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This webpage put out by the Canadian Royal Mounted Police describes what identity theft is. The page also speaks to identity fraud. It provides facts and information about both of these topics and how to prevent and report it if it does happen to you. This webpage also explains what type of information is being sought out to commit the crime.
This webpage contains the basic information a person would want to know to be aware of what it is and what types of information can be used. It is very basic and straight forward for those who only want to know the minimum amount of information on the topic.
This webpage is different from the others because it provides facts in point form and is an easy and quick read. It is great for the older population who may have difficulty navigating through piles of information and numerous webpages.

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Royal Canadian Mounted Police

www.rcmp.gc.ca

Read the full video transcript

Protect Your Identity
Transcript (Background music) (Movie reel moving)
Identity theft doesn't just happen in the movies...
(Map of Canada and clock)
It affects millions of people each year and can just as easily happen to you.
(Blinking eye, pictures of wallet, credit card and check book)
In a blink of an eye your personal information can become, well, not so personal.
(Hands holding binocular and sign falls in from top saying "Not so Personal") (Robber walking in with a flashlight toward a computer screen with personal information) (Police line tape and person looking sad)
Identity thieves steal your credit and good name to commit crimes that can ruin the rest of your life...
(Id tags drop in with a picture of a file folder, check book, credit card, and shopping cart)
With your identity, they can easily open new bank accounts, obtain credit cards and loans for major purchases or binge shopping.
(Canada flag flapping, picture of passport, and person standing in front of a hospital looking sad)
They can even use your identity to get passports and government support!
(Credit card, passport, and check book fly in. Safe appears over top of the items then they are moved into the safe)
Keep your personal information from falling into the wrong hands.
(Computer screen with Sin, date of birth and credit card numbers on it that are Xs only. Zoom out to see a person sitting on a computer, and a robber sitting in front on another computer)
Carry the least possible ID with you and never give out personal information unless you know who you're giving it to and why.
(Map of Canada with people popping up all over it. A button appears with the words "Take Charge")
Identity theft is on the rise and can easily happen to anyone... So take charge... Don't let it ruin your life.
(© HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF CANADA as represented by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) (RCMP wordmark with the web site address rcmp.ca) (Canada wordmark)
Recognize it

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft refers to the preparatory stage of acquiring and collecting someone else's personal information for criminal purposes. As of January 8, 2010, Senate Bill S-4 became law, making it illegal to possess another person's identity information for criminal purposes.

What is Identity Fraud?

Identity fraud is the actual deceptive use of the identity information of another person (living or dead) in connection with various frauds (including for example personating another person and the misuse of debit card or credit card data).

Facts

Identity theft techniques can range from unsophisticated, such as dumpster diving and mail theft, to more elaborate schemes.

Technology, mainly the Internet, facilitates more elaborate schemes, such as skimming, phishing, and hacking as criminals gather profiles of potential victims. Computer spywares and viruses, designed to help thieves acquire personal information, are an emerging trend.

Victims of identity theft or fraud can experience financial loss and difficulty obtaining credit or restoring their "good name".

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) maintains statistics on the complaints they receive.

In 2009, the CACF received identity fraud reports from 11,095 Canadian victims, totaling a loss of more than 10 million dollars. This represents an increase of more than 1 million dollars of what was reported in 2008. Payment card fraud was the most commonly reported incident, and yet, many instances of identity theft and fraud go unreported.

Information sought

Identity thieves are looking for the following information:

full name

date of birth

Social Insurance Numbers

full address

mother's maiden name

username and password for online services

driver's license number

personal identification numbers (PIN)

credit card information (numbers, expiry dates and the last three digits printed on the signature panel)

bank account numbers

signature

passport number

The new legislation on identity theft provides a complete list of identity documents.

The new section 402.1 of the Criminal Code lists the definition and examples of identity information.

What your information could be used for

Criminals can use your stolen or reproduced personal or financial information to:

access your bank accounts

open new bank accounts

transfer bank balances

apply for loans, credit cards and other goods and services

make purchases

hide their criminal activities

obtain passports or receive government benefits

Using identity theft to facilitate organized criminal and terrorist activities also appears to be a growing trend.

