If you think that you have been a victim of identity theft, there are steps you should take immediately to minimize damage and help prevent further fraud or theft. Step One
Contact each financial institution, credit card issuer or other company that provided the identity thief with unauthorized credit, money, goods or services.
Step Two
Contact Canada’s two national credit reporting agencies, TransUnion Canada and Equifax Canada.
There are two things you should do when you call:
- Ask each agency to send you a copy of your credit report.
- Discuss whether you should have a fraud alert placed on your file, asking that creditors call you before opening any new accounts or changing your existing accounts.
The credit report may reveal whether there are other companies where the identity thief has opened accounts or incurred debt in your name.
Step Three
Report the incident to your local police department and ask them to take a report. If a police report is available, include it in all correspondence with financial institutions, credit issuers, credit reporting agencies and other companies.
Step Four
Report the incident to PhoneBusters National Call Centre toll free at 1-888-495-8501. PhoneBusters gathers information and intelligence about identity theft, and provides advice and assistance to victims.
Step Five
If your credit cards or government-issued documents (such as driver’s licence, birth certificate or passport) have been lost or stolen, notify the issuing authority immediately to have the document cancelled and a new one issued.
Visit the Lost Wallet site to connect to key document issuers in the provincial and federal governments.
Note: Keep a record of your actions, even after the case has been resolved. Errors can reappear on your credit reports or your information can be re-circulated. If this happens, you’ll be glad you kept your files.
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