An Identity Theft Checklist
November 21st, 2009 | by admin |One topic that is increasingly mentioned in our conversations with Canadian Financial Planners and Financial Advisors is identity theft. We used their input to create the identity theft checklist below.
Identity theft is a hot topic in the media. This type of crime cost Canadians over $16 million in losses in 2006 according to government statistics. Here is a list of some ways you can protect your personal information and prevent yourself from falling victim to the common identity theft methods.
Your Mailbox
- When you’re away, ask a neighbour to promptly pick up your mail or instruct Canada Post to hold your mail.
- Take note of when credit card and utility bills are supposed to arrive. If they are late, contact the credit card company.
- Reduce the number of sensitive documents mailed to your home by switching to secure online banking and bill paying.
Personal Papers
- Don’t keep a Social Insurance Number (SIN) card or birth certificate in your wallet.
- Use a shredder to destroy all papers with personal or financial information.
- Use a safe or a safety deposit box to store key identification documents such as SIN cards and birth certificates.
Computers
- Use hard-to-crack passwords with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. Don’t use automatic login features that save your user name and password.
- When using the Internet, take advantage of technologies that enhance security and privacy, including digital signatures, and data encryption.
- Use a personal firewall, install virus protection software and disable file-sharing software to block unauthorized access to information in your computer. Update these security features regularly.
- When shopping or banking online, only send personal or financial information after ensuring there is a secure transaction system. Signs of a secure link between your computer and a web site include an icon of a lock or unbroken key at the bottom right corner of the screen, or a web site address that begins with https://.
- Disconnect or disable your wireless equipment when not in use.
- Always be suspicious of e-mails from financial institutions asking you to provide personal information online. If you are uncertain, look up their phone number in the telephone directory and call them.
PIN and Password Poachers
- Choose an access code (PIN) that can’t be figured out easily. Do not use a combination that uses your name, telephone number, date of birth, address or Social Insurance Number.
- Make sure no one can see you punch in your PIN at an automated banking machine (ABM) or at a point-of-sale terminal by covering the key pad with your hand.
- Only use ABMs located in financial institutions and businesses you are familiar with. (Criminals have set up real ABMs in order to capture card and PIN information.)
Credit Cards
- Don’t give credit card numbers on the telephone unless you are sure who you are speaking with.
- Review all credit card and bank statements as soon as you receive them so discrepancies can be reported promptly.
Verify Credit Reports
- Ask for a copy of your credit report from major credit bureaus once a year to ensure they are accurate. Reports are available at no cost from each credit bureau once a year.