Identity Theft

As part of its responsibility to serve the public, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) strives to promote education and provide tools and resources to assist the public in protecting their personal information. [...] This information enables the identity thief to commit numerous forms of fraud: to go on spending sprees under the victim’s name, to take over the victim’s financial accounts, open new accounts, divert the victim’s mail to the thief ’s address, apply for loans, credit cards, social benefits, rent apartments, establish services with utility companies, and more. [...] A security expert was able to replicate access with nothing more than his name, email and Facebook profile; 2 Identity Theft: A Crime of Opportunity The theft of your identity can leave you with a poor credit rating and a ruined reputation which may take months or even years to correct. [...] Ask for stronger security measures — have a fraud alert placed on your accounts; start with the credit bureaus; 3. Cancel all your existing cards and accounts, and open new ones; 4. Document all the steps you have taken and your expenses to clear your name and re-establish your credit; 5. Have your credit reports annotated or possibly “frozen;” 6. Contact the post office if you suspect that someon [...] Organizations can also separate the flow of personal data from other transactional data in their information systems; • If you are a credit bureau, provide your customers with a free credit report annually, upon request, and notify customers whenever their credit reports have been accessed; • Require proof of identity and check it carefully when a customer applies for credit or a change of address