Protecting your Personal Identify

Tanglewood-Hillsdale Community Association’s Neighbourhood Watch[1] reminds residents that the unauthorized collection and use of your personal information including your name, address, birth date, your government issued cards, or banking cards, usually for illegal purposes, is on the rise.  Canada’s largest credit bureaus says every month they receive over 1800 identity thefts complains from citizens . In 2010, the guest speaker at THCA’s Recognition Day Luncheon said that related fraud cost Canadian consumers, banks, merchants & other businesses including debit and credit card firms over $2 billion annually.

While none of us personally can stop abuse of private information by others, we can be vigilant and apply common sense.  If you suspect identity theft, call the Ottawa Police. Proactively you can:

If you are a victim:

03/12 THCA


[1] [1] Material for this factsheet was adapted from Neighbourhood Watch website, Ottawa Police website and the Federation of Calgary Federation of Community Associations’ Building Safer Communities Website.