Here are some ways to avoid being a victim of identity thieves:
- Keep all personal information and your passport in a safe place.
- Don’t carry your Social Insurance Number card with you. Be especially careful with these nine numbers as they are a major key to your identity.
- Don’t keep PIN numbers in your wallet or purse. Memorize them; don't write them down.
- Change your PIN numbers, phone codes, and passwords every few months. Don’t use your mother’s maiden name, your birthday, or other obvious words or figures for your passwords.
- Collect your mail on a daily basis, as soon after delivery as possible. Once Canada Post delivers the mail, it becomes your personal property and responsibility, not mail.
- If you go out of town, arrange to have someone you trust pick up your mail or use Canada Post’s Hold Mail Service. For a nominal fee, Canada Post will keep your mail at the delivery office and deliver it upon your return.
- If you see suspicious activity around a mailbox, call the police immediately or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
- Mail items containing personal information at your local Post Office, not at a drop box.
- Never give out personal information on a cell phone or cordless phone; anyone could be listening.
- Shred everything. Buy a shredder and use it on any document containing personal information that you no longer need. Also shred those pre-authorized credit card applications you receive in the mail.
- Never leave your purse, wallet, or briefcase unattended.
- When shopping, never let your debit card out of your sight. If possible, swipe it yourself. When paying at a restaurant with a debit or credit card, ask to pay on your way out. Don’t let a server walk off with it.
- Keep track of when your bills and bank statements arrive. If they are late, check with the companies immediately to find out the reason for the delay.
- When entering your PIN number at an ATM or a store’s debit machine, shield your code from those around you.
- Avoid using ATM machines not affiliated with a bank.
- Don’t toss receipts from bank machines or gas pumps. Get rid of them properly.
- Arrange to have credit cards sent to your branch for pick-up. Although according to Lindsay Doiron, Branch Manager for ATB Financial in Calgary, Alberta, “The concerns with cards being mailed out is not as significant a problem these days with the activation process that most credit card issuers require (i.e. the card is not usable until activated by calling the issuers and answering specific questions regarding one’s identity.)”
- Immediately sign credit cards when you receive them.
- Use duplicate cheques instead of having your cancelled cheques returned in the mail. Cheques contain a huge amount of personal information.
- Clean out your wallet and only carry the cards you need on a daily basis.
- Have your paycheques directly deposited if possible.
- Lockers in public buildings are not entirely safe. Be careful what you leave in them.
- Don’t leave documents containing personal information in your car’s glove box.
- Don't lend your debit or credit cards to anyone.
- If your children are old enough to have bank cards and PIN numbers, make sure they understand the responsibility to protect it.
- Never leave personal documents lying around your home or office.
- If your wallet or purse is lost or stolen, immediately notify all companies and organizations to avoid identity theft.
- Do not give out unnecessary personal information, especially when your instinct tells you not to.
Avoid Identity Theft on Your Computer
Prevent identity thieves from getting into your system and retrieving data.
- Don't open attachments, files, or links from strangers.
- Get a low-limit credit card just for online purchases.
- Use security devices on the Internet such as data encryption, digital signatures, firewall protection, etc.
- Never put a picture of yourself on a web site.
- Only give personal information to secure web sites. A secure site will have ‘https’ in the URL or a lock in the lower right corner of your screen.
- Before you get rid of your computer, ensure all personal data is removed. Something you delete and send to the recycle bin is not necessarily gone from your computer.
If you have a laptop, be extra cautious when you take it outside of your home.
- Don't use automatic login on your laptop. Log off as soon as you are done with the computer.
- Don't store personal or financial information on your laptop.
- When in public, never let your laptop out of your sight.
A Word About Online Banking
According to Maura Drew-Lytle, Senior Manager of Media Relations for the Canadian Bankers Association, “Banking online really has nothing to do with identity theft. In fact, a recent study done by Javelin Strategy & Research in the US suggests that online banking, bill payment and electronic bill presentment can actually reduce the risk of identity theft by more than 10%.
Identity theft can sometimes occur when a thief steals unopened mail from a person's mailbox. By doing this they could intercept someone's bank statement. Online banking eliminates the need for monthly statements because users can keep track of their accounts online, thus reducing the paper.
The study also showed that online bankers are likely to look at their accounts an average of four times a month, compared to once every 36 days for those who depend on paper statements. Looking for unusual activity in your accounts is highly recommended and is a good way to detect fraud. Online banking in itself is very secure and doesn't really have anything to do with identity theft.”
Be Careful With Your Credit Card Receipts
A common way for identity thieves to get your information is from credit card receipts. Use caution with receipts that include your personal information.
Sources:
- Tyler Hamilton, co-author of The Privacy Payoff
- Brian C. Keith, a partner at the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais in Toronto and a legal expert on privacy issues
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- ScamBusters
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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