Ottawa, October 2, 2007 -- The Competition Bureau announced today that following an investigation with its Toronto law enforcement partners, Luigi Arieh Rozin, operator of Government Policy Research Group Inc., pleaded guilty to violating the false and misleading representations provision of the Competition Act.
From March 2006 to March 2007, Mr. Rozin solicited Canadians by fax to secure sales of various business directories (the Ottawa Political Guide, the Provincial Governments Political Guide and the 2007 Federal Service Directory). Purchasers were promised four quarterly updated editions on CD. In many cases, they either received a guide that was not updated or received a blank CD.
"Thanks to the effective collaboration among members of the Toronto Strategic Partnership, the partners were able to move quickly to shut down this operation, minimizing the number of victims," said Andrea Rosen, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Competition. "This demonstrates the positive outcomes that can be achieved through our law enforcement partnerships."
Mr. Rozin was fined $20,000 by the Ontario Superior Court, which exceeds the amount in sales he received from the scam.
The Competition Bureau is one of the founding members of the Toronto Strategic Partnership, which also includes the Ontario Provincial Police, the Toronto Police Service, York Regional Police, the RCMP, Ontario's Ministry of Government Services, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the UK's Office of Fair Trading.
The Bureau participates in other regionally focussed cross-border anti-fraud partnerships across Canada. These include the Alberta Partnership Against Cross-Border Fraud, the Vancouver Strategic Alliance, B.C.-based Project Emptor and Montreal-based Project Colt.
The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency. We contribute to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.
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