How can you find out if your identity was stolen

The best way to find out is to monitor your hard copy or on-line financial accounts frequently and to check your credit report regularly for any unusual activities. If you receive calls from collection agencies about unfamiliar accounts, or if you applied for credit and were unexpectedly turned down, you should investigate further.

Report it

If you suspect or know that you are a victim of identity theft or fraud, or if you unwittingly provided personal information or financial information:

Step 1 - Contact your local police force and file a report.

Step 2 - Contact your bank/financial institution and credit card company

Step 3 - Contact the two national credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your credit reports.

Step 4 - Always report identity theft and fraud. Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

Stop it

Prevention is the best way to deal with this crime:

Identity theft can occur over the Internet or telephone, or via fax or regular mail. Therefore, be particularly wary of unsolicited e-mails, telephone calls or mail attempting to extract personal or financial information from you.

Ask yourself if you really need all of the identity documents you carry in your wallet or purse. Remove any you don't need and keep them in a secure place instead.

Periodically check your credit reports, bank and credit card statements and report any irregularities promptly to the relevant financial institution and to the credit bureaus.

During transactions, it's safer to swipe your cards yourself than it is to allow a cashier to do it for you. If you must hand over your card, never lose sight of it.

Always shield your personal identification number when using an ATM or a PIN pad.

Memorize all personal identification numbers for payment cards and telephone calling cards. Never write them on the cards.

Familiarize yourself with billing cycles for your credit and debit cards.

Trash bins are a goldmine for identity thieves. Make sure you shred personal and financial documents before putting them in the garbage.

When you change your address, make sure you notify the post office and all relevant financial institutions (your bank and credit card companies).

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Royal Canadian Mounted Police www.rcmp.gc.ca Transcript (Background music) (Movie reel moving) Identity theft doesn't just happen in the movies... (Map of Canada and clock) It affects millions of people each year and can just as easily happen to you.

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Here you will learn about identity theft through the websites, videos, and images. Identity theft is a very serious crime and happens more often than you think. This is when your personal information is comprised by an imposter who decides to commit fraud under your name. Many people get their name, address, phone number, driver's license, or Social Insurance Number (SIN), and much more! You need to be aware and there are several simple tips and precautions you can take on reducing your chance of being a victim of this crime.

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This webpage talks about the warning signs for people who may be trying to steal your identity. It explains what information they will be looking for from you to be able to create the fake identity and take advantage of your financial state. This website also talks about prevention of the theft and how to protect yourself if identity theft happens to you.
This webpage goes more in depth about identity theft and provides greater details about how the information is gathered and how to protect yourself against identity theft.
This webpage is interesting because it goes into greater depth about what to do if identity theft happens to you. It explains better how to acknowledge that it has happened and what to do to ensure that your credit and financial stability has as little impact as possible.

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Learn the signs of identify theft and how to protect yourself

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Identity theft, or the theft of personal information, can be the starting point to a range of crimes - from financial fraud and forgery to abuse of government programs.

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Website #3: Avoid or Recover from Identity Theft

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Website #3: Avoid or Recover from Identity Theft

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This website provides details about identity theft and how to protect yourself and recover from the theft if it were to happen to you. The webpage provides a list of information that the fraudster may be looking for in order to steal your identity.
This webpage provides more information than the RCMP page but continues to layout the information in an easy to read and access way that would be beneficial for all internet users.
This webpage is interesting because it lays out the information that would be used to steal a person's identity in a very clear and matter of fact way.

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Types of ID fraud

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information without your knowledge for criminal purposes.

They may use the stolen information to gain access to your financial accounts, hack into your online accounts, and/or defraud others. Once they access your personal information, identity thieves can also:

spend money from your accounts

open new bank accounts

change your passwords and contact information for your online accounts

apply for loans, credit cards and benefits in your name

rent an apartment or car

commit other crimes using your credentials

Another form of identity theft is when someone sets up accounts on social media channels or websites using your name, image and/or other information. While this may not cause harm to your financial accounts, it can harm your reputation.

If this happens, check the terms of the social media site or website to find out how to take action against the account that is falsely using your name or likeness. If criminal activity is involved - for example, if someone is creating fake online accounts in your name to harass you - take screen shots of the online activity and file a report with your local police.

