Month: March 2018

Cryptocurrencies in Canada: Legal status and public policy considerations

Presented at the SERENE-RISC Workshop 2017, April. Bitcoin (BTC) has often been referred to as “nerd money”. However, since the first BTC transaction in 2009, the decentralized cryptocurrency has become more popular and is becoming widely available with more users and merchants adopting the cryptocurrency every day. This presentation will provide a high-level taxonomy of …

We’ve Moved

The SERENE-RISC administrative offices have moved.  We are now on level 5 of 3744 Rue Jean-Brillant, Montreal.  We have unpacked almost everything and are getting settled in after the stress of moving two blocks to the west.  It is even easier for our partners and members to come and visit as we are now much …

Understanding Romance Fraud: Insights from Domestic Violence Research

Romance fraud is a particularly harmful issue that affects thousands of people every year. The damage that romance fraud can cause makes particularly startling the relatively little research that has been done on this subject.  Cassandra Cross, Molly Dragiewicz and Kelly Richards provide insights by comparing romance fraud and domestic violence in the hope that …

Assessing the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks of Emerging Payment Technologies

Rapid advancements in financial technology – or “fintech” – are quickly changing the way we use and think about money. This includes both the use of technologies outside of the traditional regulated financial system, such as cryptocurrencies, and the financial innovations developed by banks, such as mobile wallets. This talk will provide a high level …

Escroquerie de services | Service Scam

Escroquerie de services Le Centre antifraude du Canada produit des bulletins régulièrement pour aider les Canadiens à mieux se protéger contre la fraude. Il existe différentes escroqueries de services qui ciblent les aînés, mais la plus courante est celle qui consiste à convaincre les consommateurs à faire nettoyer ou réparer leur ordinateur. Le fraudeur, un soi‐disant représentant …

Bitcoin, the Gateway Virtual Currency?

Presented by Aaron Gilkes at the SERENE-RISC workshop 2017, April. Is Bitcoin (BTC) a gateway virtual currency? Will using BTC lead to more sinister or otherwise naughty behaviour online? There seems to be four prevailing groups of BTC users : Technology enthusiasts, Libertarians, Speculators and Criminals. I will be focusing on Law Enforcement’s experiences with BTC …