From electronic to paper: Fraud can happen anywhere

Tips for Preventing Identity Theft

OTTAWA, March 14, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - March is Fraud Prevention Month and Canada Post wants to remind customers that fraud, identity theft and other types of scams can happen anywhere - in your mailbox or recycle bin, via email, on the telephone, and more. Fraud-related offences are now thought to be as profitable as drug-related offences, estimated at between $10 and $30 billion annually in Canada by the RCMP's Commercial Crime Branch.

One of the fastest growing crimes in Canada is identity theft. It occurs when someone steals your name and other personal information with the intention of assuming your identity to gain access to your finances, make purchases and incur debts in your name, or commit other crimes.

Here are some tips to help protect your identity and your mail - digital or physical:

...Pick-up physical mail as soon as possible after delivery. Never leave it overnight in the mailbox.

...Do not discard mail with your personal information on it in the recycling box. Shred sensitive documents. If paperless, ensure you regularly empty your delete box.

...If you are planning a holiday, arrange for someone to pick up your mail or use Canada Post's Hold Mail service to ensure your mail is held safely while you're away.

...If you like to keep a copy of your electronic bills, sign up with epost and keep all your bills in one secure location with one username and password. Your bills can be stored for up to seven years. As well, epost users can store important personal information such as passwords, bank account information, medical history via the Vault service.

...Change your PIN information on your chip-enable credit cards regularly. Canada Post's PIN card services allow you to change the personal identification number (PIN) of chip credit cards from participating card issuers at more than 6,000 postal counters - for free.

...Beware if someone you are not expecting asks you for personal information. Identity thieves deploy various elaborate strategies to obtain this type of data.

...Remember, if you receive an offer that sounds too good to be true - it probably is!

...Report any suspicious activity to police.

Chip technology helping in the fight against Interac® debit card fraud

Interac debit card fraud skimming losses down 41 per cent year-over-year

TORONTO, March 6, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today, Interac Association announced that Interac debit card fraud losses to financial institutions resulting from skimming declined to $70 million in 2011 from $119 million in 2010 and a high of $142 million in 2009. The number of cardholders reimbursed fell to 154,170 from 205,200 in 2010 and 238,000 in 2009. This represents 0.0229 per cent of domestic debit card volume and the lowest volume of fraud losses since data were recorded in 2003. Cardholders are protected from losses under the Interac Zero Liability Policy*.

"Our collective efforts and significant investments in the fight against debit card fraud, particularly the transition to chip technology, are producing tangible benefits," said Caroline Hubberstey, Head of External Affairs, Interac Association. "The transition to chip technology is all about making a safe system even more secure and that is what's happening. While significant progress is being made, the fight continues and no one is resting on their laurels."

Chip technology is both secure and smart. It gives the card the ability to store and process data securely. Unlike a magnetic stripe, this processing power makes it extremely difficult to copy and reproduce. This processing power is used, together with cryptography to allow the card and terminal to communicate with one another to carry out security checks to ensure the card is valid. Chip technology also enables advancements like Interac FlashTM, which is currently being rolled out.

Interac Flash, the contactless enhancement of Interac Debit, leverages EMV-based secure chip processing, instead of magnetic stripe data type processing. This protects Interac Flash enabled cards against skimming, counterfeiting, and transaction replay types of fraud, including electronic pick-pocketing where readers are used to capture information.

"Security is of paramount concern for us," emphasized Hubberstey. "By also choosing to leverage chip technology for Interac Flash enabled debit cards, we have taken strong steps to protect cardholders from tactics that criminals are using to capture data on contactless cards, such as electronic pick-pocketing."

Under Interac rules, card-not-present transactions and fallback to the magnetic stripe are not permitted. Further, given the structure of Interac Online, Internet shoppers can make secure online debit purchases directly from their bank accounts, without the need to provide any personal financial information, including card and account numbers, to online merchants. Stolen Interac debit cards and even PINs cannot be used to complete Internet transactions.

Interac chip debit cards and terminals are currently rolling out across Canada. By the end of this year (2012) all Automated Banking Machines (ABMs) and Interac debit cards will be converted to chip technology and by the end of 2015, all Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals. In many cases, conversion is ahead of schedule. As of the end of 2011, 90 per cent of Interac debit cards and 84 per cent of terminals (ABMs/POS terminals combined) had been converted.

In support of Fraud Prevention Month, Interac Association, a member of the Competition Bureau's Fraud Prevention Forum, has created an infographic that highlights the numbers above and also provides further insight to consumers around the security of Interac debit card transactions using chip technology. The organization will also host a Fraud Prevention Month Open House on their Facebook wall on Wednesday, March 14th at 7:00PM EST.

