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Identity Theft is a serious crisis. Although the consequences are massive, very little is being done to educate people and prevent this catastrophe. Often the "it will never happen to me", mentality is used. However with already more than 41 million victims, when you least expect it is when it strikes. We plan to change that by educating  you on what exactly identity theft is as well as how to prevent it.

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This particular piece of valuable information is really just the absolute basics of Identity theft. If you know nothing at all about what it is you can get up to speed quite quickly. It would also be great to send to friends and family if you sense in some way they may be at risk, or could just use the information. They definitely keep it interesting and quick, making a brief time of reading and learning a lifetime of frustration and pain avoided. I would recommend this exact document to literally everyone and think it should be mandatory to read.

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Understanding the different types of Identity Theft and reading about ones you never thought of can be very intimidating. It is crazy the different forms that this terrible event can take place in. Everything from Your name, date of birth, address, credit card, Social Insurance Number and many more. This is information we imputes every single day, on different websites apps and forms. However we really need to think more about which information we actually give out as often, it simply is not required of us in the first place. All in all a great read and an eye opener for sure.

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Identity theft - Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

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Information and advice to help individuals guard against identity theft and report if it occurs.

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The Rcmp are clear on their stand against the frustration of identity theft. Although this article is a little bit old now, it stay plays a vital role in the foundations of identity theft awareness. Without spoiling the entire thing for you, I believe this article is essential in our understanding of ways we can prevent this terrible event form even happening in the first place. Some things have changed with more modern technologies. But there is still a very large offline version of ID Theft we must never forget can still effect us. Preventative must have tips and tricks from the folks over at RCMP.

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Identity Theft and Identity Fraud - Royal Canadian Mounted Police

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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.

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This article is a one stop shop for all you need to know about identity theft. It even explains how to recover your stolen information after the fact, if something like this were to unfortunately happen to you. With step by step instructions and important information and statistics. It will simply and easily explain what you can do, or help you get in contact with someone who can help. Overall an excellent read and very informative and helpful. I know if this unfortunate disaster was to happen to me this would be the first place I would be running to. As I feel I could reverse the results of ide

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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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This video is a great starting point for people who have no idea what Identity Theft is and really teaches you just how scary this crime is. In this video it tells you exactly what identity theft is. If you don't know what identity theft is, this video is a great starting point as it goes into great detail on what identity theft really is and it is scary. Identity theft happens to a lot of people and can happen to anyone is at risk so please make sure to take the extra safety precautions to help ensure you won't fall victim to the horrible crime Identity Theft is.

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This Video shows us just how many people are affected by this terrible crime and the numbers are staggering, with at least 41 million reported Identity Thefts last year just in the US alone and at tales 49 million people knowing someone who has had their identity taken and with billions of dollars stolen you can see that so many people are being affected by this crime and so little is being done about it. so please make sure you add as much security you can to help secure your identity because anyone is a risk when you use that plastic

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Many Americans are dangerously at risk of being victims of credit card fraud and as many as 41 million U.S. adults have already had their identity stolen, according to a Bankrate.com survey of 1,000 adults conducted last month.

A nother 49 million know someone who has been affected, the research found.

"About 2 in 5 Americans have either been an identity theft victim or know someone who has," said Bankrate.com analyst Mike Cetera. "This is a widespread problem and many people aren't doing enough to protect themselves."

On the heels of the Yahoo data breach, which included an estimated 500 million accounts, it's clear that cyberattacksare far from over, despite the switch from traditional "swipe" cards to more secure chip cards.

Hacked credit card fraud will reach a record $4 billion this year as the window of opportunity narrows for hackers to cash in on stolen credit card data from magnetic strip cards, according to a separate study from global research and advisory firm Aite Group.

Still, nearly half, or 42 percent, of Americans do not regularly check their credit reports, while 36 percent conduct banking and other sensitive business on unsecured Wi-Fi networks, according to Bankrate. Over a quarter of those polled said their online account passwords are all or mostly the same.

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41 million Americans have had their identities stolen, survey finds

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Many Americans are dangerously at risk of being victims of credit card fraud and as many as 41 million U.S. adults have already had their identity stolen, according to a Bankrate.com survey of 1,000 adults conducted last month. A nother 49 million know someone who has been affected, the research found.

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Video 3 How to Prevent you from Identity Theft

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Video 3 How to Prevent you from Identity Theft

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In this video it goes into great detail on how to make sure your Identity won't be stolen and help lower you risk of Identity Theft. If you are scared about Identity Theft your not alone Identity Theft is very scary and without the knowledge of how to prove it your just a sitting duck for thee hackers so please take all precautions to decrease your chances of getting your identity stolen because its very serous and it really can happen to anyone and more like someone who hasn't seen this video. Don't become one of the 41 million and watch the video and take the tips it provides because its better to be safe then sorry.

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How to protect yourself from identity theft | Watch News Videos Online

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Watch How to protect yourself from identity theft Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

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Video 4 What to do if your Identity has been stolen

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Video 4 What to do if your Identity has been stolen

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So you didn't take are advice and thought oh this could never happen to me I'm safe... well your wrong so listen up your identity is gone and your credit is being destroyed as we speak so here what you have to do what the video down below it will tell you everything you need to know its informative and quick it will show you the steps needed to help you recover what ever the hacker left, it might not be much but it will be something. It sucks I know but you can comeback from this its just another hurdle to hope over in the game of life and this video is a key part of getting your life back on track and hopefully your identity can make a full recovery.

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What to do if You're a Victim of Identity Theft

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Learn what to do if your identity is stolen and what to do about identity theft in this Better Money Habits video.

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I believe it may be obvious that the new way of internet and network technologies make identity theft a much more probable reality. However there are many companies and services creating amazing products to keep you safe online.

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A vpn is a great way to protect yourself for online impersonators. There are multiple different services such as Tunnel Bear, Express VPN and multiple more. These tools can make your online activity untraceable, making the thieves give up and pick on someone else. Just make sure you do your research before you sign up.