March is fraud protection month! Anyone can be a victim of fraud so here are a few tips to protect yourself:

Lock your mailbox so thieves can’t take your mail. These give important personal data like your name, address, family members, and credit card and banking information. All these can be used to set up fraudulent credit cards or bank accounts, make purchases/rentals/leases in your name, or redirect mail.

Those receipts are important. Never leave them behind at a store, gas station or anywhere you might receive one

Buy a shredder and use it. Fraudsters will dumpster dive and retrieve data from old correspondence, tax returns, credit card offers, insurance forms, etc. Be sure to check your bank and credit card statements regularly. Report anything that is suspicious

Protect your computer by keeping anti-virus programs current, passwords and usernames secure, shop from stores who use secure sites, and beware of what you click on.

Don’t leave personal information unattended – your purse, wallet, computer or cell phone contains a lot of personal data about you and your habits. Your SIN is an important part of your identity. Be suspicious when asked to give it out.

Protect your PIN and banking info. Don’t use a PIN that is easy to figure out – like your birthday or phone number. Cover the keypad when entering the number. Don’t share the PIN with anyone and if you keep it written down, make sure no one else can find it too. Your bank will not usually request personal info, PINs or passwords by email. Call the bank itself if you are unsure if the email might be real. Don’t use the contact info at the bottom of the email as it might be fraudulent as well

Avoid telemarketing scams. “Toot, toot you have won XX points or a trip to somewhere warm!” Or the ever popular “Your computer has been sending out spam and we can help you over the phone if you just type in this…” Don’t fall for these scams! CRA will NEVER email you to have you claim a refund!

If you think you have been a victim of a scam, don’t be afraid to report it to the police. The scam will now be on their radar and they will have suggestions as to what you need to do to stop the scammers from further cleaning you out!

Protect yourself from fraud by using the above easy steps!

Have you ever been a victim of fraud? Any tips to add to the list? Feel free to add them to the comments below!

Protect Yourself from Fraud: Personal data and identity theft tips