Tips

Tips to Help You Protect Your Identity

While there is no silver bullet in preventing identity theft, there are things you can do to help minimize your risk and protect your identity.

DO

	Sign all credit cards as soon as they are received
	Pay attention to billing cycles; if bills fail to arrive contact the company to ensure the bill has not been illicitly redirected
	Review your financial statements and look for unauthorized transactions such as purchases and withdrawals.
	Limit the number of credit/charge cards owned to reduce exposure
	If you have a lost or stolen card, notify your creditors immediately
	Destroy cancelled cheques and store new cheques in a safe place
	Destroy pre-approved credit card applications, credit card receipts, bankbooks, bank statements with cheques and pay statements
	Cancel all inactive credit cards
	Review credit bureau files annually and immediately question any unknown credit inquires or unauthorized accounts
	Choose difficult passwords

DON'T

	Never record or keep a Client Card PIN, password or Social Insurance Number/Social Security Number in your wallet
	Don't leave mail lying around
	Don't provide personal information such as birth date over the telephone and only provide your credit card number when you have initiated the call to a trusted third party
	Don't leave your purse or wallet unattended at work, restaurants, health clubs, in a shopping cart or at social gatherings.
	Never lend credit cards to anyone

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