1. What is Identity Theft?
The theft, misrepresentation or hijacking of another person or business’ Identity
It is a growing problem in Canada
Fraud
Provides an effective means to commit other crimes using your name.

2. Two Main Types of Identity Theft
Account Takeovers
Card Skimming
Non-Receipts
Card Replacements
Unauthorized Use
Phishing
Application Fraud
Loans
Bank Accounts
Credit Cards
Mortgages
Cell Phones

3. How Does It Happen? Fraudsters are innovative
Happens though computer use, , snail mail, transactions over the phone, even material taken from your trash!
Consumer is not aware of potential fraud

4. What Can You Do? Protect yourself
Minimize the chances of having your identity stolen
Be Aware of what is happening
Be A smart consumer
Stay one step ahead and protect yourself

5. The Less Information that’s out there the better!
Carry only the cards you need in your wallet. Leave extra credit cards, social insurance cards locked up at home.
Make a copy of all of your cards and lock the copy up in your house.
Don’t let a store clerk write down your credit card #
Don’t print your SIN or Drivers License # on your cheques
When asked for your SIN always ask if you can provide another number
Don’t Use ATM tellers from financial institutions you don’t recognize.

6. Protect yourself at work
Keep your purse/wallet locked up at the office at all times.
Workplace theft is more common than most people realize
Ask your employer for a safe place to lock up your things if one is not provided for you.
Ask your employer about security procedures for personal files
DO NOT log onto personal financial websites using company computers.
DO NOT set passwords to auto remember.
And do not store personal information in your desk or on your office computer at work.

7. Protect yourself at home
Protect your mail, get a locked mail box
Never have new cheques sent to your home in the mail. Pick them up from the bank
Buy a shredder to shred personal documents
Check your credit report at least once a year
Keep your personal information in a locked room or a filing cabinet.

8. A review of the problem What is the problem?
Fastest growing crime in the country
25 million victims, 10 million in 2004
Sheer numbers swamp law enforcement

9. Further thoughts on the problem
What’s the harm?
600 hours spent to restore identity and credit
$1,400 out-of-pocket costs to victim
$16,000 in lost productivity of victim
$40,000-$92,000 business community losses per stolen identity
Source: Identity Theft Resource Center

10. How do they get the information?
Dumpster divers
Mail thieves
Burglary and personal theft
Insider compromises
Phishing
Internet sources and hacking

11. How can I protect myself?
Place passwords on credit card, bank, & phone accounts
Don’t use your mother’s maiden name, birth date, last 4 digits of SSN, or phone number
Secure personal info in your home
Shred all documents containing your personal info

12. How can I protect myself? (continued)
Drop outgoing mail in a USPS box, not your home mailbox
Limit the number of credit cards you carry
Don’t carry your Social Security card

13. Web site links
Web site provides links to federal and state resources for additional info on ID theft
To opt out of prescreened credit card offers by phone, call toll-free OPT-OUT

14. Additional Web site links
Information on state laws, forms, and prevention checklists for businesses
For identity theft brochure re: banking industry

15. 20 U.S.C. § 1097 [Title IV, HEA]
Any person who knowingly and willfully embezzles, misapplies, steals, obtains by fraud, false statement or forgery, or fails to refund any funds, assets, or property provided or insured under [Title IV, HEA] or attempts to so embezzle, misapply, steal, obtain by fraud, false statement or forgery, or fail to refund any funds, assets, or property, shall be fined…or imprisoned…

16. Tools used to commit identity theft of federal student aid funds
computer
online application process for FSA funds
online enrollment
identity of another person
fake identification documents

17. Protecting others from identity theft
Properly handle documents
Shred sensitive info
Use key identifiers instead of the SSN
Password-protect sensitive info
Audit access
Review access privileges
View info on computers in the same manner as paper documents – is it secure?

