Identity theft is a growing crime and it can happen to you. The Ontario Provincial Police report that about 5,500 Canadians have had their identity stolen in 2005 alone.

All the thieves need is your name, address, birth date and SIN to apply for credit cards or loans in your name, put a mortgage on your house or get any other documents with your name. When this happens, your credit can be destroyed and it will take YEARS to repair it even though you did nothing wrong.

As always prevention is better than the cure.

If your house is burgalarized or your wallet or purse is lost or stolen the vital ID documents could easily find their way into the hands of identity thieves. Report the theft to both credit bureaus at once. ( Contact information is listed below) They will put a warning watch on your file and any new credit enquiries or applications will be confirmed directly with you. It is not foolproof but it helps.

Mail theft is a common way for thieves to get vital information. They are bold enough to rummage through accessable mail boxes looking for utility bills, credit card or bank statements or any other mail which contains account numbers and similar information.

If you have a mail box hanging on the outside of your residence, replace it with a mail slot. If you live in a condo or apartment, where the mail is delivered to common boxes make certain that you retrieve your mail promptly and do not ever throw unwanted mail in the trash containers in public areas.

Leave your SIN card at home. You do not need it on a day to day basis and since you probably know your number you would never encounter a situation where you would require it on the spot.

BUY AND USE A SHREDDER. Thieve retrieve your garbage and rummage through it for bills, statements and other useful information. Shredders are very inexpensive, (many are available around $50.) and easy and fun to use. Shred all the paper you throw out, not just your important documents. The mixes up the bits of shredded important documents with tons of useless shredded junk mail, old papers, and other garbage. That makes it more trouble than it is worth for identity thieves. One other neat idea is to soak your shredded documents in lots of water before you put out the trash. That disolves the paper bits and makes them impossible to put back together.

Identity Theft and Your Credit Report:
What You Should Do to Protect Yourself

Published by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. Contact information below

Identity theft can happen to anyone. When it does, the consequences can be emotionally and financially devastating.

Although situations will vary, this publication provides a general guide on what to do about your credit report if your identity/identification has been stolen. (For a fuller discussion of other aspects of identity theft and what you can do to lessen the chances of becoming a victim, see the IPC paper, Identity Theft: Who's Using Your Name, which also provides a checklist of what you should do if it does happen to you.)

A poor credit rating caused by someone impersonating you -- using your identification and running up bills -- can mean total ruin and may take months or even years to correct. If you should become a victim, it is vital that you quickly advise the credit bureaus because your credit worthiness may be in peril. Timing is critical -- thieves often act quickly and repeatedly.

In addition to alerting the credit bureaus, it is also equally vital that you notify the police, the financial institutions you deal with, and all creditors. It is advisable to obtain a copy of your police report as this will help you to demonstrate that you are or may be a victim of fraud. You should also cancel all existing credit cards, accounts, passwords and PINs, and replace them with new ones.

About credit bureaus

When you apply for credit, retailers and lending agencies verify the information from your credit application through a credit reporting agency -- often called "a credit bureau." Credit bureaus are private institutions that serve retailers and other credit grantors by providing them with information about your credit record. The credit grantors then use this information to verify and assess your credit worthiness.

In Ontario, there are two credit bureaus. These are Equifax Score Power™ available from Equifax Canada and TransUnion of Canada. Both are governed by the Ontario Consumer Reporting Act. Both also have fraud victim assistance specialists who advise on the steps that need to be taken with respect to one's credit file. Although not foolproof, these steps will help to decrease any further impact on one's life as a result of fraudulent actions taken by imposters.

Note that as a precautionary measure, even if you have not been a victim of identity theft, it is alway a good practice to annually request copies of your credit reports from both Equifax and TransUnion, to check for possible errors or inaccuracies -- you have this right under the Consumer Reporting Act. You are entitled to a free copy of your current credit report upon request and it must be supplied to you within a reasonable time period.... customarily 30 days

If your identity is stolen

Immediately contact both credit bureaus using the "800" numbers listed at the end of this paper.

Select the option from the voice message menu that is for victims of fraud; this will connect you directly to a "fraud victim assistance specialist." Advise the specialist of your situation -- that your identification or identity has been stolen or that you are being impersonated. Request that the credit bureau attach a fraud alert to your file. A fraud alert is a "red flag" on your credit report which will identify you as a potential fraud victim to credit grantors.

The specialist will immediately attach the fraud alert and:

• review your credit file with you on the telephone; this is to ensure that you have a complete list of your creditors so that you can contact them directly and advise that you are a victim of identity theft. It is up to you to contact all creditors directly. The credit bureau does not do this. The review of your credit file will also reveal any credit enquires on your file. If an enquiry cannot be confirmed by you, then the credit bureau will investigate further.
  
  
• advise that you may also attach a short statement to your file -- this statement may say something like, "My identification has been stolen. Contact me directly at this number before extending any credit."

After you have spoken to the specialist, you will be sent a copy of your credit report. With TransUnion, you will also be sent a form to fill out (Equifax does not send a form.) The purpose of the form is to provide formal authorization to TransUnion to place an "alert" message on your file. The form is called a Fraud Victim Authorization Form. Complete and return this form as soon as possible.

It is recommended that you follow up with both credit bureaus in three months and request a copy of your credit report to again review and report on any fraudulent, false or incorrect information.

There is no cost to the consumer for any of the above services.

Contact information

Contact information for both credit bureaus is listed below. When calling Equifax, select the "lost identification or an institution has contacted you regarding fraud activity" option; when calling TransUnion, select the "victim of fraud" option.

For future reference, mailing addresses are also provided below, but it is strongly recommended that you initiate contact by telephone as this will allow the alert to be placed on your file immediately, and for the fraud victim specialists to discuss your file with you.

It is imperative that you take action.

Equifax Score Power™
Equifax Canada
1-800-465-7166 (for callers inside Canada) or 514-493-2314
Fraud Victim Assistance Group
P.O. Box 190, Station Jean Talon
Anjou, Quebec, H1S 2Z2
Fax: 514-355-8502

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TransUnion of Canada
1-800-663-9980 (for callers inside Canada) or 905-525-4420
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
Box 338, LCD1
Hamilton, Ontario, L8L 7W2
Fax: 905-527-0401