Government of Canada officials have been working with the company, Prudent Benefits Administration Services Inc., to provide citizens with the information they require to make informed decisions about how to minimize the possible impact of this theft of their personal information.

It’s important to note that all of the stolen information was encrypted which significantly reduces the risk that it could be used fraudulently. We will continue to monitor this situation and are ready to work with law enforcement agencies should any actual SIN abuse be detected.

To date, we have not received any reports that someone’s SIN has been abused. We are handling citizens’ calls on a national scale through our centralized call centres and front-line offices. Departmental officials are available to discuss clients’ concerns and will assist them in dealing with this difficult situation.

Measures You Should Take

If your personal information, including your Social Insurance Number, was on the stolen computer equipment, you should:

• Notify your bank and creditors immediately by phone and in writing.
  
  
• Notify the two major credit agencies that your SIN and other personal information have been stolen:
  
  

  Equifax

  1-800-465-7166 http:/www.equifax.ca  If you have been unable to reach the credit agency Equifax, please note: the Equifax toll-free number, 1-800-465-7166 number, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is an automated system that will prompt you for information and will immediately put a flag on your account indicating that you may be the victim of identity theft. You can also request the Equifax automated system to send you a credit report. You do not need to speak directly with an Equifax representative for this purpose.

  TransUnion

  1-866-525-0262, 1-800-663-9980 or (905) 525-0262 For residents of Quebec: 1-877-713-3393 or (514) 335-0374 http:/www.tuc.ca

  
  
• Ask the credit agencies to note on your credit file that you are the victim of identity fraud. Request that they contact you directly before opening any new account or granting credit under your name.
  
  
• Carefully review and verify all bank account, credit card and other financial transaction statements. If anything concerns you, contact your financial institution.

Additional information on what to do if your Social Insurance Number has been stolen is available at:

http://www.sdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=en/cs/sin/130.shtml&hs=sxn

You should be aware that:

• If it doesn’t appear that your SIN has been used fraudulently, it would be easier for you to continue using the same SIN rather than getting a new one. If we replace your SIN, you will have to contact all your financial institutions, creditors, pension providers and employers and ask them to update their past and current records on your file
  
  
• Your Social Insurance Number record is protected under the Privacy Act and no individual or establishment, other than authorized government agencies, can access information from your record (Note: Credit bureaus are not government agencies)
  
  
• The Government of Canada cannot correct a credit file. You are responsible for reporting and resolving any discrepancies with your financial institution(s)
  
  
• If, in the future, another person uses your Social Insurance Number for working purposes or to receive other taxable income, you will receive a Notice of Reassessment from Canada Customs and Revenue Agency concerning undeclared earnings. This is an indication that your Social Insurance Number is being used fraudulently. Report this immediately to a departmental representative at the nearest office of your local Human Resources Centre of Canada (HRCC). To locate the HRCC closest to you, enter your postal code in the following website:
  
  http://www.sdc.gc.ca/en/gateways/nav/top_nav/our_offices.shtml