The High Cost of Identity Fraud

Your personal information is the new gold. That’s why identity fraud is so common. Here are some ways to defend your SIN and other info.

Identity Theft or Fraud

What is identity fraud? Identity fraud is one person using another person’s info, without authorization, for crime, deception, or defrauding someone else. Identity theft, on the other hand, is stealing another person’s identifying personal information. It’s mainly done with the goal of using the stolen personal information to commit fraud. Knowing this, make sure you to AVOID sharing the following information with anyone:

• Your name
• Birthday
• Address
• Social insurance number (SIN)
• Passport

How Your Personal Information Can be Used

So what? People have your information. Here’s how your information can be used in the wrong hands:

• Access your computer/email
• Access your bank accounts
• Open new bank accounts
• Transfer bank balances
• Apply for loans and credit cards
• Buy stuff
• Hide criminal activity
• Get passports or government benefits

How to Dodge Identity Theft

Some steps you can take to avoid having your identity stolen or frauded are:

• Be careful if giving personal information over the phone
• NEVER give personal information through email or the Internet
• Never pay taxes or fees to the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) on lottery or sweepstakes winnings
• Keep your access codes, usernames, passwords, and PINs secret
• Update your current address in all government department/agencies
• Make sure your CRA personal information is current & valid
• Carefully pick your tax prepper
• Don’t just click any link you see

Here’s some context for the info above. Giving your personal information through the Internet or email sends it through a medium that isn’t always secure. In addition, the CRA doesn’t require you to pay taxes or fees on sweepstakes or lottery winnings. Don’t just click any link because criminals use them in phishing attacks to steal your personal info.

And now for caution about picking your tax prepper. Be sure to check their references and only let them use CRA’s secure “represent a client” service. It’s good to always review your tax return and agree with content before filing. It’s good to follow up to make sure you get a notice of assessment because it has your personal info in it. And be sure to use the CRA site to see if your charity is registered with CRA. You can also see how they do business through CRA.

Phishing

Phishing attacks are sly. They pose as official-looking emails sent to you to have you click links to fake sites that look just like real businesses, financial institutions, government departments, or agencies. These fake sites usually ask for your personal info.

Most phishing emails use fake statements to pressure you into thinking there’s immediate financial impact or risks to you. If you feel sussed by this email, be sure to close the email and contact the business or organization to confirm this info. Do this by getting a phone number or other contact info from a credible source that’s not inside the suspicious email.

How to Not Get Frauded

Protect your SIN number. Don’t use your SIN number as ID unless whoever is asking for it is legally allowed. If an organization asks for it, ask if they’re legally allowed to get it. If not, tell them to ask for other ID forms.

Some more useful cheat codes to dodge identity frauds:

• Check your billing cycle and ask for missing account statements or suspicious transactions
• Report lost or stolen credit or debit cards
• Only carry the ID you need
• Don’t write passwords or carry them with you, use a password manager instead
• Protect your PC and its info via internet security software such as VPNs and anti-virus
• Be very careful when giving personal info over internet / social media

You’ve Been Frauded. Now What?

If you’ve been frauded take a breather and take the following steps. Get info about the fraud including documents, receipts, copies of emails or text messages. The next key step is to immediately contact financial institutions, police, and report the incident.

Reporting SIN Fraud

To report fraud related to your SIN, follow these steps:

1. File a police report. Ask for the case reference number and the officer’s name and telephone number. Make sure the report lists your name and SIN. and ask for a copy of the report.
2. Report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre on their website or by calling 1-888-495-8501. They can also provide advice and assistance on identity theft.
3. Contact Canada’s 2 major credit bureaus to tell them you have been a victim of identity fraud:
   • Equifax Canada
     • 1-800-465-7166
   • TransUnion Canada
     • 1-800-663-9980

You’ll need to get a copy of the credit report. There might be a fee. Learn how to add a fraud warning to your file to make creditors check with you before opening new accounts in your name.

4. Review both credit reports. Check for accounts that you did not open, or creditors looking into your credit report when you did not ask for credit. If you see this, call each creditor to tell them about identity theft. Ask them to close any accounts you didn’t open and reject any new accounts you did not request.
5. Review all your banking and credit card statements. If you notice suspicious transactions, immediately call the financial institution.
6. Report any problems with your mail to Canada Post. For example, if you receive opened envelopes, or do not receive your financial statements.
7. Visit a Service Canada Centre with the following documents :
   • proof someone used your SIN
   • the police report and its reference number
   • a valid primary identity document

A Service Canada official will help you. Your case may be referred to an investigator. Service Canada may give you a new SIN only if there’s proof someone used your SIN fraudulently.

Extra Steps

Once you’ve done the steps above you’ll give Service Canada the following info if you think someone’s use your SIN to work or get credit.

Suspect Your SIN is Being Used for Work

If you think someone’s use your SIN for work, you’ll need to provide the following info to Service Canada:

• A printed list of all the employers who issued a T4 slip for your SIN over the past 3 years.
  • To obtain this printout, call CRA at 1-800-959-8281.
  • Review this list and identify employers for whom you have not worked.
  • Service Canada will contact them on your behalf.
• A clear photograph of yourself.
  • Service Canada will share this picture with the identified employers and confirm whether you have worked for them.
• A list of every address where you lived over the last 10 years.

Suspect Your SIN is Being Used for Getting Credit

If you think someone’s using your SIN to get credit, give the following info to Service Canada:

• A copy of the credit application from the credit issuer where your SIN was used to get credit.
  • This application must have been filled in by someone else and show both your name and your SIN.
• A letter from a creditor confirming that someone else used your SIN to apply for credit.
  • This letter must have both your name and SIN and show you’re not responsible for any fraudulent purchases.

Dodging Future Fraud

You now know how to deal with identity fraud. However, that may only be the first time you go through it. Scammers do target fraud victims for a second third time with promises to recover money. Never send recovery money. Instead, share any updates to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, financial institutions, or police. Tell your family, friends, and neighbours about your experience to keep someone from also having their identity frauded.

Have any experiences with identity fraud? If so, what’s your story? What clues made you aware of what you were going through? Leave a comment and share the content!