Identity Theft Tips

Identity Theft Tips: Protect your identity! Free tips, tools and resources to help minimize your risk.

Identity Theft is quickly becoming one of the most organized & costly crimes of our time. The Federal Trade Commission advises: “While you probably can’t prevent identity theft entirely, you can minimize your risk. By managing your personal information wisely, cautiously and with an awareness of the issue, you can help guard against identity theft.” Source: FTC Brochure - ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name

Identity theft is a crime that occurs when someone deceptively uses another person’s personal data or identification typically for the purpose of fraudulent financial or economic gain. Identity theft can also be found in cases of criminal activity - identity thieves will use a false identity to commit crimes.

The US Department of Justice reports:

“In one notorious case of identity theft, the criminal, a convicted felon, not only incurred more than $100,000 of credit card debt, obtained a federal home loan, and bought homes, motorcycles, and handguns in the victim’s name, but called his victim to taunt him — saying that he could continue to pose as the victim for as long as he wanted because identity theft was not a federal crime at that time — before filing for bankruptcy, also in the victim’s name. While the victim and his wife spent more than four years and more than $15,000 of their own money to restore their credit and reputation, the criminal served a brief sentence for making a false statement to procure a firearm, but made no restitution to his victim for any of the harm he had caused. This case, and others like it, prompted Congress in 1998 to create a new federal offense of identity theft.” Source: Identity Theft & Fraud - USDOJ.GOV

Helpful Tips To Reduce Your Risk Of Identity Theft:

• Shred and destroy unwanted documents that contain personal information.
• Bring your mail in daily - don’t leave mail in your mailbox.
• Immediately report lost or stolen credit cards.
• Review and monitor your consumer credit reports regularly.
• Do not carry your social insurance card or your birth certificate. Keep these tucked away in a safe place.
• Be aware and note when your monthly financial statements arrive in the mail. Notify your financial institutions when they don’t arrive when expected.
• Watch your financial statements and ensure all charges made are yours.
• Keep your ATM and Debit Card receipts, do not leave these behind.
• Shred every piece of mail containing personal and financial information.

Never reveal your bank account, credit card, mother’s maiden name or social insurance number over the phone (unless dealing with a trusted business or organization). Ask the caller to send information by mail.

Keep a list of all your financial accounts such as account numbers, expiry dates, and customer help telephone numbers. Ensure this list is kept in a safe place & use to contact in case of lost or stolen cards.

When creating passwords or PINs, do not use digits of your social insurance number, mother’s maiden name, your birthdate, any part of your name (first, middle, last).

Watch your credit card expiry dates, if you don’t receive a replacement card prior to the date - contact the issuer.

Consider making your telephone number unlisted or listed without your address.

Sign all new credit cards immediately to prevent someone else from doing so.

Beware of mail or telephone contacts informing you of prizes and awards - especially if they ask for personal or financial account information.

Identity Theft Alert to Students:

“Protect your Social Security Number and other personal information. Don’t let identity thieves rob you of your educational future!”
—Inspector General John P. Higgins, Jr.