How identity is stolen

Common methods include:

stealing your mail

looking for personal documents in your trash

tampering with ATMs or card machines in shops to steal your banking information

taking personal information through public sources (e.g., telephone books and social media)

Identity thieves generally look for:

Your identity may also be stolen from your online transactions. If you don't change your passwords and strengthen your web security features regularly, it can become easy for someone to access your:

email (to steal personal and financial information, schedules etc.)

online shopping accounts (to steal credit card and address information)

banking accounts (to transfer funds, open new accounts or apply for loans)

credit card accounts (to shop and apply for new cards)

government accounts (to change your contact information on government IDs, access benefits, etc.)

Signs of identity theft

Your personal information can be stolen without your knowledge.

Many people find out they've been the victim of identity theft when they're denied a loan, job or rent unexpectedly because of a credit check. This is why it's very important to check your credit report once a year for errors or strange activities.

Others signs of identity theft include:

bills and statements don't arrive when they are supposed to - they may have been stolen from your mailbox or someone may have changed the mailing address for your accounts

you receive calls from collection agencies or creditors for an account you don't have

you receive notification from your bank, credit card or online business about a new account in your name, or added charges

financial account statements show withdrawals or transfers you didn't make

a creditor calls to say you've been approved or denied credit that you haven't applied for

If identity is stolen

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have step by step advice on what to do if you have mistakenly provided your personal information to an unknown person.

If you think your financial accounts have been breached, you can pay to put an alert on your credit report. This can alert those checking your credit to make sure they are dealing with you and not an imposter.

To minimize any further incidences and to begin the process of clearing any harm done, you should:

keep a log of all your phone calls (write down the name of anyone you talked to, what he or she told you and the date your conversation occurred)

follow up in writing with contacts you've made on the telephone or in person to make sure you have a record of all agreements

make copies and keep all originals of supporting documentation, like police reports and letters to and from companies

keep old files even if you believe the case has been resolved, in case errors reappear on your credit reports or if old issues arise

Protect your identity

empty your mailbox daily (if you're going away on vacation, ask friends or trusted neighbours to pick up your mail or you can also opt for Canada Post's "hold mail" service)

store ID cards and documents, such as birth certificates, social insurance numbers and passports, in a secure place such as a locked fireproof safe

shred any documents and items with personal information once you no longer need them (e.g., expired ID cards, credit card offers and financial statements)

check balances on your statements from banks, credit cards and companies regularly

report any strange activities in your bills and statements, however minor, right away (fraudsters often steal in small amounts from many cards to evade detection)

check your credit report once a year for errors or strange activities (you may also wish to consider purchasing a credit monitoring service that alerts you when there are changes to your credit report or score)

avoid giving out any personal information over the telephone unless you've placed the call yourself or know the business

avoid giving out sensitive personal information like a SIN number or credit card number over the telephone when you're in a public place (you never know who may be listening)

don't put more than your name and address on your personal cheques

When shopping, you should:

carry as few cards and documents as possible, and always check to see the credit card you get back from the cashier is your own

never tell anyone your banking PIN or credit card PIN

make sure no one is watching when you use a banking machine or ATM

avoid using banking or cash machines in isolated or dimly lit areas

avoid giving out too much personal information (you're not required to provide stores your full mailing address, email address and date of birth)

If you're online or on your mobile device:

change your passwords often and make them strong

avoid posting personal information online such as your date of birth and mailing address

make sure you review and understand the privacy settings on all social media sites you use before posting any update (you should review the privacy settings regularly as they often change)

disable the "geo-tracking" option on your phone before posting public photos on social media sites (by default, this option is enabled on most phones and it allows someone to figure out exactly where your photos were taken)

before you sell or dispose of your computer, phone or tablet, completely wipe its hard drive or have the hard drive or device destroyed

consider setting up email alerts that notify you each time your name is used somewhere online

avoid online shopping and banking when using public Wi-Fi as the connection may not be secure

before giving your credit card number or other financial information to a business, make sure that it's a secure website (look for a lock symbol located somewhere on the web page or make sure the URL begins with "https")

after completing a financial transaction online, make sure you sign out of the website and clear your browser's cookies and cache

make sure your computer's anti-virus and other security features to detect malware are up-to-date

don't download apps or software on your phone or tablet unless they're from official app stores or libraries

know that government organizations, financial institutions and police will never email or text to ask for your passwords or PINs

never click on a link from a spam message, especially when it promises rewards, prizes or any exclusive information

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How to avoid or recover from identity theft

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Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information without your knowledge for criminal purposes. They may use the stolen information to gain access to your financial accounts, hack into your online accounts, and/or defraud others.

