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Police warn of sin card fraud

When the SIN is not linked to you as its rightful owner, another person could receive your government benefits, tax refunds, or bank credits
fraud 2016

NORTH BAY — Police are warning that North Bay area people are getting "compromised SIN card" calls today.

Scammers pretend to be government employees and can be aggressive or use threats to get people to reveal personal or financial information or to pay a fictitious debt.

"HANG UP! Gov't doesn't do business this way," say police.

If your SIN falls into the wrong hands, it could be used to obtain personal information and invade your privacy says the government.

When the SIN is not linked to you as its rightful owner, another person could receive your government benefits, tax refunds, or bank credits. Your personal information could also be revealed to unauthorized people, which could lead to identity theft and other types of fraud.

If someone uses your SIN to work illegally or to obtain credit, you may suffer hardship. You could be requested to pay additional taxes for income you did not receive or you could have difficulty obtaining credit because someone may have ruined your credit rating.

There are a number of things you can do to protect your SIN:

  • provide your SIN only when you know that it is legally required
  • store any document containing your SIN and personal information in a safe place—do not keep it with you
  • contact Service Canada if you change your name, if your temporary citizenship status changes to a permanent resident status or if the information on your SIN record is incorrect or incomplete
  • take immediate measures to protect your SIN when you suspect someone else is using your SIN fraudulently

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