According to the CAFC, these are a few of the commonest methods criminals use to steal the identities of Canadians:
- Remove personal or financial information out of your trash or mailbox
- Obtaining your information through a fake website, which is a fraudulent website set as much as appear like the web site of a trusted source, resembling a bank
- Pretending to be a bank or government worker to look for information by phone, email, or text message
By the time the victim realizes what is going on, the fraudsters can have used the private information to do things like empty their bank accounts or take out a loan within the person’s name.
Dealing with the aftermath of identity fraud may be time-consuming and stressful, from attempting to get better lost funds to repairing a damaged credit rating. That’s why it is so vital to pay attention to fraud early on and to avoid identity theft in the primary place.
How to guard yourself from identity theft
You can take a number of easy steps to guard your personal and financial information. Some of those strategies are easy deterrents, resembling locking your mailbox and shredding sensitive papers. You can even frequently check your credit reports online and use a credit monitoring and ID protection solution from Equifax, a Canadian credit bureau. Equifax accomplishedTM is a series of products that notify you of vital changes to your Equifax credit report, resembling: B. recent bank cards issued in your name and may show you how to detect fraud faster.
Read on to learn more about these tools and other effective ideas to guard yourself from identity thieves.
1. Lock your mailbox.
Your mailbox often incorporates confidential information, resembling: B. Your social security number (SIN), bank card numbers, banking information and more. Purchasing a lockable mailbox is a small investment (starting at $40), but it surely goes a great distance toward protecting yourself from identity theft actors. Another option is to rent a PO box that continues to be locked.
2. Destroy financial documents.
Fraudsters also search your trash for sensitive documents. By destroying personal letters from banks, bank card firms and the federal government, you avoid becoming a straightforward goal. You can buy a paper shredder from an office supply store starting at $20.
3. Be wary of phishing scams.
Phishing scams via phone, SMS, email and social media have exploded with the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI). Scammers can now easily send mass messages pretending to be bank or government employees, and it sounds more legitimate than ever.
