Grey County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) wish to inform residents on the topic of “identity theft” after a 69-year old Georgian Bluffs man found out that someone had opened a Wal-Mart Mastercard in his name in early 2015 and purchased items in the Toronto area as well as Quebec. The victim became aware of his identity theft after he was contacted by a collection agency. The fraud is being investigated by York Regional Police. The victim shared the information with Grey County OPP on February 22, 2016.
What is identity theft? Basically it is when someone “steals” your identity without your knowledge and then uses your personal information to commit a crime. This can be accomplished when someone uses your name, your Social Insurance Number (SIN), your credit card number or any other piece of personal information without your consent. Perhaps you’ve never opened that account, or ordered that credit card …but someone else did … and they’ve used it to commit a fraud. When someone uses any of your personal information for their benefit, it’s a crime.
What to do: If you suspect that your personal information has been compromised and is now being used to commit fraud or theft, act immediately! Keep a record of your conversations and correspondence and follow the basic steps:
- Start a logbook of dates, names of person(s) that you speak with and exactly what
was said.
- Contact the fraud departments of the two major credit bureaus:
Equifax: 1-800-465-7166
Trans Union: 1-877-525-3823
- Request that a “Fraud Alert” be placed in your file. Order copies of your credit report.
- Contact the fraud department of creditors for those accounts that appear to be
compromised.
- File a report with your local police.
- Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Minimize the Risk:
- Don’t give out any personal information in any form unless you have initiated the
contact.
- Don’t carry your SIN card, nor give out the number unless absolutely necessary.
- Minimize the identification information and the number of cards you carry with you.
Learn more about “Identity Theft” and other frauds by contacting the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or on line at www.antifraudcentre.ca.
