Competition Bureau
Competition Bureau Investigation Leads to Charges Against Business Directory TelemarketersOTTAWA, December 12, 2005 - The Competition Bureau announced today that criminal charges have been laid against six people for allegedly engaging in a deceptive telemarketing scam in Quebec. The accused are: Anderson Ramirez, 39, Brossard; Heather Romano, 43, Brossard; Yancy Romano, 32, Brossard; Efstathios (Steve) Kok(k)inasidis, 59, Saint-Laurent; Maria Kok(k)inasidis, 30, Saint-Laurent; and Charalambos (Bobby) Kok(k)inasidis, 28, Saint-Laurent. Bobby and Maria Kok(k)inasidis were also charged for breach of a June 2002 Prohibition Order, which prohibits them from engaging in deceptive telemarketing for 10 years. As part of the scam, the accused, who worked for Montreal-based Infosearch Publications Inc., sold business directories for an average of $352 each to small businesses, chambers of commerce, schools, non-profit organizations, and Aboriginal band councils, among others, by pretending to have a pre-existing relationship with the organizations. Infosearch also operated under the name www.isp411.net, which charged victims for “listing fees” in an Internet-based directory. The Bureau alleges that at the height of its operation between April 2002 and September 2003, Infosearch scammed 10,000 Canadian businesses out of more than $4 million. The accused continued selling until March 2004 when Infosearch declared bankruptcy and ceased operating. The Bureau received over 90 complaints about this scam, many of which were forwarded from the PhoneBusters national call centre. “Everyone is a potential target of deceptive telemarketing,” said Raymond Pierce, Deputy Commissioner. “Individuals engaged in deceptive telemarketing are warned that the Bureau will continue to combat this criminal activity through rigorous investigation and prosecution of those involved.” This investigation was conducted with the assistance of the City of Montreal Police Service (SPVM). The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that promotes and maintains fair competition so that all Canadians can benefit from competitive prices, product choice and quality service. It oversees the application of the Competition Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Textile Labelling Act and the Precious Metals Marking Act. For media enquiries, please contact: For general enquiries, please contact: 
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Created: 2005-12-12 Updated: 2005-12-13 |
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