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Website #4: Should we be buying protection?

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Website #4: Should we be buying protection?

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This webpage has a different take on identity theft than those above. This webpage discusses whether or not it would be beneficial to buy protection against identity fraud and the ways that it is available. However, some of these options are not available in Canada.
This is an interesting look at different options to protect yourself and what to consider if you decided to take this avenue as a means for protection.
This webpage is a great resource for learning about protection and although not all are offered in Canada, it provides good information about what you would want to see when inquiring within Canada about protection against identity theft.

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The best identity theft protection services can help you prevent, detect and recover from identity theft.

More than 14 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2018, losing $16.8 billion, Javelin Strategy & Research found. The crimes involved ranged from credit-card fraud to misuse of Social Security numbers to full-on impersonation.

Based on our three months of testing, which involved signing up and paying for each service, bothering their customer-support representatives and putting personal information into their credit-score simulators, we've concluded that the best identity theft protection service, for the second year in a row, is IdentityForce UltraSecure+Credit.

IdentityForce UltraSecure+Credit offers the best all-around coverage, with comprehensive monitoring of your financial activity and personal information, and quarterly updates of your credit scores and reports from all three credit bureaus.

Alone among the services we reviewed, it offers two-factor authentication to protect your account. The only thing IdentityForce lacked was investment-account monitoring, and that's now been added as well.

LifeLock Ultimate Plus had the best interface, provided the most comprehensive monitoring of personal accounts and lets you initiate a credit freeze straight from your account.

But LifeLock isn't very generous with credit reports or credit scores and is much more expensive than other services, although it offers an attractive bundle with Norton Security antivirus software.

The best bargain of the bunch is IDShield Individual 3 Credit Bureau Monitoring, which offers monthly credit scores and quarterly credit reports from all three bureaus for half what LifeLock charges.

The best identity theft protection services 2020 at a glance

1. IdentityForce UltraSecure+Credit

2. LifeLock Ultimate Plus

3. IDShield Individual 3 Credit Bureau Monitoring

4. Identity Guard Premier

5. PrivacyGuard Total Protection

The best identity theft protection service you can buy

1. IdentityForce UltraSecure+Credit

The best identity theft protection service overall

Offers two-factor authentication

Quarterly credit reports, scores

No one-click button for credit freezes

Useful simulators & calculators

IdentityForce UltraSecure+Credit provides very good identity protection and a lot of credit information for a reasonable price, making it the best identity theft protection service overall.

Credit scores and reports from all three credit bureaus are refreshed quarterly; most types of financial accounts are monitored, including investment accounts; and the $1 million identity-restoration insurance covers travel expenses and child care as well as lost funds and lost wages.

IdentityForce also includes an excellent credit-score simulator, anti-keylogging software for Windows, security features for Android and iOS, and, best of all, two-factor authentication to protect your account.

2. LifeLock Ultimate Plus

The best identity theft monitoring available

Very comprehensive monitoring

Skimps on credit reports, scores

LifeLock has the priciest plans of all the services we reviewed, but its top-tier service monitors the most kinds of data, including investment and retirement accounts, payday lenders and people-search websites.

It also offers a new Equifax credit score every month, lets you initiate a credit freeze straight from the user interface and has attractive bundles with Norton Security antivirus software.

But LifeLock gives you full credit reports only once a year, and for a service that's so full-featured, it's strange that LifeLock doesn't provide a credit-score simulator, two-factor authentication or a family plan.

3. IDShield Individual 3 Credit Bureau Monitoring

A great identity theft protection service bargain

Generous credit reports, scores

No financial calculators or simulators

IDShield has greatly improved its plans' features and now competes directly with IdentityForce and LifeLock. Despite a moderate price hike, it's still the best identity theft protection bargain, especially for families.

It monitors bank and credit-card accounts, alerts you of data breaches and sex offenders, and throws in a password manager at no extra cost.

IDShield's new three-bureau plan provides credit reports quarterly and credit scores monthly, from all three credit agencies, making it the best option for anyone especially concerned with their credit standing.

