Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

To minimize your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft, manage your personal information wisely and cautiously:

• When someone asks for information, especially identification, ask why they need it and what they will use it for.
• Buy a shredder and use it.
• Shred anything with personal or financial information such as credit card receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, cheques, financial statements and old income tax returns.
• Cut up expired and unused credit cards (the card may have expired, but the number could still be used).
• Carry only the identification and credit card(s) you will need that day (you rarely need to carry your birth certificate, SIN card or passport).
• Don’t fill in forms for contests, rebates or draws that ask for more information than you are prepared to give.
• Lock your household mailbox if possible.
• If you are going to be away, arrange for a trusted neighbour to pick up your mail (Note: You can also go to your local post office (with identification) and ask for Canada Post’s hold mail service. There will be a charge for this service.)
• Use complex passwords on your credit card, financial and other accounts rather than easily available information like your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, parts of your phone number or a series of consecutive numbers.
• Don’t leave personal information lying around at home, in your vehicle or at work.
• Find out how your employer ensures your personal information remains private, how they store and dispose of it and who can see it.
• Don’t give personal information to anyone who phones or e-mails you unless you know who they are (identity thieves may pose as representatives of financial institutions, Internet service providers or government agencies to get you to reveal identifying information).
• Don’t put more than your name and address on your personal cheques.
• Make sure unused vehicle license plates are not available for anyone else to use (you can return expired or unused Alberta plates to any registry agent).
• Destroy your old vehicle registration certificate when you get your new one.

Source: AMBA