1 IDENTITY FRAUD By Asfa Khan and Huda

1 IDENTITY FRAUD By: Asfa Khan and Huda Mukhtar

IDENTITY THEFT Identity theft is basically a stage of collecting someone else’s personal information for a criminal purpose Identity theft also is the fraudulent use of your personal information to access your bank account , to take loans on your name and take advantages of your account 2

3 IDENTITY FRAUD Identity fraud is when one uses another’s identity to perform financial activities (accessing their financial accounts, writing cheques, opening new bank accounts and getting new loans)

4 WEIRD FACT The Canadian Government made the law in 2010 that it's considered illegal to possess someone’s personal information for a criminal purpose.

VIDEO http: //www. rcmp-grc. gc. ca/scams-fraudes/id-theft-vol-eng. htm 5

INFORMATION THEY TAKE: • • • The information most useful to identity thieves are : Full name and address date of birth social insurance number drivers licence Passport number 6

MORE THINGS WOULD BE. . • • • Other government-issued ID numbers Student ID numbers Credit card, bank card and other financial numbers typical passwords or security question answers Information about your family , work and personal life 7

HOW THEY GET YOUR INFORMATION 8 • Stealing your wallet, purse, cheques or mail • Gathering information from records in your home • sitting through your trash to find useful information Watching you enter your pin to your credit card • eavesdropping on your insecure wireless communications • Gathering information about you from social networking sites such as face book, blogs and etc. . • Hacking into your computer through a virus or other method

WHAT THEY DO WITH YOUR INFORMATION • To make charges on your bank account for their benefit • Using, copying your cheques and drawing money from your bank account • Opening up new credit cards and phone line in your name and ends up not paying the bill • Getting a tax refund or other benefits in your name • Getting a job in your name • pretending to be you when arrested 9

HOW THAT AFFECTS YOU • Victims end up getting accused • Example: they could be accused for withdrawing money from someone's account when they did not • Can get in trouble because someone else is going by your name • Victims of identity theft can suffer from financial loss and have difficulty in getting back their good name • The consequences range from lost job opportunities to time spent in jail • Credit problems and financial ruin. 10

IF YOU THINK YOU MAY BE A VICTIM… Step 1 - Contact the police and file a report Step 2 - Let your bank and credit card company know Step 3 - Contact the two national credit bureaus and put a fraud alert on your credit report (Equifax and Trans. Union Canada), OR contact the Canadian Anti. Fraud center 11

PREVENTION • • Track of emails and phone calls Keep minimum cards in wallet Swipe your card yourself instead of having the cashier swipe it for you 12 Be careful when you’re entering your pin number (keep away from prying eyes) Keep track of your mail, and pick it up as soon as possible every time Keep track of the billing cycle (if they aren’t on time make sure you check up) Memorize all your pin numbers instead of writing them down on any card Make SURE you shred your personal information

THINGS YOU SHOULD KEEP SECURE • • • Credit card statements Bank and other financial statements Insurance policies Medical documents Tax Records Government benefit statements Passports Legal Documents Wills 13

THINGS TO CONSIDER IF YOU USE A COMPUTER • Do not store passwords on your computer • Keep a password on your computer • Protect your computer with a firewall and an anti-virus software • Shut down your computer when not in use (When its shut off it disconnects the internet, preventing access to thieves) • Use strong passwords (mix of uppercase, lowercase letters, and numbers) for all financial accounts 14

CONTINUED. . • Do not open emails or attachments that you don’t recognize • Close pop-up tabs immediately • Avoid making online purchases or shopping when you’re using a public WIFI • Pay for online purchases only with a credit card system as secure as Pay. Pal (things like cheques contain too much personal info. ) 15

FOR YOUR SMARTPHONE • Install security software specifically for your smartphone and make sure it updates regularly • Keep a backup/wipe programs that can backup your stuff and delete all your data on it if it gets lost 16

L O CO T! C A F Trans. Union says, Every minute about 19 people fall victim to identity theft. 17

Bibliography 18