4. Identity Guard Premier

Aided by artificial intelligence

Watson AI online scanning

Monthly TransUnion report

Doesn't directly monitor bank, credit-card accounts

Identity Guard Premier's big selling point is IBM's Watson artificial-intelligence platform, which watches online for patterns that might indicate a stolen identity. Identity Guard also offers three-bureau credit reports yearly and a TransUnion credit score monthly.

But Identity Guard doesn't directly keep an eye on your credit-card or bank accounts, which might be crucial for some customers, and the other types of information monitored are less wide-ranging than those of most other services.

5. PrivacyGuard Total Protection

The best tool set available among identity theft protection services

Monthly credit scores, 'merged' reports

PrivacyGuard Total Protection has the best set of useful tools, including credit and mortgage simulation calculators and free Norton Security antivirus software. (LifeLock offers that too, but you have to pay for it.)

It offers credit scores from all three bureaus monthly, and a monthly "blended" credit report that combines information from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. But the breadth of its monitoring is somewhat limited.

How we test and rate the best identity theft protection services

Our testing and analysis of the best identity theft protection services focused on how well each one monitored credit information, financial activity and personal information. We rated each service for how frequently it provides credit reports and credit scores. (Free annual credit reports don't include your credit score.)

We also gave extra weight to services that offer tools to help you improve your credit score. We penalized services that do not give you credit reports from all three credit bureaus.

We also rated each service for the number of credit cards, debit cards and bank accounts that it monitors. We paid attention to whether or not a service provided email or SMS notifications for large changes to an account balance or large expenses on a credit card.

We penalized services that didn't allow us to add personal information beyond our Social Security number, such as our driver's license number, phone number or multiple email addresses. Each of those numbers can also be used to steal your identity. We gave extra points to services that detected any compromised personal information.

Our testing period lasted three months in early 2019. During that period, our reviewer used his credit cards and bank accounts as usual. He opted into email, SMS and phone alerts (when applicable) from the services and regularly checked his credit reports to monitor any changes.

Why the best identity theft protection services may be worth it

Are the best identity theft protection services really worth paying for? Yes, particularly if you know your personal information may have been compromised due to a data breach or other leak.

There are several things you can do yourself for free to protect your identity, such as frequently checking your bank and credit-card statements, going to annualcreditreport.com to get a yearly credit report from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), and calling the credit agencies every year to put a fraud alert on your records.

But such vigilance can be time-consuming, which is what makes a paid identity-protection service an appealing option. For a monthly fee, which can vary widely, these services will monitor your personal information and alert you if suspicious or fraudulent activity is occurring. All of them will also help you restore your credit if your identity is stolen.

What to look for in an identity theft protection service

The five services we tested have a lot in common. All monitor your files with all three of the major credit-reporting agencies. All watch the "dark web" and other areas of online criminal activity for mention of your name, Social Security number, and credit-card and bank-account numbers.

In addition, each of these services sends you alerts via email and SMS text messaging; all have iOS and Android mobile apps; and if your identity is stolen while you're paying one of these services to watch it, each will spend up to $1 million doing the dirty work of restoring your good name and credit, including reimbursement for lost wages and stolen funds.

But the best identity theft protection services vary in how often you'll get credit reports and scores, and which bureaus you'll get credit scores from. Not all the services monitor your bank, credit-card and investment accounts.

Last but not least, only IdentityForce among these services offers two-factor login authentication to protect your account. It makes no sense that the others don't, considering the sensitivity of the information they handle. It would be pretty ironic to have your identity stolen from an identity theft protection service.

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The best identity theft protection services can help you prevent, detect and recover from identity theft. More than 14 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2018, losing $16.8 billion, Javelin Strategy & Research found. The crimes involved ranged from credit-card fraud to misuse of Social Security numbers to full-on impersonation.

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This webpage discusses current Canadian provisions regarding identity theft and how they may not be very effective. It states that Canada is behind in protection against identity theft. It discusses what has happened to others who have fallen victim to identity theft and how that has affected them and whether or not they were protected and how that has helped or hindered them.
This webpage essentially states that Canada is behind in the world of identity theft protection and that the current protection offered in Canada is ineffective. So should we really be buying into the protection currently being offered? What are our options as Canadians to protect ourselves in this technological age?

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There's no shortage of ways for thieves to steal your identity. From data breaches to phone scams seeking to collect your information to sell on the black market, it could happen to anyone.

