What steps should individuals, especially parents, involved in this matter take to prevent themselves from falling victim to identity theft?

Carefully monitor all of your financial statements, utility bills etc. for deviation of the norm. Should you find anything out of the ordinary, contact your respective service provider directly. Most companies have mechanisms in place to assist you.

Contact your Credit Bureau, Equifax Canada Inc. or Trans Union’s Fraud Victim Assistance Department to ensure your files are marked to reflect the potential of Identity Theft.

Always be vigilant when you receive calls from telephone solicitors and do not give out any personal information whatsoever as the caller may only be missing one piece that could eventually lead to you becoming a victim of Identity Theft.

More specifically, you may wish to consider the following steps:

• Review bank and credit card statements and utility bills etc. to detect suspicious activity.  Should you find anything out of the ordinary, contact your respective service provider directly.  Most companies have mechanisms in place to help you. 

• Request a free copy of your credit report from Equifax Canada Inc.(www.equifax.ca) and ensure your files are marked to reflect the potential of identity theft.

• Contact your financial institution to flag your account and monitor unusual activity.

• Always be vigilant when you receive calls from telephone solicitors and do not give out any personal information as the caller may be missing only one piece of information that could facilitate identity theft.

• For more information about identity theft, please visit the federal Privacy Commissioner’s website at http://www.privcom.gc.ca/keyIssues/ki-qc/mc-ki-idt_e.asp and PhoneBusters at www.phonebusters.com or 1-888-PHONE-US.