Don't Become a Victim- protecting against identity theft, and steps to take when it happens

Protecting your mail:

• Remove your mail from the box as soon as possible. Locked boxes are no guarantee that they are tamper-proof. 

• Never leave outgoing mail (especially letters containing or indicating that they may contain cheques) in your mailbox, or in a common area shared with others not in your household.

• Consider direct deposit for any regular, incoming payments or cheques, and automatic withdrawal, for regular payment of such things as bank loans.

• When you go on vacation, have your mail held at the post office, or picked up by a trusted relative or neighbour.
  

Protecting your trash:

• Tear or shred, all financially related papers put into the garbage, including: receipts, old bills, charge slips, statements, carbon copies.

• Never leave carbons, slips or statements in a place where you have accessed a banking machine, or used your credit card. Take them home for disposal.

Protecting you:

• Do not leave your purse or wallet in unattended locations.

• Keep credit card folders, and your wallet in separate areas of your purse, or pockets.

• Maintain a record of what cards you have, and their numbers.

• Leave the chequebook home and carry only the minimum of blank cheques that you may need.

• Never give out personal information over the phone, such as your PIN, or account numbers. If you receive a call claiming to be from a company you deal with, ask for their name, and call them back. No legitimate company, including banks, and credit card issuers, are going to ask for secure information.

• Go over all your monthly statements carefully. Even if you "don't have the time", you need to find it. Keep all receipts at least until they appear on your statements, and match what your records indicate, against what your statements have listed. Make sure your bank balance tallies against your chequebook or passbook entries.

• Never carry your Social Security card.

• Never carry passwords or PINs written down.

• Never sign a blank cheque or credit slip

• Always check your receipt against your purchase

• If you suspect your identity has been compromised, call the three major CRAs: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union, and request that a fraud alert be placed on your file, so that any new requests for an account must be cleared through you.

• Have your name removed from mailing/promotional lists maintained by credit grantors

• Beware of phone scams in which you win a valuable prize, but must give information such as your Social Insurance number, to validate your "identity"

When It Happens To You:

• As soon as you have some indication your identity has been stolen, call the authorities immediately. In 67% of cases, they will file a report. Request a copy of the report, and carefully note the relevant information such as the police station number, and the officer's name/phone number. If they will not file a report, note the date and time of your request, and the relevant information on the officer to whom you spoke. Some institutions may request copies of this report, to verify that the incident did take place, and was responded to in a timely manner by you.

• Supply as much documentation as you can, when reporting an identity theft to any company or authority. Include copies of statements, and times of phone calls from creditors/collectors. If you can prove you were elsewhere and could not have engaged/bought the services/goods, provide receipts from travel agencies, motels, or statements from those who can attest to your whereabouts.

• Keep a log of phone calls or contacts with the issuers of all stolen identification. Record the numbers you called, the person you spoke to, date and time, and results of the conversation. You may need this later if there is difficulty in cancelling a card, or obtaining a new one.

• Immediately contact the businesses/institutions concerned with any personal identification that has been lost or stolen. This may include Social Security, Driver's License bureau, health plan, banks, and credit card companies. 

• Victims now have the option of reporting identity theft online, via a form provided by the Federal Trade Commission. They also offer an online affidavit of theft, in .pdf format, which is accepted by many major companies including the three major CRAs- Experian, Trans Union and Equifax. The FTC can also be reached at a toll free number

• Change the locks on your home and vehicle, if your keys were stolen. Never allow the thief more access to your personal life, than they already have.

Immediately order a credit report, to make sure there is no unauthorized activity affecting your credit status. Free reports are available by signing up at Free Credit Report.