Identity theft is a growing concern of more than 73 per cent of Canadians. Eighty-five per cent of the victims are between 18 – 59 years.
If criminals obtain any document with your personal information on it, it can be used to instigate a fraud. The most common ways criminals can get your information is from apartment mailboxes, social networking websites, or through hackers.
Identity theft is usually done by a network of individuals rather than a criminal acting alone.
Below are eight tips to protect yourself from identity fraud:
- Never leave loose credit or debit card receipts in the car
- Never leave your cell phone or lap top in your car
- Update security and virus protection on your home computer
- Change your PIN, especially if you have been using the same one for a few years
- Purchase a shredder
- Request a personal credit report
- Never provide your social insurance number on credit applications
- Never carry your birth certificate in your wallet