What can you do if you have been a victim of identity theft?
Report the incident
- Report the incident to your local police department and ask for a copy of the police report
- Contact each organization that claims to have lent you money or sold you products or services:
- Explain to them that you believe you have been a victim of identity theft
- Ask them what documents or information they need to do an investigation
- Ask them to cancel any accounts that have been opened or used fraudulently
- Complete the Identity Theft Statement and any other required documents
- Send the required documents to each organization
Do a credit check
- Contact one of the two Canada's credit reporting agencies and ask for a copy of your credit report
- Have a "fraud alert" placed on your credit file, asking creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or changing your existing accounts
- Check your credit report to find out whether there are other companies where the fraudster has opened accounts or incurred debts in your name
Protect your identity
- Contact PhoneBusters National Call Centre, which has a mandate to gather information about identity theft complaints and provide assistance to identity theft victims
- PhoneBusters: 1-888-495-8501
- Fill out the online Complaint Courier on the Canadian Consumer Information Gateway of Industry Canada's Office of Consumer Affairs
- If your government-issued documents were lost or stolen, report them to the appropriate department and request new documents
- Document in writing all the actions you take and amounts you pay to restore your reputation and correct your credit file
