"Shredding documents isn’t just for businesses and people with something to hide," says Sylvain Patry, Senior Vice-President of ProtectionPower.ca and identity theft expert. "Canadian households and offices are full of documents that contain potentially compromising information."
Here is a list of top 10 documents that you should be shredding at home and in the office:
Criminals are increasingly using stolen social insurance numbers and doctored birth certificates to obtain legitimate driver's licences and passports, an internal RCMP report says... MORE >
TD Bank spokeswoman says about 1,000 Canadians with U.S. accounts could be affected after some data tapes containing personal information were misplaced, which also affects an additional... MORE >
A Fort McMurray man whose identity was stolen eight years ago, has finally cleared his name. Dallas Johnson, 30, lost his wallet in 2004, but he didn't report it to the police right away. Two years later... MORE >
When someone takes your personal information and uses it for financial gain, it is classified as identity theft, or fraud. In 2011 more than 14,000 fraud cases were reported in Canada, with a loss of more than $64 million, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If you become a victim of fraud or identity theft, there are certain steps you can take to minimize the damage and also to help prevent it from happening again.
The first thing you need to do once you realize you have become a victim, report it. Here’s who you should call:
What made you want to start helping people stay protected from fraud and identity theft?
We saw a real need for identity theft and fraud protection services in Canada. We saw the rates of identity theft, data breach, scams, and credit fraud rising steeply, but there wasn’t a place Canadians could go for information and services that could really help them out. With our background in technology and security, we knew we could do something useful.
Our long-term goal at ProtectionPower.ca has always been to inform and protect every Canadian from the fastest-rising crime in the country.
What is the most common mistake you see people make when handling personal information?
Carelessness. Too many people leave credit card and ATM receipts behind, throw bills into the trash without shredding them, use weak passwords and easy-to-guess PINs, don’t password-protect their phones, and download apps or files without doing any research. Just taking that extra minute or two to protect important information could prevent many cases of identity theft.
What is the most common type of identity theft/fraud?
That’s tough to say. There is a lot of card fraud, from debit card skimming at an ATM, to the theft of credit card information, which can happen both online and offline.
There are also an alarming number of massive data breaches – just in the last couple of months, millions of LinkedIn passwords were stolen, and more than 1.5 million credit cards numbers held by Global Payments, a major payment processor used by the world’s biggest credit cards, were breached.
Identity theft really can happen to anyone, at any time.
Who is the first person someone should call if they realize they have fallen victim to identity theft?
If you suspect you have been the victim of identity theft, it is crucial you act quickly. There are actually a few phone calls you need to make immediately. Start with your financial institutions. You may need to cancel cards, close accounts, and change passwords – if you act fast, they may cover any fraudulent transactions.
Call your utility and service providers and, if you suspect misuse of your government identification, contact the appropriate office. You should also call Equifax and TransUnion, the two credit reporting agencies in Canada.
If you are certain you have been a victim of identity theft, contact the local police.
Always take notes of all phone calls and keep any paperwork. You may need those details later.
What’s the number one piece of advice you would offer to people to help them stay protected from identity theft?
Do not give out any personal information unless absolutely required. Don’t post unnecessary details on Facebook or other social networking sites; don’t share your Social Insurance Number unless required by law. Don’t leave any personal documents lying around without being properly disposed of. Invest in a good quality shredder from a company like Fellowes. Their products are easy to use and are a cost effective means to protecting your identity. Don’t give out personal information over the phone. And never, ever, send financial information by email. It’s not secure.
Any other advice you would like to offer?
Yes. Take a little time to learn how to recognize and, better, prevent identity theft. Whether you visit ProtectionPower.ca – we have a number of publicly available articles in our Learning Centre – or another source, it is important to educate yourself and your loved ones about the importance of information privacy and protection. Also, visit Fellowes.ca as your destination for document destruction. Awareness is our best weapon in the fight against identity theft.
In a digital age filled with firewalls and spam filters, I never thought that I needed to protect myself from mundane, day-to-day office procedures. As the company’s administrative assistant it was my job to order office supplies – something I’ve been doing for the last two years without any issue.
One day I received a call from a gentleman offering “rock bottom” prices for some supplies I was already in mind to order anyway. He said he was liquidating these items because he had to close up shop due to economic reasons. Usually I dismiss these calls, faxes or emails, but knowing that our company was going through a brief rough patch, financially, I thought I would give him a try. The man sounded honest enough and he even gave me the names of several brands I recognised us using here in the past. And, who knows, I thought, I might even be praised for saving the company some money. Promotion here I come. A few days later the supplies showed up with an invoice attached showing each item priced 25 per cent more than our regular supplier’s costs. And, the worst part, none of the brand names he quoted me on the phone were on any of the products. I tried to get a hold of my contact, but he was no where to be found. I had become a victim of fraud.
In the end though, my boss was actually pretty cool about the whole situation. I guess he realized that I was trying to help, so he let me off with a warning and then circulated a document around the office as a warning.
Office Supplies / Directory scams - Does your office staff know these warning signs?
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, here are some common approaches used by telemarketers to trick people over the phone that all office staff need to know:
If someone calls from a "Market Research Company" and asks for the make and model of your office equipment, don't give out this information over the phone. Your authorized dealer already has this on record. This is a typical "set up call" for the sales pitch which follows.
If someone calls and offers an incredible deal on toner, cartridges, paper or other office supplies, but you must act now to take advantage of the special prices, don't buy anything over the phone. Ask for their company name, the person's name, and the phone number, so you can call them back to confirm that they are a legitimate office supply dealer.
If you unexpectedly receive supplies or a directory that you didn't order, immediately contact the distributor. Advise them that you are not accepting the goods. You will not pay for them, and want them removed at their expense.
* Please note, no names have been provided in order to protect the right to privacy.
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