Follow Interac Association on Twitter at @INTERAC and on Facebook

Consumer alert: Debt reduction companies

Beware of "too good to be true offers"

OTTAWA, January 10, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) today issued a Consumer Alert on debt reduction companies. FCAC is warning Canadians: Be very cautious about companies that claim they can negotiate a deal with your creditors so that you will have to pay only part of your debt. This process is often called "debt reduction," "debt settlement," "debt relief" or "debt negotiation."

Consumers who are looking for information on dealing with their debt will find tips on getting out of debt on FCAC's website at fcac.gc.ca.

About FCAC

With educational materials and interactive tools, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) provides objective information about financial products and services to help Canadians increase their financial knowledge and confidence in managing their personal finances. FCAC informs consumers about their rights and responsibilities when dealing with banks and federally regulated trust, loan and insurance companies. FCAC also makes sure that federally regulated financial institutions, payment card network operators and external complaints bodies comply with legislation and industry commitments intended to protect consumers.

You can reach them through the FCAC Consumer Services Centre by calling toll-free 1-866-461-3222 (TTY: 613-947-7771 or 1-866-914-6097) or by visiting their website: fcac.gc.ca.

Pocket Dials/Unintentional 9-1-1 Calls Putting Public at Risk, Impacting Police Resources

Police Say Unintentional Calls from Mobile Devices a Growing Problem in Ontario

TORONTO, January 9, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Police services across Ontario are seeing an increase in pocket dialed and unintentional 9-1-1 calls, which represent a serious threat to public safety and negatively impact police resources according to the Ontario 9-1-1 Advisory Board (OAB) and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP).

"With more and more people using mobile devices, our police services are reporting an increase in unintentional 9-1-1 calls and so-called pocket dials," said Inspector Paulo Da Silva of York Regional Police. "When unintentionally dialed calls are made to 9-1-1 call centres, they become a public safety issue and are a drain on law enforcement resources."

Pocket dials happen when a keypad on a mobile device carried in a pocket, purse, backpack, etc. is accidentally pressed. Unintentional 9-1-1 calls are generated from a mobile device and are not intended as emergency calls.

Unintentional 9-1-1 calls tie up phone lines that deliver 9-1-1 calls to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), which handle 9-1-1 calls. This negatively impacts a PSAP's ability to respond to real emergencies.

The Ontario 9-1-1 Advisory Board brings together police personnel to act as advocates for the 9-1-1 system in the Province of Ontario. OAB is partnering with the OACP to raise public awareness of the unintentional/pocket dialed calls.

The OAB and OACP have found that hundreds of unintentional/pocket dialed 9-1-1 calls are being received daily by police services across Ontario from cell phones and other devices where no emergency exists. For example:

...The Toronto Police Service received 1,227,791 calls to 9-1-1 in 2011. 1 in 5 calls were not valid emergencies. Pocket dials accounted for 107,748, or half of the false calls; misdialed calls to 9-1-1 (116,770) accounted for the remainder.

...York Regional Police received 97,886 unintentional 9-1-1 calls from wireless devices in 2011, accounting for 37.33% of all 9-1-1 calls received.

...London Police Service received 6,622 pocket dials from August to November, 2011, averaging 11.24% of total 9-1-1 calls.

...Peel Regional Police received 80,724 unintentional 9-1-1 calls from wireless devices between June 1st, 2011 and December 31st, 2011, accounting for 33% of the 9-1-1 calls received.

For every unintentional/pocket 9-1-1 call received, a 9-1-1 emergency telecommunicator must determine whether an emergency exists. Every second counts when someone is waiting for an emergency communicator to pick up a 9-1-1 call and dispatch police, emergency medical services, or fire.

"Citizens have the power to stop unintentional 9-1-1 calls from their mobile devices. It could be as simple as locking a key pad or putting the device in stand-by mode," said Chief Matt Torigian, President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. "Such actions do not impact a user's ability to receive a phone call, but may significantly reduce the chance of a pocket dial. To further reduce the pocket dial risk, users should not program 9-1-1 into their devices and should prevent small children from playing with such devices."

Someone who places an unintentional 9-1-1 call should stay on the line. Every 9-1-1 call is taken seriously. When a 9-1-1 caller doesn't respond, that could be a sign of trouble - a possibility an emergency responder can't ignore. Users are urged to let the emergency operator know it was a pocket dial/unintentional call. This will eliminate the need for the emergency operator to call back to determine if there is a legitimate emergency, saving precious seconds and allowing them to move on to the next emergency call.

