Identity theft

protect your identity,money and credit
Identity theft facts:

• thieves might pick up your crumbled credit card receipts
• the number of identity theft victims is growing
• you may not know immediately when your identity is stolen until very serious subsequences happen.
• victims are most vulnerable in daily transactions
• one way of caution is ordering one free credit report each year
• the majority of identity thefts are corrupted employees of companies and government
• the most important identity to you is your SIN
• thieves may get your personal information by phishing emails.

How thieves steal?
their goal is to get your real name, SIN, DOB, so they can fraudulently obtain credit, merchandise/services. methods they use:

• insider interloping
• wallet whisking
• mail mulling
• skimming
• dumpster diving
• shoulder surfing
• internet intruding
• spamming/phishing emailing

Protect yourself:

• Put your SIN at safe place
• guard your credit card/wallet always
• don't throw receipts/statement without processing, you may need shredder
• avoid share personal information online or on phone especially when you receive calls
• be cautious when using public phones, ATMs.
• Call credit company before traveling

How to detect if you are victimized?

• check credit card statement/transactions history frequently, to see if there is any suspicious transactions.
• you miss credit card statements
• creditors call you to collect debts that are not yours

What to do if you become a victim?

• report to police ASAP, ask a copy of criminal report.
• contact the fraud department of each of the two major credit bureaus to report identity theft; ask for a "fraud alert" to be placed on your file and that no new credit be given  without your approval
• contact the security departments of creditors,lenders and merchants with whom you do businesses;ask for your account to be closed; put passwords on new accounts you open.
• close the stolen bank account
• keep records of all written and oral correspondence.
• consider hiring an attorney to help you facilitate the process
• file an affidavit of forgery with police or unauthorized use with all companies that have questionable charges

Important resources:

Government departments
Office of the Privacy Commissioner
www.privcom.gc.ca

The financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada
www.fintrac.gc.ca

Credit Bureaus:
Equifax Canada Inc.
Consumer relations Department
Box 190 Jean Talon Station
Montreal, Quebec H1S 2Z2
Tel: 514-493-2314 or 1-800-465-7166
Fax: 514-355-8502
http://www.equifax.ca

TransUnion Canada
Consumer Relations Centre
P.O.Box 338 LCD1
Hamilton, Ontario L8L 7W2
Tel: 416-609-2070
Fax: 416-609-1994
http://www.tuc.ca

For Quebec:
TransUnion(EcoGroup)
1600 Henri Bourassa Boul QUest
Suite 210
Montreal Quebec H3M 3E2