A Guide to Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft

Transcription

1 A Guide to Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft 2010 Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark.

2 At Capital One, we understand that Identity Theft is a frustrating, and sometimes frightening, experience for victims. We share these concerns and want to provide you with information to protect you from further unauthorized use of your personal information. This step-by-step guide is meant to help you protect your credit and reclaim your identity. Identity Theft is a very personal crime that occurs when someone uses information such as your name, Social Insurance Number, credit card number or other identifying information to commit fraud. Identity Theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in Canada. HOW DOES IDENTITY THEFT OCCUR? Here are some common scams that thieves use to get your personal information: Purse/Wallet Theft They steal wallets and purses containing your identification, credit cards, bank cards, and other personal information. Mail Theft They steal mail including: Bank and credit card statements New cheques Tax information Medical insurance information They target unattended mailboxes or complete a change-of-address form to divert your mail to another location. Dumpster Diving They rummage through your trash or the trash of businesses looking for personal data that they can use. Imposters They pose as someone who has a valid need for personal information (i.e., businesses, government agencies, employer, landlord, etc.) and trick victims to divulge that information. They work their scams via: Telephone Look-alike Internet Web sites Internet Pop-up boxes They can be so convincing that customers do not realize that they have been taken. For more details, see the Phishing section at the end of this document. HOW CAN A THIEF USE YOUR INFORMATION? Common types of identity theft involve using another person s name to: Open and use credit card accounts Write bad cheques Open various new accounts, i.e., chequing, cell phone, gas, electric Get personal or auto loans Rent an apartment

3 It often takes some time for victims to realize that there identity has been stolen and used fraudulently. Sometimes, months or even years (not to mention hard-earned money) are spent un-doing the harm to a victim s name and credit report. HOW CAN I PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT? Review Copies of Your Credit Report from the two national credit agencies at least once a year. You can download a mail-in form for a free credit report from both agencies. Just go to their Web sites (listed below). Or, for a small fee you can receive your credit report instantly online from both agencies. Protect Your Credit Cards Sign your credit card or write the merchant must check ID on the back of your card Close any accounts that you are not using Make sure your receive your bills and review for fraudulent charges Place passwords on new or existing accounts Secure Personal Information in Your Home, especially if you are having service work done in your home or going on vacation. Keep Your Purse or Wallet Safe Secure your belongings at work Guard your belongings in public places Carry only identification and the credit or debit cards you actually need Safeguard Your Mail Request the post office to hold your mail if you are going to be on vacation by calling Canada Post at Call the issuer if you don t receive a cheque or credit card in the mail that you were expecting Shred Your Personal Information, like receipts, tax information, credit card statements, medical/insurance information, etc. don t leave it in a trash bin for somebody to take. Know Who You re Giving Your Personal Information To, whether it s over the phone, through the mail or over the Internet (and don t give out information if you didn t initiate the contact). Protect Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) Don t carry your SIN card leave it in a secure place Give your SIN only when absolutely necessary If your SIN is lost or stolen you should report it Human Resources Development Canada at (select Option "3") or by at [email protected] Protect Your Personal Identification Number (PIN) Don t share your PIN with anybody Be aware of others nearby when entering your PIN at an ABM machine Don t write your PIN down memorize it Don t choose a PIN that s easy to guess, like a part of your phone number or your date of birth

4 Use Extra Care with Personal Information on Your Personal Computer or Mobile Device Avoid storing financial information on your PC Update your virus-protection software regularly FIVE KEY STEPS TO TAKE IMMEDIATELY Credit Bureaus TransUnion Canada Equifax Canada Fraud Victim Assistance Department Consumer Fraud Division P.O. Box 338, LCD 1 Box 190 Jean Talon Station Hamilton, Ontario L8L 7W2 Montreal, Quebec H1S 2Z or Call the Two National Credit Bureaus Advise them that you are a victim of identity theft Request that a fraud warning be placed on your credit file instructing creditors to contact you personally before opening any new accounts in your name (fraud warnings remain on file for five to six years) Request a copy of your credit bureau report (free if ordered by mail or fax, or online for a small fee) Remember to call and file a fraud warning with both bureaus 2. File a Police Report Call your local police department to file a police report and be prepared to list any suspects that could have committed this crime Request a copy of your police report or, at least, ask for the report number because often the banks and creditors need proof of the crime in order to erase debts created by identity theft 3. Contact Creditors Review your credit reports and take note of the following: Creditors who manage your existing accounts Creditors who have opened new accounts that you never requested Creditors who made inquiries on your credit report when you didn t request credit Call each of these creditors and: Describe your case of identity theft Tell them to close any new accounts that you didn t open Ask them to decline any new accounts that you didn t request Ask them to close any existing account that you feel has been compromised and open a new one (and be sure to add a password to your new account) 4. Protect Your Bank Accounts Debit card If your debit card has been lost, stolen, or compromised, you should take the following action. Call your bank and immediately cancel your card Request a new card and a new PIN Request to have a password added to your account

5 Cheques If your cheques have been stolen or forged, contact your bank right away. Request a new account number (after you ve got it, don t forget to update your account information with any companies where you ve set up Pre-Authorized Debit payments or PADs) Place stop payments on any stolen cheques 5. File a Report with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) The CAFC manages a national anti-fraud call centre and is a key source of information on identity theft. This service assists law enforcement in possible fraud and identity theft investigations. Call to report identity theft, telemarketing fraud, or advanced fee fraud For more information on identity theft visit the CAFC Web site at GOVERNMENT RESOURCES ON IDENTITY THEFT, FRAUD, AND PRIVACY Government Agencies Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada Web site: Tel: [email protected] Competition Bureau (Chairs the Fraud Prevention Forum) Web site: Tel: [email protected] Consumer Measures Committee Web site: Tel: [email protected] Public Safety Canada Web site: Tel: [email protected] Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Web site: Tel: Canada s Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) Web site: (Privacy and Identity Protection) Tel: [email protected]

6 PHISHING Phishing is a scam where unsolicited, legitimate-looking s or pop-up boxes direct a user to an imitation of an existing Web page to fool the user into submitting personal, financial, or password data. Recently, a few of our customers reported receiving phishing s claiming to be from Capital One. Sometimes fraudsters also telephone pretending to be legitimate companies and ask for information such as the three security digits on the back of your credit card. A legitimate company will not call you for information they should already have. A FEW TIPS TO HELP YOU AVOID THE PHISHING SCAM Identifying a Phishing Look for grammatical or spelling errors within the If you do business with a company, they should be supplying you with information, not asking you to verify or supply information If the doesn t feel right, get in touch with the company that sent it to verify if it s real or not Tricks Fraudsters Use to Lure You Into Supplying Information: Threaten to close your account unless you provide personal information immediately Claim they need to update your personal records on your account Offer a service if you give them your personal information to sign-up Actions to Take if You Receive a Suspicious or Pop-up Box: Never reply to or click on any links in s or pop-up boxes that request your personal information Alert the company that is being phished Send or Forward the actual phishing to [email protected] What to Do if You Submitted Your Personal Information Through Check for unauthorized charges to your credit card and bank statements online or as soon as you receive your statements in the mail If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call to confirm the accuracy of your billing address and to review account transactions Notify your financial institutions Visit for more information on Phishing and other Internet scams.