Imagine this: A stranger finds a way to steal your personal information, be it your social insurance number, driver's license number, credit card and bank account numbers, your mother's maiden name. Then this information is used to obtain lines of credit and credit cards from banks and retailers, siphon money from your existing accounts, apply for loans, open accounts with utility companies, rent lodging, file bankruptcy, obtain a job.

They wreak havoc in your name. It takes you months, even years, to get your life, and your credit rating, back to normal. This isn't a nightmare—it's an alarming trend that is happening to people like you, every single day. And this form of crime is growing in our age of advancing technology.

Let's take a look at some facts:

• Law enforcement officials believe that identity theft is today's fastest growing crime
• Criminals will use a victim's identity to commit a wide range of crimes—everything from traffic violations to felonies
• Armed with only the victim's social insurance number, birth date and any other identifying information such as an address and phone number, a criminal can use this information, along with a forged driver's license displaying their own picture, to begin a crime spree in your name.

What spells "opportunity" to a criminal?

1. Recent Death
   Browsing obituary columns in the newspaper, a criminal will do the groundwork to locate addresses of any recently deceased, monitoring selected residences, and grabbing any mail that accumulates. It may take a few days or as long as a month—however long it takes to collect what they need to steal an identity. Seeking bank statements, credit card receipts, tax bills, utility bills, they will pick through garbage if necessary. They are depending on the deceased's loved ones being too distraught to remember to contact the post office about cancelling mail delivery.
   
   
2. High-Tech Tools
   Probably the easiest way to steal an identity is by using a computer recording device (spyware) that transfers information from the victim's computer to the thief's. This spyware records all computer activity: passwords, banking information, credit card numbers, private emails, chat-line conversations. The information is funneled directly into a free email account that's untraceable, whereupon an automated process scans in search of your high-security information. You won't know what hit you until it's too late. Thieves will also send out emails that appear to be from legitimate businesses requesting personal data.
   
   
3. Mailboxes that are Easy to Access
   What's an identity thief's handiest tool? Your mailbox. Any mailbox offering easy access is fair game. Typically, they are seeking out bills that detail your personal information. They will go so far as to submit a change of address notice to the post office, having your mail rerouted to a new post office box. They are not averse to rummaging through your garbage in search of personal information. They will even send in "pre-approved credit card offers," picked from your trash, to credit card companies, with a "new address" substituted. Of course, the new card—with your name on it—is then sent directly to the thief.
   
   
4. "Lost" ID
   Forgery of social insurance cards, driver's licenses and birth certificates is big business. The only equipment needed is a computer, a good printer, and the right software—easy to find on the Web if you know what to look for. An electronic device called a "skimmer," hooked up to the credit card reader at restaurants or cash stations, uses the magnetic strip on your card to read and transmit your personal information to another location, where it is re-encoded and used to create a fraudulent credit card.
   
   
5. Out on the Town with Your Guard Down
   Worst case scenario: a waiter or salesperson retains a record of your card number, expiry date, and the security code on the back of your card, waits a few weeks, then uses your information to go on an online shopping spree. It has happened. Trying to determine exactly where and when your card numbers were stolen are next to impossible.
   
   And, how careful are you with your password while using an ATM machine? A device similar to the skimmer can be installed to read your card's data, and if the thief happens to be close enough to look over your shoulder as you input your PIN, it won't be long before you discover that your bank account is empty.

Prevention is your best revenge

1. At Home
   Personal information should be locked in a secure place at all times so that nobody entering your home, whether invited or not, can gain access to it.
   • Purchase a personal shredder and shred all documents before you trash them: charge receipts, insurance forms, cheques, bank statements, expired charge cards, etc.
   • Keep a current photocopy (also in a secure place) of every piece of information that you carry with you: your driver's license, social security card, etc., for immediate referral in the event that your purse or wallet is stolen.
     
