What is identity theft?

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in North America. Between September 2001 and April 2002, there were over 3,880 reports of identity theft in Canada alone, with reported losses of over $4.6 million. Identity theft involves stealing or taking over the identity of another person or business and using it for personal gain.

Any personal information such as your name, address, phone numbers, social insurance number, driver's license number, date of birth, health card number, credit card numbers, banking information, bank cards, birth certificates and PIN (Personal Identification Number) numbers can be used by an identity thief to impersonate you.

This information is used to obtain credit cards, apply for loans, open new bank accounts and redirect mail without you even knowing this has occurred.

How do identity thieves get your personal information?

• Steal wallets and purses containing your identification, credit and debit cards
• Steal your mail, including your debit and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, telephone calling cards and tax information
• Complete a 'change of address' form to divert your mail to another location
• Rummage through your garbage or the garbage of businesses for personal data
• "Shoulder surfing" at ABMs to obtain PIN numbers
• Obtain personal information on public record websites
• Obtain personal information through breaking & entering into your home
• Obtain personal information from personnel or customer files in the workplace

How do identity thieves use your personal information?

• Call your credit card issuer and, pretending to be you, ask to increase your credit limit and change the mailing address on your credit card account. The thief then runs up charges on your account. As the bills are being sent to another address, it may take some time before you know there's a problem
• Open a new credit card account using your name, date of birth and SIN number. When they use the credit card and don't pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report
• Establish phone or Internet service in your name
• Open a bank account in your name and write bad cheques on that account
• Counterfeit cheques or debit cards and drain your account
• Obtain credit in your name (e.g. car loans, credit cards, mortgage)

How can you protect yourself against identity theft?

• If you have several debit cards and credit cards, carry only those that you need. Leave the others at home in a safe place.
• Sign your cards immediately.
• Don't carry your social insurance card or birth certificate with you. Keep them in a secure, safe place.
• Cancel cards you don't use.
• Don't attach or write your PIN number or social insurance number on anything you are going to discard, such as transaction records or scraps of paper, or on the card itself.
• Shred any document that contains your debit card or credit card number before you discard it.
• Don't give personal information or account numbers to anyone until you have confirmed the identity of the person asking for it. You should also ask how the information will be used and whether it will be shared with anyone else. Ask if you have a choice about providing personal identifying information and, if you can, choose to keep it confidential. Ganaraska will not ask you for your PIN number or other passwords during an authentication process.
• Frequently check your credit report so you're aware of any changes or unusual activity. Credit information can be obtained once a year at no charge from Equifax Canada or 1-800-465-7166, or Trans Union of Canada or 1-800-663-9980.
• Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your credit card account and changed your billing address to cover their tracks.
• Guard your mail. Deposit outgoing mail in post office boxes at your local post office. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery. Ensure mail is forwarded or re-routed if you move or change your mailing address.
• Protect your computer with a good firewall and anti-virus software. Take advantage of technologies that enhance security and privacy when using the Internet, such as digital signatures, data encryption, and different ways of making the information anonymous.
• Avoid posting personal information on publicly accessible websites and online bulletin boards.
• When you register for certain websites, use strong passwords and avoid words that are easy to guess. Don't use the same password for different sites and don't store your password in your computer.
• Be wary of online offers from websites you don't know and trust.
• Shred all documents that include personal information.

What should you do if you suspect that you are a victim of identity theft?

• Call your Ganaraska Financail immediately, (after hours, call 1-800-263-1420) if you suspect you have been a victim of identity theft or if there is unusual activity in any of your accounts. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ganaraska can provide advice on what to do with your credit card accounts, financial accounts and investments with Ganaraska.
• Call the police and file a report. Ask for a copy of the police report and the police file number.
• Obtain a copy of your Credit Bureau report. If you see credit inquiries on your report that you didn't authorize, have a fraud alert placed on your credit bureau report.
• You can do this by contacting Equifax Canada at 1-800-465-7166, and/or Trans Union of Canada at 1-800-663-9980.
• Contact each credit grantor who has allowed a fraudulent account and tell them you did not open that account. Have them close these accounts.
• Change your PIN (debit and credit card access) immediately. If you open new accounts, make sure you put a new password on these accounts.
• Contact Canada Post if someone is diverting your mail.
• Document all the contacts you make along with dates, names and phone numbers.