Credit Cards
Identity Theft
The less information that's out there, the better!
- Carry only the cards you need in your wallet. It’s a good idea to leave extra credit cards and your Social Insurance card locked up safely at home.
- Make a copy of all your credit cards, front and back, and keep that list in a safe (locked) place in case your wallet or purse is stolen.
- When shopping, take your credit card receipts with you and then store them in a safe place at home. Pay attention while your purchases are being rung up to make sure the card information isn’t written down or copied an extra time.
- Don’t let a store clerk write your credit card number or any unnecessary identification information on your cheque. If she wants to write down your driver’s license number, for example, ask her not to write down the complete number. Ask to speak to a manager if the clerk insists on copying all your information onto your cheque.
- Don’t print your driver’s license or social insurance number on your cheques.
- When asked for your social insurance number, always ask if you can provide another number.
- Don’t use ABM machines from financial institutions you don’t recognize. Thieves have used ABMs to gather information from customers about their cards or accounts.
At Work: Don’t let an ID thief catch you sleeping on the job
- Keep your purse locked up at work. Workplace theft is more rampant than most people realize. Ask your employer for a safe place to lock your purse or wallet if none is provided.
- Ask your employer about its security procedures for personnel files. Make sure they are locked and that there is a policy in place to protect theft. Many cases of identity theft have originated at work, and involved coworkers stealing personal data.
- Don’t log onto personal financial accounts from work and don’t set work computers to remember personal passwords automatically. Finally, don’t store personal information in your desk or in work computers.
At Home: Make sure your home is a safe haven
- Thieves can pluck bills or other mail from your mailbox and use that information to commit fraud. To protect yourself, use a locked mailbox if possible to receive mail. (Type “locked mailbox” in an Internet search engine for sources.)
- Never have new cheques sent to your home, unless your mailbox is secure. Ask them to be delivered to your bank and pick them up instead.
- Buy an inexpensive shredder to shred any mail or documents with sensitive information.
- Keep track of when your credit card bills normally arrive. If one is missing, contact your lender immediately. Don’t just assume you get to skip a month’s payment!
- Check your credit report at least once a year. Consider a credit monitoring service if you want to keep close tabs on your credit report. Early detection of fraud can save hours of time and hassle later.
- Keep your personal information in a locked room or filing cabinet at home. This is especially important if you have frequent visitors (including your children’s teenage friends), a housekeeper, or others who may be in your home.
