PREVENTING IDENTITY THEFT

Some tips to reduce the risk of having your identity stolen

- SHRED everything.

- DON'T give our personal information on telephone, mail or Internet unless you initiated the contact.

- NEVER leave your purse or wallet unattended.

- KEEP your personal information in a safe place.

- MEMORIZE your SIN number.  Do not carry the card with you.

- NEVER submit your SIN electronically.

http://www.itcanthappentome.ca/22.html

What if you become a victim of identity theft? 

Then, follow these steps:

- Contact your branch and other creditors for any accounts that have been opened or tampered with fraudulently. This may include credit card companies, phone companies, banks and other lenders.

- Go to your local Police station or the Police station in the community where the identity theft took place and file a report.

- Contact the fraud departments of each of the two major credit bureaus. Equifax: 1-800-465-7166
Trans Union: 1-877-525-3823 except Quebec residents 1-877-713-3393

- Request that a "Fraud Alert" be placed in your files. At the same time order copies of your credit reports.

- Contact the PhoneBusters national call centre 1-888-495-8501. PhoneBusters is central sourcing point for all pertinent information on identity theft. To help identity trends and patterns, information is also used to assist law enforcement agencies in possible investigations.

- Keep a log of people you speak with, what day, and exactly what they said.