utilities and certain municipally owned electric utilities to ensure that customers receive safe and reliable service at just and reasonable rates. The AUC’s Utilities Complaints telephone line is for customers who have been unable to resolve a dispute with the natural gas, electricity or water utility provider or Albertans who have questions or concerns about utility services in general.

If you buy or sell goods through a public auction in Alberta, it is important to know that the business holding the auction must be licensed by the province and post security. The Fair Trading Act, the Public Auctions Regulation and Section 57 of the Sale of Goods Act regulate public auction businesses in Alberta. This tipsheet outline the rules and regulations that must be followed by Alberta businesses that sell goods by public auction.

The Time Share and Points-Based Contracts and Business Regulation under the Consumer Protection Act(CPA) sets out the rules for businesses selling time share.

List of the top 10 things charities and not-for-profits need to do to comply with Canada’s Anti-Spam law.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is the central agency in Canada that collects information and criminal intelligence on mass marketing fraud (telemarketing), advance fee fraud letters, internet fraud and identity theft complaints. Their website provides descriptions of many types of scams. Anti-fraud specialists in their Call Centre provide advice on the steps that victims should take to recover lost funds and to protect themselves in the future. The CFAC (formerly PhoneBusters) is jointly managed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, and the Competition Bureau of Canada.

The Handbook was created and is updated by the Consumer Measures Committee, a joint committee of federal, provincial and territorial governments. The objective of the Handbook is to help Canadian consumers become better-informed and more confident.

The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) was established at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law in the fall of 2003. Through student-centered research and advocacy, the clinic represents consumer and other public interests in such areas as intellectual property, consumer protection in e-commerce, domain name governance, personal information protection and privacy.

The Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP) is a program where disputes between consumers and vehicle manufacturers about alleged manufacturing defects or implementation of the manufacturers’ new vehicle warranty can be put before a neutral third party (arbitrator) for resolution. Links to an overview of the CAMVAP arbitration process. From the homepage, an introduction to CAMVAP is available in several languages.

The Alberta Securities Commission is the regulatory agency responsible for administering the province’s securities laws. This page provides a link to “Spot the red flags” information on how to recognize and avoid investment scams.

This Alberta government department investigates consumer complaints, enforces consumer protection legislation, licenses and registers regulated businesses and charitable organizations and informs consumers and businesses of their rights and responsibilities.

The Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC), founded in 1947, is an independent, not-for-profit, volunteer-based, charitable organization. CAC’s mandate is to inform and educate consumers on marketplace issues, to advocate for consumers with government and industry, and work with government and industry to solve marketplace problems. CAC focuses its work in the areas of food, health, trade, standards, financial services, communications industries and other marketplace issues as they emerge.

When you apply for a credit card, you are entering into a contract. Like any contract, it is legally binding and gives each party certain rights and responsibilities.

On this page you will find information on:

• Your right to information
• Cancelling your credit card
• Unsolicited credit card cheques
• Joint or shared cards
• What you should do if you feel your rights are not being respected

This web page has information about your legal responsibilities when you have a joint or shared credit card. It describes how authorized users (or secondary users) can affect you and your liabilities.

In Alberta, most companies that sell products door-to-door must be licensed under the Consumer Protection Act and the Direct Selling Business Licensing Regulation. Door-to-door sales people sell everything from encyclopedias and magazines to home improvements. If a contract is signed in person,negotiated or concluded away from the seller’s usual place of business, it is considered a direct sale.

The Consumer Investigations Unit (CIU) of ServiceAlberta is responsible for Alberta’s consumer protection and tenancy laws. This infosheet explains how to file a consumer complaint with Service Alberta and when an investigation maybe opened, as well as other options available to consumers.

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) is an independent body working to protect and inform consumers of financial products and services (such as banking, credit cards, loans, savings and insurance), and to coordinate activities that contribute to strengthening Canadians’ financial literacy.

Gift cards purchased in Alberta are no longer subject to expiry dates and fees that lower their value over time. This tipsheet provides information on the  Alberta’s Gift Card Regulation, which is part of the Consumer Protection Act,. It also includes information on other rules that help to improve consumer protections, use of the cards and disclosure of terms and conditions.

When someone uses personal information such as your name, Social Insurance number (SIN), credit card number or other identifying information without your knowledge or permission, it is identity theft and it is a crime. This tipsheet provides information on: how businesses and community groups can raise awareness of identity theft, how to protect your identity when you are away from home, and how to report ID theft.

If you are victim of identity theft or identity fraud, you should immediately take some basic steps to prevent further crimes from happening and to restore your credit and good name. Navigating through the system as a victim can be time-consuming and confusing. This guide should help start you off in the right direction.

