Identity theft is a growing concern for Canandians.  There are ways that you can be proactive in protecting yourself and your loved ones from this criminal activity.  The Consumer Measures Committee (cmcweb.ca) has a public, government-sponsored site which has useful information on how to prevent identity theft and what to do if you become a victim of such a crime.  Remember to be suspicious of anyone who contacts you by any means and requests personal information such as account numbers, credit numbers, personal identification numbers (PIN) or passwords.  Remember to protect these numbers and passwords when using them in public places.

To report an incident or suspected incident of Fraud, your first line of contact should be your credit union at 902-477-5664 or toll free 1-800-565-3103.

Learn more

To take further action or learn more about different types of fraud and how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from them, please visit the following websites:

PhoneBusters

PhoneBusters is a national anti-fraud call centre jointly operated by the Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  It is the central agency in Canada that collects information on telemarketing, advanced fee fraud letters (Nigerian Letters) and identity theft complaints.

For example of common types of scams, visit www.phonebusters.com or call toll free 1-888-495-8501.

Diebold

Diebold is a world leader in self service and security industry.  This website provides advice for the safe and secure use of automated teller machines (ATM).

Visit http://www.atmconsumersafety.com/or email mailto:fraud@diebold.com.

The Seniors’ Secretariat

The Seniors’ Secretariat is committed to raising awarness for the prevention of elder abuse.  To report a known or suspected case of abuse against a vulnerable adult, call Adult Protection Services at 1-800-225-7225.

Email Fraud

Phishing emails can be deceiving and often appear to come from a reliable and trusted source such as government agencies, financial institutins, online auctions, etc, directing recipients to web sites or to call specific telephone numbers that ask them to verify passwords and other information such as account numbers, passwords, SIN# and credit card numbers.  The emails claim to be that they are updating their computer files and need an immediate response.

Always remember Teachers Plus Credit Union will never send customers emails asking for passwords, account numbers or personal information.