Is someone else using your Social Insurance Number?

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This publication (SC-208-03-06) provides guidelines should you suspect someone else is using your SIN and information on how to protect your SIN.

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Do you suspect someone else is using your SINto work or to obtain credit?

If so, you should

1. Contact the police and file a complaint. When the police investigation is finished, ask for a copy of the police report. If the report is still being created, get the police case number.

2. For assistance you can contact your local Service Canada Centre (SCC) or the Social Insurance Number (SIN) Call Centre at 1-800-206-7218 and select option “3”. If you are calling from outside Canada, the number is (506) 548-7961 and is a long distance call. You can find the Service Canada office closest to you by visiting the website at servicecanada.gc.ca then clicking on In-person services where you live.

3. The following information will help you identify the steps that will be discussed with a departmental representative. The agent will help you deal with SIN problems and decide what action it would be best to take.

Step to follow if you suspect…

Someone is using your Social Insurance Number to WORK

· Go to your nearest Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services office and ask them for a printout of all of the employers who issued a T-4 slip for your Social Insurance Number (SIN) over the past three years. This printout is called a T-4 Abstract. Make sure the list includes all of the employers’ addresses.

· Review the list and identify the names of any employers you have not worked for. The departmental investigator will contact these employers on your behalf. You don’t need to.

· Get one photograph of yourself for every employer you identified on the T-4 Abstract. Photographs make it easier for our investigator to confirm your identity with each of your employers. You do not need professional photos. They just have to be clear. Photos from booths in malls or bus stations are acceptable.

· Make a list of every address where you have lived over the last ten years, and note the dates.

· Bring the list of employers, the photographs, the list of addresses and as many pieces of identification as you have, such as your birth certificate, passport, citizenship documents and driver’s license to your local Service Canada Centre.

Someone is using your Social Insurance Number to obtain CREDIT

Notify your bank and creditors immediately by phone AND in writing.

Call credit reporting agencies and request a copy of your credit report. It can help you to identify any charges you didn’t make.

Equifax: 1 800 465-7166 or Equifax.com

TransUnion: Telephone 1 866 525-0262,1 800 663-9980 or (905) 525-0262.

·For residents of Quebec: Telephone 1 877 713-3393 or (514) 335-0374.

Website: tuc.ca

Gather proof that your SIN was used by someone else. A good example is the original credit application filled by someone else using your SIN.

Get a letter from the creditor or agency saying you are not responsible for debts charged by the person who is using your SIN fraudulently.

4. Once the department receives your information, we will review it to decide what should be done, and help you fix the problem.

How to Protect Your Social Insurance Number

Every person working in insurable employment in Canada must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN). By law, you must provide your SIN to Government of Canada departments or agencies who administer government benefits.

Your employer and anyone else who prepares income tax information on your behalf , as well as all institutions from which you earn interest or income, such as banks, credit unions and trust companies have the right to ask for your SIN.

While there is no law that prevents businesses from asking for your SIN it is important that you be very careful when releasing it. You do not always have to give your SIN when asked. Many businesses ask to see SIN cards as identification, or to check your credit rating, but if they are not in the categories described above, you can refuse. Your SIN card is not a piece of identification.

You should keep your SIN card in a safe place, like a safety deposit box. Do not carry it in your wallet or your purse unless you know you will have to show your card that day.

For specific information about the Social Insurance Number program dial toll-free 1 800 206-7218 and select option “3”.

For more information about Service Canada or to find the nearest Service Canada Centre, visit us on-line at servicecanada.gc.ca or call 1 800 O-Canada, TTY 1 800 926-9105.

NEW: The Social Insurance Number (SIN) program is now being delivered by Service Canada – the Government of Canada’s new service delivery network that brings a range of federal services and benefits together to meet your needs. Service Canada offers easy-to-access, one-stop, personalized services. You can access Service Canada services through your method of choice – by telephone, by mail, through the Internet or in-person.

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