Insurance-Canada.ca provides consumers and insurance professionals with information about insurance-related topics pertinent to Canada. The website includes reviews of insurance-related services, question-and-answer sections and articles for both the consumer and insurance professional. They offer an online directory of insurance providers and services, and an electronic newsletter.

This tipsheet provides information to help Albertans protect themselves from being an unwilling participant in mortgage fraud. If you are going to invest in real estate, make sure you are using a licensed mortgage broker who is registered under the Real Estate Act in Alberta.

The National Do Not Call List (DNCL) gives consumers a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls. If you are a consumer you can choose to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive by registering your residential, wireless, fax or VoIP telephone number on the National DNCL. You can also file a complaint about telemarketing calls. Call toll-free 1-866-580-DNCL (1-866-580-3625)

The OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance (OLHI) is a free, fast, independent, and impartial alternative dispute resolution public service for Canadian life and health insurance consumers.

OLHI provides accurate and accessible information about life and health insurance concerns.

This includes guiding consumers through the complaints process, answering their questions, and helping them find lost policies or policies of deceased loved ones.

The Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) is an independent organization that investigates customer complaints against financial services providers, including banks and other deposit-taking organizations, investment dealers, mutual fund dealers and mutual fund companies. OBSI resolves disputes between participating banking services and investment firms and their customers if they can’t solve them on their own.

This colourful information sheet provides legal information about payday loans and debt problems for all ages and can be folded to fit comfortably in a wallet. (Dimensions 9cm x 43cm)

This comprehensive resource from the RCMP describes sixteen Internet scams, twelve in-person scams, and three telephone scams. It also includes illustrative scenarios along with a glossary and a list of useful links.

On this webpage the Canada Revenue AGency provides information and helpful resources for Canadians on various consumer scams and fraudulent schemes. Learn more about:

1. Know how to recognize a scam
2. How to protect yourself from identity theft
3. Have you been a victim?
4. Scam stories
5. External resources
6. Print-ready posters and handout for service providers

Registry transactions include the issuing and renewing of drivers’ licences, registrations of birth, marriage and death, land title searches and transfers, and registrations of corporations, vehicles, and liens. The majority of these services are delivered on behalf of the Government of Alberta by registry agents located in communities throughout the province. This section of the Service Alberta website provides information on registries in the following categories: Charitable organizations; Corporate registry; Drivers/vehicles; Land titles; Personal property registry; Registry agents (find an agent) and Vital statistics. Many related forms can be downloaded and some services are now available online.

The Time Share Contracts Regulation under the Consumer Protection Act has been expanded to include the sale of points-based time share contracts. This tipsheet provides information if you offer, solicit, negotiate or conclude a traditional time share or points-based time share contract in Alberta.

Service Alberta’s divisions are committed to delivering high-quality business, financial, information and technology services to government ministries as well as a diverse range of services that touch the lives of Albertans. Divisions include: Consumer Information; Businesses and Charities;  Landlords & Tenants; Registries; Drivers and Vehicles; Land Titles; Vital Statistics; Information and Technology; and Government Buying and Selling.

Service Alberta investigates complaints from Albertans about consumer transactions, including landlord and tenant issues. The first step in the complaint process is to talk with an Information Officer at 780-427-4088 in Edmonton and toll free at 1-877-427-4088 throughout the rest of the province.

Every year, Canadians lose millions of dollars to the activities of scammers who bombard us with online, mail, door-to-door and telephone scams. The Little Black Book of Scams is a reference guide with information Canadians can use to personally protect themselves. It offers information on how a variety of common scams work and how to recognize them, as well as practical tips on how consumers and businesses can protect themselves.

The Consumer Protection Act protects consumers from unfair business practices before, during or after a consumer transaction. See also: Canadian Legal FAQs on Alberta consumer protections at https://www.law-faqs.org/alberta-faqs/consumer-law/

The UCA represents Alberta small consumers by acting as the voice of consumers during regulatory proceedings to ensure the lowest regulated rates consistent with reasonable service, and by providing consumers with the information they need to make informed choices about how to purchase electricity and natural gas, based on their individual circumstances. When consumers have exhausted known avenues of issue resolution, the UCA will investigate and mediate concerns with utility companies.

This is a guide on how to buy products and services in Alberta and contains information about your consumer rights. You will need to buy certain items and you will need to use certain services as you settle into as you start your new life in Alberta.

A deferred payment plan happens when arrangements are made for a debt to go unpaid until sometime in the future. This publication provides an overview of the ins and outs of a deferred payment plan and what it means to the consumer.