Identity theft
protect your identity,money and creditIdentity 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.
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
- 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
- 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
- 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
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
