the OPP
What is identity theft?
Identity theft, called the fastest-growing crime in North America, involves the acquisition of information or documents of a living or deceased person.
This information then is used to commit crimes.
Typically, identify theft includes fraudulently obtaining or forging government documents, such as driver’s licences, health cards, SIN cards, and birth certificates.
A compromised identity can have profound consequences on individuals, businesses, and government. Being a victim can affect your job, reputation, credit rating, benefits, or access to your own business and financial accounts.
Here is what you can do to protect yourself from being a victim of identity theft:
•Guard your personal information
—never give personal information by phone, Internet, or mail unless you initiate the contact;
—shield your debit card PIN and never lend your cards;
—report missing credit or debit cards;
—shred documents with personal information; and
—your SIN should only be used for employment and tax information
•Guard your computer and its information
—select complex passwords combining letters, numbers, and symbols;
—install firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware, and security software, and update often; and
—don’t reply to spam or e-mails that ask for banking information
Signs of ID theft include:
•purchases not made by you appear on your monthly bills;
•bills arrive on accounts you don’t own;
•collection agencies call about unknown debt;
•credit card/bank statements don’t arrive; and/or
•your credit report shows mystery debts
What to do:
•call financial institutions and local police;
•put a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting Equifax at 1-800-465-7166 and/or Trans Union at 1-877-525-3823; and
•keep records of steps taken to clear your name and re-establish your credit
For information on the types of schemes involved with identity theft, visit the Phonebusters’ website at www.phonebusters.com or the Ministry of Government Services at www.ontario.ca/consumerprotection
Fraud—recognize it . . . report it . . . stop it.
