Protect Yourself From Identity Fraud

Jul 27, 2016

The OPP Frontenac Detachment is urging all residents to be vigilant with their personal information. In the past month, Frontenac OPP has investigated several complaints from residents who have become victims of Identity Fraud.

Culprit(s) obtained personal information such as, full name, date of birth, Social Insurance Numbers, full address, driver’s license number and credit card information. The information is then used to apply for credit cards at various large chain department stores.

How to protect yourself:

• Do not provide personal information to unknown persons over the Internet or telephone.

• Familiarize yourself with billing cycles that you receive in the mail. If bills that are expected to arrive at a certain date do not arrive, inquire with the company or financial institution.

• Ask yourself if you need all of the identity documents you carry in your wallet or purse. Remove any you don’t need and store in a secure place.

• Trash bins are a goldmine for identity thieves. Ensure you shred personal and financial documents before putting them in the garbage.

• Your best protection method is to monitor your hard copy or on-line financial accounts frequently and to check your credit report regularly for any unusual activities. If you receive calls from collection agencies about unfamiliar accounts, or if you applied for credit and were unexpectedly turned down, you should investigate further.

If you think you have been a victim of Identity Fraud:

Step 1 - Contact your local police force and file a report.

Step 2 – Contact your bank/financial institution and Credit Card Company.

Step 3 –Contact the two national credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your credit reports.

Equifax Canada. Toll free 1-800-465-7166

TransUnion Canada. Toll free 1-877-525-3823

For more information about Identity Frauds and recent scams visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) website. www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca