Buyer Beware-Fraud on the Rise
CSA Group Salutes Fraud Prevention Month With Consumer Tips on Avoiding Dangerous Purchases
(firmenpresse) - TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 03/20/13 -- Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.
When people hear the word "counterfeit", they most often think of fake fashion apparel or bootlegged movies, but counterfeits stretch far beyond handbags and Hollywood. To help raise awareness of the issue, CSA Group is supporting the Government of Canada's March Fraud Prevention Month campaign aimed at helping consumers become more familiar and savvy when it comes to counterfeiting and related fraud issues. As a leading testing and certification organization, CSA Group is committed to public safety and anti-counterfeiting and wants to remind consumers to be cautious that their household gas, electrical and plumbing products are the real deal too. The counterfeits are fake but their danger is very real; counterfeits can kill!
Counterfeiting is one of the biggest frauds happening each day, globally. From 2005 to 2011, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) noted a significant yearly increase in the number of reported occurrences of counterfeit and pirated products.(1) To shed light on the dangers associated with counterfeit products, CSA Group is sharing tips with consumers for spotting frauds and fakes.
"CSA Group makes a concerted effort to protect consumers through awareness campaigns about the dangers of counterfeits, consumer safety tips and vigilant market surveillance," says Terry Hunter, Manager of Anti-Counterfeiting at CSA Group. "It is important for consumers to be mindful of the dangers of counterfeits by learning how to avoid purchasing counterfeit goods that may present a significant threat to their families and homes."
In Canada, all electrical and gas products must be tested and marked as certified in order to be sold legally. Counterfeiters know that in order to fool consumers into thinking products are legitimate, they must fake not only a brand name but also a certification mark. Because the fakes are not tested and certified by an accredited organization such as CSA Group, they may be missing required safety features or use toxic materials, putting consumers at risk of injury or death.
Based on the RCMP 2011 Intellectual Property (IP) Crime Statistics, the percentage of occurrences involving harmful counterfeit products has significantly increased from 11.2 per cent in 2005 to 25.8 per cent in 2011. In 2011, 210 cases of harmful counterfeit products were investigated, including electrical products and consumer electronics, as well as toys, batteries, toiletries, pharmaceuticals, and household products.
CSA Group advises consumers to look for these signs to help identify potentially dangerous counterfeit products:
CSA Group is a founding member of the Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network (CACN) and, as a member, it works in cooperation with other stakeholders to bring the issue of the dangers posed by counterfeits to the attention of government, the legal community, law enforcement and the Canadian public in order to raise awareness and enact positive changes. CSA Group is also a member of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition and a coalition of certification organizations that is partnered with INTERPOL called CIAC - the Certification Industry Against Counterfeiting.
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About CSA Group
CSA Group is an independent, not-for-profit membership association dedicated to safety, social good and sustainability. Its knowledge and expertise encompass standards development; training and advisory solutions; global testing and certification services across key business areas including hazardous locations and industrial, plumbing and construction, medical, safety and technology, appliances and gas, alternative energy, lighting and sustainability; as well as consumer product evaluation services. The CSA certification mark appears on billions of products worldwide. For more information about CSA Group visit .
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Contacts:
CSA Group
Jennifer Lui
Communications Officer
416-747-2615
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Datum: 20.03.2013 - 12:00 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 1208943
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