>10 Things to Know

Awareness and prevention are key to beating identity theft. ProtectionPower.ca offers a wealth of information on identity theft prevention and recognition, including news updates, dozens of articles, and in-depth e-courses.

To get you started, we've listed 10 things you need to know about identity theft:

  1. It's rampant. This is not to scare you. It is to encourage you to be aware, smart and proactive about protecting yourself.
  2. Your personal information is already out there, in dozens of filing cabinets and electronic databases. A corporate data breach is completely out of your control – but could have serious financial and personal consequences for you. You need to know what to do if you are caught up in one.
  3. Every time you use a credit or debit card, you are at risk. It is vital you learn to recognize a secure website and how to protect against skimmers.
  4. Your computer contains vital, private information. Protect it with anti-virus and anti-spyware software, firewalls and the latest security updates. Ensure your Internet connection is secure, particularly if it's wireless. Password protect everything – your computer, your network, your important files.
  5. Your mail and your garbage are filled with personal details. Mailboxes and trash cans are favourite resources of identity thieves. Learn how to keep them out.
  6. You can take steps to keep your private information, private. Do not broadcast your plans or post your full profile on social networking sites. Consider politely declining if a retailer asks for your birthday and address.
  7. Identity thieves are brazen. They may call or email you – pretending to be a legitimate bank or other institution – and ask for personal information or passwords. NEVER give these out. Stay on top of the latest scams and phishing schemes.
  8. Your Social Insurance Number is very valuable to identity thieves. Do not carry it with you; do not ever give it out unless absolutely required by a government agency, reputable financial institution or an employer after you've been hired.
  9. Children – who don't even have a credit profile yet – and the elderly are prime targets for identity thieves. Share information and learn to effectively help protect the young and old in your life.
  10. Identity theft can happen to anyone, no matter how careful you are. Keep an eye on your credit report and bank and credit statements for early clues that someone is using your identity. ProtectionPower's services, especially proactive identity monitoring, can also help you catch identity theft in action.

Ready to learn more? Protection Power has everything you need to take concrete steps to keep identity theft out of your life. From advice on protecting your wireless connection to identity theft protection insurance; details on the latest scams to proactive identity monitoring, Protection Power is your complete resource for identity protection. Sign up now – and stay safe.

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