     
2. Your Mail
   It's a fact of life that our mailboxes are sitting in isolation for most of each day; therefore, a locking mailbox is your wisest security measure. The more difficult your mailbox is to access, the less chance your mail will be targeted.
   • Make a habit of removing mail as promptly as possible from your mailbox.
   • Keep attentive to your billing cycles, and follow up immediately on any missing bills. Thieves will use stolen information to submit a "change of address" while paying the minimum charge on a bill, later requesting a new card with a new address. Before long, the thief is using your credit card without your knowledge.
   • Immediately report discrepancies on monthly statements.
   • A thief cannot access your outgoing mail if you drop it directly into designated postal collection boxes.
   • Before leaving on vacation, call Canada Post to arrange a vacation hold.
     
     
3. Out and About
   • Never supply your Social Insurance Number unless it's absolutely necessary. Ask instead if you can use a different form of ID.
   • Plan ahead to carry only the identification and credit or debit card that you will need to use, keeping any extra cards in your secure area at home.
   • Never sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, print "Photo ID Required" in the signature area.
     
     
4. Security Measures
   • When creating a password, refrain from using obvious, locatable information: maiden name, birth dates, consecutive numbers, or parts of your SIN or phone number, and keep no written records of your passwords.
   • Never divulge personal information over the phone, Internet, or via mail, unless you are certain you're dealing with a legitimate and trustworthy organization, and you were the one to initiate contact. Exercise extreme caution when responding to sales promotions. Identity thieves will create phony promotional offers designed to glean personal information. They pose as bank representatives, lottery administrators, Internet service providers, and other official-sounding business personnel. They will do whatever it takes to persuade you to reveal your personal information to them. Do you handle financial transactions over the Internet? If so, ask about their privacy/security policies: Is your personal information shared with other agencies? How secure is their server? How do they store personal information? If you are wary of their policies, discontinue your business with them.
   • Question security policies in your workplace, doctor's office, or any other organizations using your personal information, and know exactly who has access to it. Find out if your information will be shared with mailing list companies, marketing and survey companies, or anyone else. If so, request that your information be kept confidential. Keep your purse or wallet locked in a secure place at work, and do the same with any administrative forms detailing your personal information.
     
     
5. Cheques
   • When reordering cheques, pick them up at the bank instead of having them sent to your mailbox.
   • Have only your first initial and last name printed on your cheques. Not knowing how you sign your cheques will make it a lot more difficult for a thief to forge your full name, particularly since banks keep your signature on file for comparison. It's also a good idea to have your business address and phone number printed on cheques instead of using your home information. Without access to your home address and phone number, a thief who has stolen your cheques will have difficulty infiltrating other accounts.
   • Never print your SIN or driver's license numbers on your cheques. You can supply this information later, if absolutely necessary.
   • When paying your credit card account by cheque, do not write your entire account number on the "For" line. A lot of different people view your cheque as it works its way through the payment process. If you supply only the last four digits of your account number, the credit card company can still identify your account.

   Be extremely protective of your personal information. Ask questions, no matter who is asking for access. Demand to know why they need your information, what they plan to do with it, how long they intend to keep it, who they plan on sharing it with, and how you can be sure of their security measures.

   Though Identity theft is one of the worst crimes of our time, these simple precautions can save you months, if not years, of grief and damage to your financial status.

Fighting Back

If your credit cards or cheques have disappeared, fast action is your best damage control. Identity thieves work against the clock and will abandon their efforts the moment they sense detection. Your diligence is key.

1. Contact your bank and/or credit card company the moment you notice that your cheques and/or credit cards are missing.
2. File a police report immediately. You should also notify the Canadian anti-fraud call-centre, PhoneBusters, at 1-888-495-8501. Check out the Web site at www.phonebusters.com to read more about how you can protect yourself against fraud.
3. Call in a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting the following Canadian credit bureaus: Equifax Canada: 1-800-465-7166, and Trans Union Canada: 1-877-525-3823. For more information, look for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada on the Internet.