Five steps to protect your personal information

Take proactive measures if you believe you are a victim of identity theft

As the world is increasingly interconnected through cyberspace and bad actors become more sophisticated, it is important to take proactive measures to protect your identity. 

These five steps can assist in safeguarding personal information if you believe you are a victim of identity theft: 

• Place an Initial Fraud Alert: Place an initial fraud alert on your file with a leading credit bureau. The credit bureau you elect to contact must report the alert to the other bureaus. An initial fraud alert is free and makes it more difficult to open new accounts in your name. An initial fraud alert lasts 90 days but can be renewed repeatedly. You will receive a letter from each credit bureau confirming the presence of the fraud alert.  
• Review Your Identity Portfolio: Check your credit reports and all other documents that include your identity portfolio.  You are able to access your Equifax consumer credit report and score at no charge, as required by consumer reporting legislation. For additional information, visit Equifax.ca. Once you receive your credit reports, review them for any transactions or accounts that do not look familiar. Also, check your bank statements for unusual charges. Additionally, many financial institutions offer free credit scores and credit alerts even if you do not have an account or credit card with them. If you believe your personal health information was stolen, reach out to your medical providers and request copies of your medical records as well.  
• Report the Identity Theft to Authorities: If your personal information has been stolen, you should:¹
  • notify your financial institution and the local police;
  • contact the CRA at 1-800-959-8281;
  • report the theft to a credit reporting agency such as Equifax or TransUnion;
  • keep records of recent purchases, payments, and financial transactions; and
  • call 1-800-O-Canada (1-800-622-6232) for information on where and how to replace identity cards such as your health card, driver’s licence, or SIN if necessary.
  • To report a fraudulent communication, or if your identity was stolen as part of a scam, please contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Phonebusters by email at info@phonebusters.com or call 1-888-495-8501.
    
• Contact Companies Where Fraud Took Place: Call the fraud departments of those businesses and tell them your identity was stolen. Also, close/freeze any accounts you have with those establishments. 
• Change Your Passwords and PINs: It is important to utilize strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication where available. Do not use passwords and PINs that you have used in the past. 

If you think your identity has been stolen or if you need immediate assistance to help recover lost personal identification documents after a theft, fire, flood or other disaster, call 1-866-273-7935 to be connected with a fraud resolution specialist at CyberScout^TM.

If you would like to use a different service provider to help you recover from identity theft, you can contact the Chubb Claim Centre at 1-800-532-4822 to submit a claim.

To learn more about Chubb’s cyber insurance solutions, contact your local underwriter or visit:

Chubb Commercial Lines

Chubb Personal Risk Services