The Conservative government is reportedly using new tactics to crack down on foreigners who fraudulently get married to gain Canadian citizenship.

Canada is now sending teams into other countries to investigate people who try to bypass immigration laws by duping Canadians into fake matrimony, according to the Globe and Mail.

Immigration Minister Diane Finley did not confirm details of the report, but told CTV News, "We take marriages of convenience or even fraudulent marriages very seriously."

Secretary of State for Multiculturalism Jason Kenney said Canada should take a proactive stance on fraudulent marriages.

"What we do need to do is prevent these (fraudulent marriages) from happening before they arrive in Canada," he told CTV's Mike Duffy Live. "We should be doing everything we can to screen properly."

Toronto immigration Consultant Roy Kellogg says the problem isn't new and scam artists often recruit potential collaborators right out in the open.

"They even advertise in the major centres -- 'so much money' for a bogus marriage. (Immigration officials) have to know this -- people advertise," Kellogg told Mike Duffy Live.

He says in many cases the fraudulent marriages are part of a criminal scheme -- and shouldn't be confused with legitimate international marriages that just end up turning bad.

"It's become a big money industry. I'm glad to see the Department of Immigration is doing everything it can to try and crack down on it," said Kenney.

Sometimes the Canadian citizen may not even know he or she is being used.

Kellogg said there are often tell-tale signs that spouses notice once the foreigner enters Canada after the marriage has been formalized.

"As soon as the person arrives, they start behaving differently," he said.

Kellogg said that some suspicious spouses will even monitor emails, hire private detectives, and install surveillance equipment all in an effort to find out if they were conned into a marriage.

With a report by CTV's Rob Brown