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Identity Theft
When someone steals your name, your Social Insurance Number (SIN), your credit card number, or some other personal information for their use without your knowledge, to gain access to your financial accounts; open new bank accounts; transfer bank balances; apply for loans, credit cards, and other services.
How to Help Prevent It
- Do not give out personal information on the phone/the mail or over the internet unless you know whom you're dealing with.
- Before providing any personal information, find out how it will be used and if it will be shared.
- Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery.
- Utilize passwords on your credit card and bank accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your birth date, or a portion of your SIN or phone number.
- Give your SIN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible.
- Carry only the essential identification information you need and keep things like your SIN and passport secured at home.
- Pay close attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time.
- Be sure to shred receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements and credit offers you get in the mail.
What to Do If You Become a Victim
- Contact your branch and other creditors for any accounts that have been opened or tampered with fraudulently. This may include credit card companies, phone companies, banks and other lenders.
- File a report with your local Police or the Police in the community where the identity theft took place.
- Contact the fraud departments of each of the two major credit bureaus. Equifax: 1-800-465-7166
Trans Union: 1-877-525-3823 except Quebec residents 1-877-713-3393
- Request that a "Fraud Alert" be placed in your files. At the same time order copies of your credit reports.
- A final step would be to contact the PhoneBusters national call centre 1-888-495-8501. PhoneBusters is central sourcing point for all pertinent information on identity theft. To help identity trends and patterns, information is also used to assist law enforcement agencies in possible investigations.
- Keep a log of people you speak with, what day, and exactly what they said.
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