How is our government protecting us?

Once the dangers of Internet identity theft has been realized and studied, what is done by the Canadian government to help prevent this ongoing problem? The Criminal Code of Canada lists several offenses that relate to identity theft. There are parts addressing impersonation and forgery and fraud, going over criminal behaviours such as theft of government issued identification documents, making a forged document, assuming identities for financial gain and assisting someone else in obtaining false information.

However, as of yet there isn't a statutory definition for identity theft, and many things identity thieves do are actually legal especially those relating to the collection and transfer of personal identity information prior to an offense. This is very unjust and advantageous for the criminals. Just because the offender collected illegal information but didn't actually do anything illegal with it, doesn't mean that they are not subject to a criminal offense. Canada's federal department of justice is currently reviewing our criminal law relating to identity theft, with the goal of coming up with new charges.

Canada also has data protection laws at both federal and provincial levels, applicable to commercial activities across the country as well as to the public sector. These laws apply to the collection, usage, disclosure and destruction of the personal information collected by organizations in Canada.

Private sector laws help reduce the risk of identity theft by making sure all organizations collect only personal information that's actually required for the transaction. They also help by requiring organizations take appropriate security measures to protect the personal information they collect. Information that's no longer required need to be destroyed within private organizations. This makes sense and insures that organizations do not take advantage of the information they have about their customers.

There's also some laws that apply to consumer reporting agencies (credit bureaus). These make sure that the personal information held in credit reports doesn't end up elsewhere. Consumer reporting laws also makes sure consumer reporting agencies keep their privacy policies towards the individuals about whom they keep information. For example, if a victim of identity theft contests information contained in his or her credit report, the consumer reporting agency is required to investigate the issue and correct any errors in the individual's credit report.

Overall, as consumers in Canada, I think we're pretty well protected as far as the legal system allows. Laws from several sectors defend us against Internet identity theft. Now the rest is up to us to be cautious and aware. You could be a victim and not even know it, but the law can protect you if the situation is dealt with immediately.

Are you a victim?

With so many predators out there for your personal information, everyone is vulnerable. How do you know if you are a victim?

• Your bank statement contains transactions that you've never performed or authorized.

• A creditor informs you that an application for credit was received with your name and address, which you did not complete.

• You receive credit card statements or other bills in your name that aren't yours.

• You no longer receive legitimate credit card or bank account statements or you notice that not all of your mail is delivered.

• A collection agency informs you they are collecting for a defaulted account established with your identity and you never opened the account.

• Your cheque book or credit card goes missing.

If one of the above situations happen to you, and you think you might be a victim of Internet identity theft, you should then do the following.

• Notify your creditors and financial institutions immediately if your bank cards, credit cards or identification are lost or stolen.

• Take into consideration whether to close your bank accounts and then open new ones.

• Ask your bank to replace your existing bank card with a new one and assign a new PIN.

• Consider whether to cancel your credit cards and get new ones issued.

• Ask your creditors about accounts tampered with or opened fraudulently in your name.

• Notify your telephone, cable, and utilities companies that someone is or may be using your name to open new accounts fraudulently.

• If identification has been stolen, contact all issuers to have the ID coded as stolen. make sure to alert government organizations.

• If your SIN is lost or stolen, or if you suspect that someone has been using your SIN to get a job, contact Human Resources Development Canada.
  

• If your Driver's License is lost or stolen, contact your local driver and vehicle license issuing office.

• Contact Canada Post if you suspect that someone is diverting your mail.

Identity theft is a serious issue that can lead to severe results. The Internet is a luxury but it must be used with care and precaution. For me, I really wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have access to the web, it has become part of my daily life. I think the bigger its role is in your life, the more precautions you should take. On my computer I have anti-virus software as well as firewall installed to protect it. These softwares are somewhat costly, but a worthwhile investment for your longterm security.

Phishing, don't get hooked.

When someone sends you an email falsely claiming they are from a well-known and established source and attempts to rob you of your personal information, this is called phishing. Usually, the email directs the user to a website where the user is asked to update their personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that can further be used to conduct identity theft. Because it is fairly easy to create a website that looks like the original legitimate one, simply by duplicating the html code.

There are several precautions you can take to prevent from getting hooked onto the scam.

• Never reply to emails or pop-up messages that ask you for your personal or financial information, avoid clicking on links.
  
• Some scammers send an email that appears to be from a legitimate business and asks you to call a certain phone number to update your account or access a refund. Because of Voice over Internet Protocol technology, the area code you dial does not reflect the scammer's real location. If you need to reach an organization you do business with, call the number on your financial statements or on the back of your credit card.
• Install anti-virus, anti-spyware software, spam filters, and firewall on your computer, and keep them regularly updated
  
• Never email personal or financial information.
• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges.
• Take precaution and only open email attachments if you're expecting them and know what they contain.

The most common form of phishing emails are ones from legitimate retailers, banks, organizations, or government agencies. The sender asks to confirm your personal information for some made-up reason: your account is about to be closed, an order for something has been placed in your name, or your information has been lost because of a computer problem. Another tactic phishers use is to say they’re from the fraud departments of well-known companies and ask to verify your information because they suspect you may be a victim of identity theft!

I have received phishing emails in the past and at the time, they didn't appear to be as threatening. I just thought to myself "oh just spam, waste of my time". But I didn't realize if I had let myself open these emails or the attachments, I'd be immediately vulnerable to Internet identity theft. I was never aware of the degree of danger one little email could cause. So keep yourself safe and your eyes open for the situations described before and protect yourself from phishing.