Ottawa, ON – Melissa Lantsman, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Thornhill, released the following statement on the tabling of Bill C-288, the Protection Against Online Fraud Act. This common-sense legislation will protect Canadians from digital scams that drain bank accounts and steal livelihoods.
“All you have to do is open up social media or use a search engine to know that malicious and fraudulent content is everywhere on the Internet. With just one wrong click, anybody could fall victim to online criminals.
“The numbers back this up: $638 million was lost online to scams in 2024, an increase of 300 per cent in less than five years. With the use of new digital tools such as artificial intelligence becoming more common, this number is only going to grow as malicious actors are able to create more convincing scams.
“That’s why I have introduced Bill C-288, which would enact concrete measures to protect Canadians from growing amounts of scams and fraud online. My legislation will crack down on online scammers by ensuring that digital platforms keep users safe.
“Under this legislation, tech companies would be required to proactively prevent and remove fraudulent content, notify users who may have interacted with such fraudulent content, and maintain a public record of any removed content. Companies that fail to comply would face fines of up to one million dollars.
“We know that seniors are at particular risk of being targeted by online scams, and this legislation also takes steps to protect these users in particular. It would create additional penalties for fraudsters who target individuals because of their age, health, or financial situation, requiring judges to consider these factors as aggravating circumstances.
“I urge my colleagues from all parties to support this common-sense legislation and help Conservatives protect Canadians from falling victim to sophisticated scams online.”