This bulletin was prepared to inform the public as a part of Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s
campaign for October 2021: Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM) #GetCyberSafe #CSAM2021
Working from home, online banking, and socializing online have all increased over the
pandemic period, creating new opportunities for fraudsters to capture your personal and
financial information. Fraudsters can then use this information to access your accounts, apply
for government benefits, credit cards, bank accounts, cell phone accounts or even take over
your social media and email accounts. It is important that Canadians take steps to secure their
personal and financial information and know what to do when identity fraud occurs.
Recognize…
- Missing bills and other mail.
- Suspicious activity on your bank or credit card statements.
- Letters stating that you are approved or declined credit that you did not apply for.
- Unauthorized applications or accounts on your credit report.
- Creditor or collection agency calls about an application or account you do not have.
- Bills from service providers that you do not use.
- Phishing emails asking you to click on links or open attachments.
- What information has been compromised when you are notified of a database breach
Reject…
Unsolicited emails, phone calls or mail asking for personal or financial information.
- Requests for your Social Insurance Number (SIN). It’s virtually a key to your identity and
credit reports. - Links in any email that look suspicious. Never open an attachment from spam or sender
not known to you. - Automatic login features that save your username and password. Take the time to reenter your password each time.
- Sharing everything through email and social networking sites.
- Default privacy settings on your social accounts.
- Weak passwords. Create strong and unique passwords for every online account
including social networks, emails, financial and other accounts. - Simple login measures. Where possible, set-up multi-factor authentication on your
- accounts.
- Check your credit report at least once a year. To get a free copy of your report, contact:
Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada.
Report…
- A lost or stolen wallet.
- Compromised government identification to the affected government agency.
- Re-routed mail requests to Canada Post.
- Suspicious bank account activity to your financial institution.
- Unauthorized activity on your credit report to the credit bureaus: Equifax and
TransUnion. - Loss of account access to the appropriate company.
- Learn more tips and tricks for protecting yourself.
Anyone who suspects they have been a victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their
local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online reporting system or by phone at 1-
888-495-8501. If not a victim, you should still report it to the CAFC.
This CSAM, learn more about the new cybercrime and fraud reporting system that the Canadian
Anti-Fraud Centre is developing in partnership with the National Cybercrime Coordination Unit
(NC3)
