Fraud Prevention Month

Recognize it, Report it, Stop it!

March 30

Identity Theft and Identity Fraud Victims’ Assistance Guide
Anyone who’s been scammed knows that reporting a fraud and recovering a clean financial identity takes an organized approach. We’ve designed a step-by-step guide to help you do just that.

---

March 29

Be very careful when disposing of or selling electronic equipment that might have been used to store personal information. This includes: computers, personal digital assistants (PDA’s), cellular telephones, CDs, DVDs, diskettes and memory sticks.

---

March 28

Shred or otherwise destroy pre-approved credit card applications, credit card receipts, bills and related information when no longer needed.

---

March 27

Avoid mail or telephone solicitations disguised as promotions or surveys offering instant prizes or awards designed for the purpose of obtaining your personal details including credit card numbers

---

March 26

When making a purchase, keep your debit card or credit card in sight, and make sure that the card returned to you is yours.

---

March 23

Don’t send confidential personal or financial information by e-mail. Remember, unlike secure order forms on a website, e-mail messages are not private. Also, avoid embedded links in e-mail messages that claim to bring you to a secure site. In some cases, the offending site can modify your browser’s address bar to make it look legitimate, including the web address of the real site and a secure "https://" prefix.

---

March 22

Don’t be fooled by the promise of a valuable prize in return for a low-cost purchase.

 

---

March 21

Prevent viruses and spyware from infecting your computer by using the latest version of your web browser.

 

---

March 20

Increased popularity in internet, telephone and mail shopping means an increase in transactions where both the cardholder and the credit card are not present. This creates opportunities for "card not present" fraud, an emerging scam surfacing in various parts of the country.

---

March 19

New chip and PIN technology is making payment card transactions safer. Banks and retailers are replacing traditional magnetic stripe equipment with smartcard technology. New credit and debit cards now contain an embedded microchip and are authenticated using a personal identification number (PIN).

When a customer pays for goods using this system, the card is inserted in a "PIN pad" terminal or a modified swipe-card reader, which accesses the chip on the card. Once the card has been verified as authentic, the customer enters a 4-digit PIN, which is submitted to the chip on the smartcard; if the two match, the chip tells the terminal the PIN was correct, otherwise it informs it the PIN was incorrect.

If you have a chip card, always try inserting it rather than swiping it through the payment terminal. If the terminal isn’t chip enabled, you will be prompted to swipe your card. By making a habit of inserting rather than swiping your card, you will reduce the risk of having the data on your card’s magnetic stripe stolen. Learn more about Visa Chip and Pin technology and credit card fraud.

---

March 16

Young people are more likely than older people to shop on-line and to post personal information on social networking sites. As a result, they run a high risk of being targeted by internet con-artists.

---

March 15

Never use a payment terminal that shows signs of tampering, such as one assembled with screws instead of rivets or with wires showing through its ventilation slots. Learn more about Interac and debit card fraud.

---

March 14

In Canada we have a long and honourable tradition of giving to those in need, often through charities. But if an unfamiliar charity contacts you by mail, phone, internet or text message, be particularly careful.

---

March 13

Have you ever had your bank account hacked or your credit card stolen? If you’ve been victimized by ID theft or fraud, our check-list can help protect you from additional frauds and tell you how to protect your good credit.

---

March 12

Phishing is the term used to describe the methods criminals use to try to acquire sensitive information such as user names, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in any form of communication with potential victims. These days, most phishing is conducted via e-mail.

---

March 9

Never use a public access computer or a wireless network when banking or shopping online.

 

---

March 8

Identity theft and identity fraud are terms people often use interchangeably when in fact they’re actually very different crimes.

---

March 7

If you see e-mails from an address you don’t recognize, delete them immediately. Never download attachments from people you don’t know or follow links to websites listed in those e-mails. They could infect your computer with a virus or spyware.

---

March 6

Never provide personal information such as your SIN, date of birth, credit card numbers or PIN over the telephone unless you initiate the call. Don’t carry your SIN card, birth certificate or passport unless you need them.

---

March 5

Most people think they could spot a fraud but con-artists are using increasingly sophisticated methods to target their victims. Ponzi schemes and boiler-room frauds are just two types of investment scams you could avoid if you knew what to watch for.

---

March 2

Card not present fraud is committed by criminals on-line, by phone, or by mail using fraudulently obtained debit or credit card information. They use the card’s number, security code and the cardholder’s address details to purchase products or services in a non-face-to-face setting. Find out how to keep it from happening to you...

---

March 1

Get Cyber Safe
Make cyber safety a personal priority with tips and resources to help protect everything that's important to you.