March is Fraud Protection Month

There are also simple steps you can take to protect yourself from acommon form of fraud: Identity Theft. These include; Never give out your personal information until you know who you are dealing with and how your information will be used. This includes requests for information in person, by mail, or over the phone or Internet.

Never reply to e-mails or phone calls that ask for your banking information, credit card details, passwords or other personal or sensitive information, particularly if you did not initiate the exchange. Review your mail, bank statements and other financial statements on a regular basis to look for any inconsistencies. If you do not receive a bill on time, follow up with your creditors or service providers. You may also wish to contact your local Postal Outlet to ensure your mail has not been held or re-routed.

Shred or destroy all personal and financial documents before you throw them away. Obtain and verify your credit report at least annually by contacting Canada’s two credit-reporting agencies: Equifax Canada at www.equifax.ca and TransUnion Canada at www.transunion.ca.