Identity Theft

• Introduction
• F.A.Q.
• Resources

Introduction

Identity theft has become a serious, pervasive and increasingly sophisticated crime in North America, one that has a range of negative impacts for individuals, consumers, the corporate sector and governments. All these stakeholders have a role to play in preventing and combatting identity theft.

This webpage provides background information and advice on identity theft. It aims to provide a range of tools and resources to assist individual citizens and private organizations to minimize their exposure and deal with the problems that result from identity theft.

The webpage is one component of CIPPIC's research project on the legal and policy dimensions of identity theft. This project is funded by the Ontario Research Network for Electronic Commerce ("ORNEC"). ORNEC is a partnership between the Universities of Ottawa, McMaster, Carleton and Queen's and the corporate sector, which serves as a driving force and focal point for electronic commerce research.

Frequently Asked Questions

• General
  • What is identity Theft?
  • What personal information do ID thieves collect?
  • How do ID thieves collect personal information?
  • Is identity theft more likely to occur on the internet?
  • What is social engineering?
  • What is phishing?
  • How do ID thieves use personal information?
  • Who does id theft affect?
  • Who commits identity theft crimes?
  • Can individuals prevent identity theft?
  • What Canadian laws currently exist to combat and reduce the risk of identity theft?
• Consumers
  • How can I reduce my risk of becoming a victim of identity theft?
  • How do I know if I'm a victim of identity theft?
  • Identity theft Detection Techniques
  • Where can I get Help if I'm a Victim?
  • How can I obtain my credit report?
  • What is a Fraud Alert?
• Organizations
  • What can organizations do to reduce identity theft?
  • Resources for businesses and organizations

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This page last updated: June 2, 2007