IDENTITY FRAUD:
It’s
Personal
What you need to know to protect
yourself from this sinister crime
BY BONNIE STARING
What to
do if it
happens
to you
If you suspect that
you or a loved one
may be a victim
of identity theft or
fraud, here’s what
to do:
CHIP STUDIO/GETTY
Tell the police
A UNIVERSITY STUDENT in Edmonton was
details in exchange for products and serin shock when the call came. On the other
vices. We give our credit card numbers
end of the line was a rep from a phone
to cashiers and online retailers. We allow
company. He was demanding she pay her
apps to access data on our smartphones.
outstanding bill. “What bill?” she said.
We share vital information with banks
The one for $3,500, he informed her. She
and government agencies.
was so floored by the amount that she
In doing so, details about our lives are
hung up on the caller—she thought it
distributed to various files and databases,
was all a scam, intended to get her to pay
enabling an increasingly sophisticated
money she didn’t owe.
type of criminal. IdentityBut the company called
related crimes, as Canada’s
The Canadian
back, threatening to involve
Department of Justice refers
Anti-Fraud
a collection agency. The
to them, include the theft
Centre reveals and trafficking of personal
rep provided her with the
that more than information (a.k.a. identity
details—more than 30 pages
20,000 victims theft), as well as the actual
of charges. She was aghast
reported a
after reading page after page
use of that information
combined loss “to gain advantage, obtain
of unknown numbers.
of nearly
Eventually, she discovered
property, disadvantage
$10.5 million
someone had used her Social
another person, avoid arrest
Insurance Number (SIN)
or defeat or obstruct the
in 2014.
and her date of birth to open
course of justice” (a.k.a.
an account, racking up
identity fraud).
thousands in charges. She filed a report
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reveals
with the police but it took a lot of time
that more than 20,000 victims reported
and effort before she was able to clear her
a combined loss of nearly $10.5 million
good name.
in 2014. Fortunately, the problem’s prevaThis is one of the defining crimes of the
lence means it’s now in the spotlight. Pubdigital age—and like that university stulic awareness has grown and sentences for
dent, we’re all at risk. The most importhose convicted of identity theft and fraud
tant thing to know about identity fraud
are also increasing. “Canadian courts are
is that it can happen to you. Almost daily,
becoming more aware of the impact that
we’re encouraged to offer up our personal
these types of crimes are having on people,” »
“Reporting to the police
gets you a start date
[to begin the investigation], kind of like you
would for an insurance
claim,” Edmonton fraud
detective Bill Allen says.
Notify
your bank
Contact all banks and
credit card companies
you do business with to
make them aware of the
situation immediately.
Get a fraud
alert
Contact Equifax and
TransUnion. A fraud
alert signals potential
creditors and lenders
to be wary of new
applications for credit
in your name.
Report it to
the Canadian
Anti-Fraud
Centre
Call 1 888 495 8501 and
remember—you’re not
alone.
CAA MANITOBA
SPRING 2016
51