Organized Crime in Canada: Identity Theft, Trafficking & Drugs

Introduction to Organized Crime in Canada

Each year, the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) produces an organized crime report to inform the public about organized crime activities and markets in Canada. The nature of such activity is constantly evolving — new threats, participants, and policies emerge each year (McIntosh, 2010). It is critical that Canadians are informed of the nature and scope of such activity, governmental interventions and policing strategies, and what they can personally do to thwart organized crime (CISC, 2010).

Section 467.1 of the Criminal Code, as applied by the CISC, defines criminal organizations as those consisting of three or more persons within Canada or in outlying areas that exist solely to commit serious offenses resulting in material or financial benefit to their members (Tusikov, 2009). Random criminal rings that form for a single offense are not included; rather, the CISC is most concerned with systemic, organized units conducting continued and premeditated illegal acts. This paper focuses on three major criminal activities — identity theft, migrant smuggling and human trafficking, and illicit drugs — and the steps that law enforcement has taken in recent years to ensure the safety of the Canadian public.

Identity Theft

As early as 2005, Canada began to see dramatic increases in incidents of compromised personal information (Katz, 2011). Security in this area is now a major political and personal issue and has resulted in greater governmental pressure to protect the public from such threats. Identity theft and identity fraud were the 2008 Feature Focus of the CISC organized crime report. That same year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) launched a massive campaign to alert the public to taxpayer scams using phishing emails and postal letters fraudulently requesting personal information on behalf of the CRA (Curry & Mongrain, 2009). In addition, 2008 saw some of its highest recorded instances of organized crime rings leveraging technology to commit deceptive acts and steal consumer information. Methods ranged from malicious Trojan computer viruses to wireless credit card scanners used outside retail establishments. Many organized units also turned to technology to facilitate communication between individuals and groups, often using disposable cellular devices that are untraceable in most instances (CISC, 2007).

In 2008, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre (CAFCC) reported over 10,000 identity theft and identity fraud complaints resulting in losses exceeding $6 million (Lampe, 2008). Canadians aged 35 to 54 are the primary targets, with credit or debit card information being compromised in most cases. By 2009, identity theft had become even more widespread. Forged birth records, Social Insurance Number (SIN) cards, health cards, driver's licenses, and passports represent very profitable opportunities for criminal groups (CISC, 2009). Many organized crime groups have become specialists in the creation of false identifications, a tactic that typically involves stealing the identity of an unsuspecting person — children and the deceased are particularly vulnerable. Online access to personal information through the hacking of banking computer systems has further aided criminals. To complicate matters, organized criminal groups often use false identifications themselves, making it harder for law enforcement agencies to identify and apprehend them.

Efforts by law enforcement to stop such activities include more stringent security guidelines for financial institutions operating online systems and the introduction of electronic chips in passports (Katz, 2011). The most effective anti-identity theft strategy, however, has taken the form of public awareness campaigns that teach citizens how to protect themselves. Actions such as protecting account passwords, shredding personal mail and receipts, and exercising caution when responding to requests for personal information have proven effective at limiting organized groups' access to information that can be stolen and exploited for criminal activity.