What is Identity Larceny?

Apperceive it !

What is Identity Larceny?

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

What is Identity Fraud?

Identity fraud is the authentic illusory utilization of the identity information of another person (living or dead) in connection with sundry frauds (including for example personating another person and the misuse of debit card or credit card data).

Facts

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

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

Victims of identity larceny or fraud can experience financial loss and arduousness obtaining credit or renovating their "good denomination".

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 incrementation 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 larceny and fraud go unreported.

Information sought

Identity larcenists are probing for the following information:

full name

date of inchoation

Gregarious Indemnification Numbers

full address

mother's maiden name

username and password for online accommodations

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 incipient legislation on identity larceny provides a consummate list of identity documents.

The incipient section 402.1 of the Malefactor Code lists the definition and examples of identity information.

What your information could be utilized for

Malefactors can utilize your glommed or reproduced personal or financial information to:

access your bank accounts

open incipient bank accounts

transfer bank balances

apply for loans, credit cards and other goods and accommodations

make purchases

obnubilate their malefactor activities

obtain passports or receive regime benefits

Utilizing identity larceny to facilitate organized malefactor and terrorist activities additionally appears to be a growing trend.

How can you ascertain if your identity was glommed

The best way to ascertain is to monitor your hard copy or on-line financial accounts frequently and to check your credit report conventionally for any eccentric activities. If you receive calls from amassment 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 ken that you are a victim of identity larceny 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 vigilant on your credit reports.

Equifax Canada

Toll free: 1-800-465-7166

TransUnion Canada

Toll free: 1-877-525-3823

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

Stop it

Aversion is the best way to deal with this malefaction:

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

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

Periodically check your credit reports, bank and credit card verbal expressions and report any irregularities promptly to the germane financial institution and to the credit bureaus.

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

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

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

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

Trash bins are a goldmine for identity purloiners. Ascertain you shred personal and financial documents afore putting them in the garbage.

When you transmute your address, ascertain you notify the post office and all pertinent financial institutions (your bank and credit card companies).