Office of Competition and Consumer Protection participates in an international action entitled Fraud Prevention Month. Its key objective is to enhance consumers’ awareness of e-commerce. This year’s edition of the project focuses on combating SPAM

Fraud Prevention Month is an initiative of International Consumer and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) associating 33 countries, including Poland. In March numerous actions aimed at enhancement of knowledge relating to legal possibilities of combating unwanted mail sent by the internet (spam) are taken by UOKiK. The actions are addressed not only to consumers but also to administration employees, law enforcement authorities and entrepreneurs operating on the market of internet services.

The campaign is also the fulfilment of obligations imposed in September 2005 by the European Committee of the Council of Ministers on the President of UOKiK.

According to the research carried out by Ferris Research, published last year by New York Times, about 60 per cent of e-mails is spam. As much as 15 billion e-mails sent each day are unwanted. Currently this concerns not only electronic mail that had not been ordered, but also short message service (SMS) and internet instant messengers. Due to the scale of the problem and its global nature, it is impossible to combat it within one institution or country. For that reason Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has involved in international initiatives, one of them being the Fraud Prevention Month.

As a part of Fraud Prevention Month, UOKiK organized on 14 March 2006 a scientific conference on internet security, in particular issues of unwanted e-mails. In cooperation with Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications, a meeting for internet service providers was held in order to coordinate actions relating to combating spam and to initiate works on code of best practice within this field. Additionally, in March UOKiK with Research and Academic Computer Network (NASK) will organize trainings for prosecutors internet frauds and combating unwanted commercial mails. It should be highlighted that sending spam is an offence subjected to a fine up to PLN 5 thousand.

Additional information:
Elżbieta Anders, Spokesperson of UOKiK
Department of International Relations and Communication
Office of Competition and Consumer Protection
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Phone 22 827 28 92, 55 60 106, 55 60 314
E-mail: eanders@uokik.gov.pl