August 19, 2005

(Letter to the editor of CA magazine)

Dear Editor:

In the August issue of CA magazine, the "ask the expert" feature on the Up Front page suggests that canceling paper bills and statements and paying bills and check statements online is a way to protect oneself from identity fraud.

The facts suggest this is by no means a foolproof approach. There is ample evidence that the rapid increase in electronic communication is creating opportunities for increasingly sophisticated scam artists. Your readers, for example, should be cautioned about giving out credit card or bank account information via e-mail. They should also be advised to guard their personal information and not use passwords that contains potentially useful information, like birth date, the last four digits of a SIN, a PIN, or phone number.

Lettermail remains an excellent and secure option for those seeking to protect their privacy. Canada Post is very aware of the issues around identity theft and we take great pride in the security we provide for the mail entrusted to us everyday by millions of Canadians.

Sincerely,

John Caines
Manager, National Media Relations
Ottawa (613) 734-7675