A Feasibility Report on Improving the Measurement of Fraud in Canada

2005

This feasibility report provides a blueprint for improving data on fraud in Canada through a survey of businesses and through amendments to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey, which gathers statistics on crimes substantiated by the police.

With globalization, the growing use of technology and the increased sophistication of certain criminal activities, the issue of fraud has become a growing concern for Canada, as well as other countries.

Presently, national information on fraud is based on official crime statistics reported by police services to the UCR Survey. These data, however, do not reflect the true nature and extent of fraud in Canada for two main reasons: the under-reporting of fraud by individuals and businesses to the police; and, inconsistencies in the way frauds are counted by police across the country and reported to the UCR Survey.

To collect better data that would inform fraud-related issues for government, law enforcement and the private sector, this feasibility report recommends surveying banks, credit card and debit card companies, selected retailers, property and casualty insurance carriers, health and disability insurance carriers and selected manufacturers. The report includes recommendations regarding survey methodology and questionnaire content, and it provides estimates for timeframes and cost.

The report also recommends changes to the UCR Survey to improve the way in which incidents are counted and to make the data collected through the UCR Survey more relevant with respect to the information needs of government, law enforcement and the private sector.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3302.

The report A Feasibility Report on Improving the Measurement of Fraud in Canada (85-569-XIE, free) is now available. From the Our products and services page, under Browse our Internet publications, choose Free, then Justice.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods, or data quality of this release, contact Information and Client Services (1-800-387-2231; 613-951-9023), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.