But as some 27,000 Canadians report being victims of identity theft every year - a number that the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says is vastly underreported - a Marketplace investigation reveals Canada is doing little to match the strength of protections offered in the U.S.

Marketplace began looking into identity theft protections after receiving a leaked database of nearly 3,000 Canadians who fell victim to a low-interest credit card scam operating out of one overseas call centre.

As part of its research, Marketplace tested two services offered to identity-theft victims by Canada's two credit-reporting bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion, and learned that they won't necessarily prevent the risk of fraud.

Credit monitoring: 'It's a flaw in the system'

The top advertised product for both Equifax and TransUnion is credit monitoring - a service that costs between $11.95 and $29.95 a month, depending on the plan.

Marketplace tested each bureau's recommended plan, at $19.95 a month, by having two producers sign up with both companies. Call-centre staff for the companies said that with these products, clients can expect an email notification whenever "key changes" occur to their credit reports, including any inquiries or new accounts opened.

The two producers then applied for six different credit cards - three apiece - with major banks across Canada. As each bank made inquiries into the producers' files, an email notification was only received from one credit bureau - never both - and always one day after the application was submitted.

Equifax and TransUnion both declined requests for an on-camera interview, but each credit bureau told Marketplace through email that financial institutions typically pull credit reports from only one bureau.

This means that in order to ensure consumers are getting a full picture of their credit reports, they would need to sign up for monitoring with both bureaus, at a cost of nearly $500 a year.

"Definitely it's a flaw in the system," said Claudiu Popa, a cybersecurity expert and author of The Canadian Cyberfraud Handbook. "No amount of monitoring will give you 100 per cent guarantee that you're going to be protected against identity theft."

Even if a consumer does cough up the hundreds of dollars each year, Popa says credit monitoring won't do anything to prevent identity theft.

"It's a reactive system," he said. "In many cases, these provide nothing more than a false sense of security."

Fraud alerts: 'They definitely didn't protect me'

When Robert Darch had his wallet stolen, the North Vancouver man knew one of the first things to do was to alert both credit bureaus.

"I thought I was doing the proper due diligence that one needs to do when you have your ID stolen or your wallet stolen," said Darch.

He says both Equifax and TransUnion placed a fraud alert on his account, which triggers a notice on someone's credit report, saying they may have been a victim of identity theft.

Legislation in Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick says that if a fraud alert is placed on someone's credit file, a lender must take reasonable steps to verify someone's identity before a new account can be opened. All other provinces and territories have no legislation around fraud alerts.

With these alerts in place, Darch said he expected someone would call him if there was suspicious activity on his file. "I thought once you notify Equifax, once you notify TransUnion, there's like a firewall in place and you are protected," he said.

It wasn't until CTV News knocked on his door, wanting to know why he was selling illegitimate phones on Craigslist, that he realized the fraud alerts hadn't worked.
Watch Robert Darch explain why credit alerts didn't work for him:
Someone using Darch's identity had managed to open two phone accounts with his personal information, and was selling the phones online under Darch's name.

While Darch was able to quickly clarify the situation with the news crew, he was left concerned that the protection offered by the credit bureaus didn't work.

"I definitely wasn't covered, wasn't protected."

Marketplace 's producers also placed fraud alerts on their accounts in Ontario, where specific legislation exists. And while no credit cards were approved, producers only received phone calls to verify their identity three times out of five.

"I don't think they have any teeth," said Darch about fraud alerts. "I don't think that they are going to protect Canadians. They definitely didn't protect me."

Both Equifax and TransUnion told Marketplace through statements that it is up to the lending organization to take steps to verify the identity of the applicant.

Equifax added: "We believe it would be a mistake to discourage consumers from signing up for fraud alerts. We believe fraud alerts are an effective way to help identify fraudulent activity and help better protect consumers against identity theft."

Canada behind in identity theft protections

Several experts Marketplace spoke with agree one of the best ways to safeguard against identity theft is a credit freeze, which gives the consumer control of their credit by allowing them to lock their file.

Even the consumer won't be able to access any credit until they unlock the freeze. As a result, potential lenders and fraudsters can't open new accounts or even inquire about their credit.

The product is offered for free by Equifax and TransUnion in the U.S. by law - but it's not available in Canada.