18. Protect Yourself Online
Use A Firewall – this will prevent Phishing attempts
Choose good passwords – Use an alpha numeric password and change them frequently
Choose a good username – do not use your address as a username (Hannah1199)
Beware of Phishing – Pay Pal/Best Buy/EBay/RBC etc

19. What does Phishing Look Like?

20. Signs that you may be a Victim
A bank or cell phone company contacts you about suspicious transactions
You start receiving suspicious calls for more information about yourself
A collection agency calls you about
an unknown debt
Unknown items appear on one
of your statements
Source: Consumer Measures Committee

21. You are denied credit for unknown reasons
Bills and statements are not arriving in the mail
Your credit report has unknown or inaccurate entries
Bills or statements arrive for unknown accounts
Source: Consumer Measures Committee

22. Current Threats The Prize Pitch:
Remember that you should never have to buy anything to win a prize in a contest
Be careful of the sweepstakes contest, you will be contacted by a judge border services person or a lawyer. They will tell you that the money must be sent up front for tax reasons.

23. Current Threats Emergency or Grandparent Scam Happens over the phone
May use accident or travel as an excuse
2 methods used
1) typical:
Do you know who this is?
don’t tell anyone! 2)
a hijacked account is used to ask friends or family to send money.

24. The results of the scam By the end of October 2009:
Grandparent scam had 278 failed attempts
Had 88 Successful attempts total loss reported = $317, Average of $3,610 per victim.
In 2008 total loss on the same scam was $157,452
December 2009 OPP warns of the scam

25. What do you do if you are a Victim?
Contact police – file a police report
Notify the Credit Bureaus – Equifax, Trans Union
Contact your banking institution
Contact Phone Busters – or on the web at
Investigate new accounts – review your credit report
Check your Address – check with Canada Post to see if there was a change of address reported. Notify them that you are a victim
Check your passport – check with passport Canada to be sure no one has applied for a new passport under your name. you can visit their website at or call

26. What Can be Done?
Be suspicious of any with urgent requests for personal financial information
Unless is digitally signed, you can't be sure it wasn't forged or “spoofed”
Phishers typically include upsetting or exciting (but false) statements in s to get people to react immediately

27. What Can be Done? (continued)
They typically ask for info such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, etc.
phisher s are typically NOT personalized, while valid messages from your bank or e-commerce company generally are

28. Phishing Prevention
Don't use links in an to get to any Web page if you suspect the message might not be authentic
instead, call the company on the telephone or log onto its Web site directly by typing in the Web address in your browser

29. Phishing Prevention (continued)
Avoid filling out forms in messages that ask for personal financial information
you should only communicate information such as credit card numbers or account information via a secure Web site or the telephone

30. Phishing Prevention
Always ensure you're using a secure Web site when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser
to make sure you're on a secure Web server, check the beginning of the Web address in your browser’s address bar - it should be " rather than just "

31. Phishing Prevention (continued)
Consider installing a Web browser tool bar to help protect you from known phishing fraud Web sites

32. Phishing Prevention Regularly log into your online accounts
don't leave it for as long as a month before you check each account
Regularly check your bank, credit and debit card statements to ensure that all transactions are legitimate
if anything is suspicious, contact your bank and all card issuers
Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches applied

33. Other Actions Spam filters Personal firewalls Trust tool bars
Spoof protection software

34. Other Actions (continued)
Always initiate the transaction
even if a phishing message is delivered, verify by logging to the home page directly rather than clicking the URL in the
When in doubt always first give a wrong password
the legitimate URL will reject it; the phished one will accept it

35. Cyber Bullying and Ethics
Cyber bullying is the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person, often done anonymously
Cyber ethics help Internet users understand what type of online behavior is right and wrong
Cyber bullying and poor cyber ethics are threats many teens and young adults face not from strangers, but from their own peers

36. Cyber Predators
Cyber predators are people who search online for other people in order to use, control, or harm them in some way
Cyber predators target teens and young adults – both male and female – on a regular basis, regardless of whether or not the victims are 18 or above
Social networking sites enhance a predator’s ability to target young Americans, especially if they share personal information in your profile
91% of young adults say they are social networking “friends” with people they don’t know well*
You never know who is behind the screen, so protect yourself and your personal information
If you are being targeted or harassed online, you should notify your family or the proper authorities
* Source:

37. Cyber Bullying
Whatever anyone posts online about another person can be spread virally, resulting in serious, unwarranted damage to an individual’s reputation or personal well-being

38. Cyber Bullying
Avoid being a cyber bully and practice good cyber ethics by:
Following the “golden rule” online and in real life – be nice
Not saying or doing anything online that you wouldn’t do in person
Owning what you say and do online

39. Reducing risk We never know who is looking in our trash
Shred sensitive documents
Secure shred barrels and make sure that proper handling procedures are in place