What is Identity Theft?
Identity Theft is the basically the act of stealing, misrepresenting, and hijacking someone's personal information without their consent or knowledge for the purpose of committing another crime, such as fraud or theft. Due to the advances in technology, Identity Theft has become an increasingly popular crime in Canada.
What Information is Stolen?
Information that is required by these criminals includes your name, address, Social Insurance Number, driver's license number, date of birth, mother's maiden name, credit and debit card numbers and PIN's.
How Do They Get this Information?
There are different ways that criminals can get your personal information. They may steal your mail, rummage through your garbage at home or at work, steal your purse or wallet, pose as a bank or utility company employee, landlord or employer, or hack into websites where you may have entered your personal information.
What Do They Do with this Information?
Once the criminals have your personal information, they can take over your existing bank accounts, open new accounts in your name, apply for loans and credit cards, purchase items such as vehicles and cell phones, and take luxury vacations. They may also change your address on accounts to divert statements and to avoid detection.
How Can I Avoid Becoming a Victim?
Although there is no fool-proof way to avoid becoming a victim of Identity Theft, there are many ways you can help protect your identity:
- Sign all credit and debit cards as soon as your receive them.
- Never loan your cards to anyone.
- Do not disclose your PIN to anyone.
- Never leave receipts at bank machines, in trashcans, or at unattended gasoline pumps; ensure you destroy/shred all paperwork you no longer need.
- Only carry those cards that you need/use regularly.
- Don't carry your SIN card or birth certificate with you.
- Never provide personal information such as SIN, date of birth, credit card numbers, or PIN over the telephone unless you initiate the call.
- Review all your financial statements to ensure there are no unauthorized transactions.
- Promptly remove mail from your 'secure' mailbox after delivery, do not leave pieces of mail lying around your home or office, and notify Canada Post to hold your mail if you are planning on being away for any length of time .
- Pay attention to your billing cycles; if bills fail to arrive by the expected date, contact the company to ensure it has not been stolen.
- Be sure to shred copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements and credit offers you get in the mail.
- Immediately report any lost or stolen cards to the company.
- Get a copy of your own credit bureau on an annual basis to ensure no unauthorized accounts have been opened in your name.
What Should I Do if I Become a Victim?
There are number of things that you need to do if you suspect that you are a victim of Identity Theft:
- File a Police Report immediately, and ask for a copy so that you can provide to the various organizations that you will have to contact.
- Contact all the financial institutions that you deal with, for both deposit accounts and credit cards and loans to cancel your credit cards and to review your financial statements with them.
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Get a copy of your credit bureau from Equifax and Trans Union and contact any
creditor or company who has granted credit or opened an account in your name
without your consent. This may include banks, credit cards companies, utilities
companies and cell phone providers. Also ask them to put a Fraud Alert message
on your credit bureau.
Equifax: 1-877-323-2598
Trans Union: 1-877-525-3823 - Contact Phone Busters to report the theft at www.phonebusters.com or call toll-free within Canada and the US at 1-888-495-8501 or overseas at 1-705-495-8501.
- Complete an Identity Theft Statement, which is available for downloading on the Phone Busters website, or at any Canadian Western Bank branch.