"Canadians have the right to know what's happening with their personal information," said Popa. "There's absolutely no reason those same companies should not be offering credit freezes in Canada."

The U.S. law to mandate free credit freezes passed in May 2018 after a public outcry following the 2017 Equifax data breach, though paid credit freezes had already been available there for more than a decade.

"In Canada, we have yet to catch up," said Popa, who would like to see credit freezes applied by default and for free.

When asked why Equifax doesn't offer credit freezes to Canadians, the company said: "We are monitoring recent changes made to this service in the United States to see how consumers are responding to changes in the lock/freeze capability, as well as changing Canadian consumer needs in order to create the solutions which best meet those needs."

In a previous statement, Equifax told Marketplace that "unless it is an industry-wide requirement, it would present a false sense of security to consumers."

TransUnion did not respond to questions about why it doesn't offer credit freezes in Canada.
Watch as cybersecurity expert Claudiu Popa explains the benefits of a credit freeze:
Lenders and creditors pay credit agencies to access customer credit reports. But major banks in the U.S. told Marketplace that if a customer has a credit freeze, they can't access the data and don't have to pay.

Darch believed a credit freeze would have saved him a lot of hassle and embarrassment.

"I don't see a good reason why we can't have that in our country," he said. "And I really wish that would be fast-tracked into place, so other people don't have the misfortune that I've had."

Ontario credit freeze law in limbo

In Canada, provincial and territorial governments have the power to mandate that Equifax and TransUnion provide credit freezes for Canadians. Marketplace reached out to all 13 provinces and territories, and none have plans to introduce new legislation around the issue.

But Ontario has come close.

Just before 2018's provincial election, the Wynne government had passed legislation that would have forced TransUnion and Equifax to offer free credit freezes to Ontarians. Bill 8, the Access to Consumer Credit Reports and Elevator Availability Act, received royal assent, but the Liberals were voted out of power before the law became active.

The current Conservative government has told Marketplace there are no plans to finalize the legislation.

While still in Opposition, Consumer Services Minister Bill Walker told the Legislature that he supported credit freezes during an April 2018 reading of the bill. "We have to have the ability to protect our information and know what's being used or what's being given to people out there," he said at the time.

But after more than seven months in office, there are still no plans to push the law forward.

After Marketplace reached out to the minister's office multiple times, it released a statement attributed to Walker that said the issue of consumer protection is on its department's radar.

"Consumer protection, as well as ensuring consumers know they can trust the government to implement effective rules, is our top priority."

When Marketplace approached Walker at a public event for further clarification, he responded: "I will commit to you that I will go and look at it."

According to Popa, the issue is one that requires government intervention.

"When it comes to credit-monitoring bureaus, we cannot trust them to give us 100 per cent visibility into the risk of identity theft," he said. "Canadians have the right to know what's happening with their personal information."

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Experts say there's an easy solution to protect yourself from fraud - but it's not in Canada | CBC News

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There's no shortage of ways for thieves to steal your identity. From data breaches to phone scams, it could happen to anyone. But as some 27,000 Canadians report being victims of identity theft every year, a Marketplace investigation reveals Canada is doing little to match the strength of protections offered in the U.S.

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The movie Identity Thief came out in 2013. The movie starred  Jason Bateman who was Sandy Patterson in the movie and Melissa McCarthy who Diana in the movie. Diana lives in Florida and has a luxurious lifestyle all thanks to Sandy Patterson who is from Denver. In fact Diana stole Sandy Patterson's identity. All of sudden Sandy's cards started to decline when he wanted to use it and he began receiving numerous phone calls. He then had enough and had to track down Diana down before his world exploded. The real Sandy heads down to Florida and brings Diana back to Denver so that he can clear his name and restore his extremely ruined credit rating.
I chose this video trailer because  I personally loved this move when it came out. I watched it multiple times! This video trailer was a great way to show how some people steal other people's identity and make purchases. But it always doesn't end so well! People do not realize that by committing such an act you will get caught no matter what. You can watch the full movie to gain a better understanding but this shows how some people commit identity theft and use it to their advantage.

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Video #2: Kodak Black - Identity Theft (Music Video)

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Video #2: Kodak Black - Identity Theft (Music Video)

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This song by Kodak Black is very offensive in my opinion. This artist is very famous and popular in the rap and hip hop industry. In this song he raps/talks about how he is fresh out of jail. His lyrics are very explicit so I can not word for word state what he says. But he mentions he is not scared to go back. He is going to go back to stealing identity and back to credit card theft. Very interesting that the producers of the song allowed these type of lyrics to be  published!
The reason why I chose this music video is because it shows how famous people are promoting to steal identity. This to me is a celebrity endorsement in a way. When people hear this song they get influenced and think if this person can do it I can too! It was important to analyze this song and what pop culture is promoting to our youth and teens these days. Definitely, could be a link to the increase of these acts that are being committed.

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Kodak Black - Identity theft (Music video)

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This image showcases what can happen when you surf the internet using your credit card. Many people use their credit card for making online purchase, renewing subscriptions, and much more! This  image clearly shows people who do not shop online securely are literally giving away their information openly to hackers/thief's.

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By using complex combinations, coding, and tricks hackers/thief's can figure out any password regardless. As a cautious individual it is important you take the most necessary and simplest precautions when making accounts online. You should try to use a "complicated password" that you can remember. This should consist of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Keep in mind never to use personal information as a password as it is easily guessable.

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1. What did you learn about your topic that surprised you the most?
From this assignment I learned a lot of new things about identity theft. Something that surprised me the most from identity theft was how anybody is vulnerable. No matter what age, race, gender, etc., you are, you are susceptible to being a victim of identity theft.

2. Provide a real-life example of how this topic is relevant or interesting
for you.
I recently heard a story from my cousin about identity theft. He was telling me how one of his best friends got his identity stolen. This person got his name, date of birth, and address. Then started to open cards using his name and information. I guess his friend didn't clue in right away. So this person who took his identity went the extra mile and went to his mailbox and changed the lock. I am not 100% sure how he did that. But then he got the slips with the new credit cards he opened. However, this didn't continue for long. My cousin's friend started receiving phone calls from the card issuers and after that he clued in. A full investigation went through after that! But this story is very relevant to the topic that I chose for this assignment.

3. If you could pass on your knowledge to a family member or friend, what
do you think is the most important thing to pass on?
I think the most important piece of information to pass onto family and friends is how risky public WiFi can be. You have to be careful when joining free/open WiFi networks. Just because how easily it can be hacked and your information can be compromised. There are a several tips you can follow in order to be safe. I think a really important tip is to have a virtual private network (VPN) installed. This will encrypt your wireless communications over those unsecured networks. It is good to know your surroundings because you never know what you are getting yourself into!

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This video is alarming to watch. It comments on three different types of identity theft and then focuses on the targeted identity theft. These fraudsters are able to gather your personal information and then reroute the typical ways that people acknowledge the theft so that you have no idea that someone has taken your identity. They are able to change your address with government websites and request new driver's licenses, passports and other forms of physical identity with their photo and your name. They are able to have your identity and remain  undetected for longer periods of time before getting caught, or moving on to the next identity.
There are not many ways to protect yourself in advance of it happening. The best thing you can do is monitor your spending and statements to ensure that nothing looks suspicious and that everything lines up according to what you have purchased.

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How identity thieves carry out their scams and find victims

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Your Morning delivers an original perspective and unique insight into the stories of the day, while showcasing lifestyle topics of interests to Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

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This video talks to a woman who was a victim of her phone being g accessed by the fraudster. This is crazy because it can lead to identity theft and makes stealing someone's information so much easier for the fraudster. What happened to this woman was a sporting scam where the fraudster took her  number and had it moved to another company. This woman had created a pin number for her mobile account and not even her husband knew it. The fraudster was able to get around the pin number required by the company and was able to gain access to this womans phone number, so anything she may have had set up for a text verification code this criminal now had access to.
I was mind blown by these facts. I use a pin number with my own mobile devices and often use text message verification for changing passwords, or confirming my identity over the phone.

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Police across North America are warning phone users of a dangerous new scam called "SIM card swapping." Mike Drolet explains what it is, and the dangerous mistakes both carriers and customers make that can make things easier for criminals.

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SIM card swapping scam leaves victims vulnerable to identity theft | Watch News Videos Online

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Police across North America are warning phone users of a dangerous new scam called "SIM card swapping." Mike Drolet explains what it is, and the dangerous mistakes both carriers and customers make that can make things easier for criminals.