Citizens can prevent pocket dials or unintentional 9-1-1 calls by:

...Locking keypads using the keypad lock feature. Keypad locks, some of which can be programmed to activate automatically, prevent a mobile device from responding to keystrokes until the user unlocks the keypad using a short combination of key presses.

...Turn off the 9-1-1 auto-dial feature, if your mobile device has one. To determine whether a device has this feature and how to turn it off, check the user manual or the manufacturer's website, or call the service provider.

...Refrain from programming a wireless device to speed or automatically dial 9-1-1.

Simple, easy and free ways for you to create the safest passwords ever

OTTAWA, December 29, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - You will not find it under a Christmas tree or at a Boxing Week sale. It is not a Hanukkah present. But a new online password is definitely the best free gift you can give yourself according to experts at global cloud security leader Trend Micro.

"Before you take advantage of any online shopping bargains or send Season's Greetings to your Facebook friends, give yourself the gift of a strong online password. A strong password keeps personal information safe and secure—while a weak one is like leaving your front door open for anyone to wander in and rifle through your stuff," says Ian Gordon, Trend Micro Canada's marketing chief.

Mr. Gordon and his Ottawa colleagues have come up with their top tips for good passwords:

...Mix it up: Your passwords should be at least eight characters long and include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, and numbers or symbols.

...Be impersonal: Any variation of family names, pets, addresses or important dates isn't secure enough. Spelling them backwards is not safe either as it is a fairly common practice.

...Be unique: Your password should not be a common word in English or any other language. Hackers can use programs that check all words in the dictionary.

...Sequence matters: Don't pick a password that has all of the characters next to each other on a keyboard (12345 or qwerty) because they are easy to figure out.

...Change is good: At least every 90 days. If you think that someone may have gained access to your system or online accounts, change it immediately.

...No sticky notes: Don't store passwords on your computer or on a sticky note next to your screen. Keep it hidden away in a secure location.

...Think it through: If it's too easy to remember, it's probably too easy to figure out as well. You can take a phrase and use the first letters to make a password. For example, "I like to drink 3 cups of coffee" could become the password Il2d3coc.

...Misspell with purpose: It's a good idea to misspell words and add numbers in. Instead of "doghouse" try"doGhoWse219". Since this isn't a real word and it mixes in upper and lower case and numbers, it would be much more secure than the simple "doghouse" password.

...Clever is good: Another good way to come up with a password that you can remember, but is still secure, is to substitute numbers for letters that look somewhat similar. For example, the words "bell tower" can be converted to the password "B377T0w3r", which would be quite hard for anyone to figure out.

About Trend Micro: Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in Internet content security, focuses on securing the exchange of digital information for businesses and consumers. Trend Micro is advancing integrated threat management technology to protect operational continuity, personal information, and property from malware, spam, data leaks and the newest Web threats. A transnational company, with headquarters in Tokyo, and operations in 23 countries including Canada, Trend Micro's trusted security solutions are sold through its business partners worldwide.

Keeping Children Safe Online

New UNICEF report reveals increased risks and best strategies to protect children online

TORONTO, December 13, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - New information on the dangers children face online and the most effective ways parents, caregivers and policy makers can make cyberspace safer are outlined in a report released by UNICEF today.

"Most Canadian children are online," says Marvin Bernstein, UNICEF Canada's Chief Advisor, Advocacy. "This report provides important strategies Canadians must seriously consider to protect children from known and emerging risks online."

The report Child Safety Online: Global challenges and strategies explains that children's online activities are becoming more private and more frequent as mobile phones overtake personal computers as the most popular way to surf the web.

Some activities like 'sexting' (text messaging or sharing sexual images online) are riskier than others. 'Sexting' is usually intended to be a private exchange between two people, but images are often shared with more people and can have devastating impacts including depression, bullying or self-harm.

Young people themselves identify cyberbullying as the most serious online threat. The report explains, cyberbullying can be particularly traumatic because of its anonymity, its capacity to intrude at any time into places that might otherwise be safe for young people and because it is often public and seen by peers.

The report also reveals there are more than 16,000 web pages worldwide depicting millions of child abuse images of tens of thousands of children. Victims are young, with 73 per cent under 10 years old and the content becoming increasingly more graphic and violent.

"Because of our expanding digital world, there are more opportunities for valuable information and education for children than ever before," says Bernstein. "But the Internet has also significantly increased the potential dangers children face. We must respond to these dangers in a balanced and measured way to ensure children are safe."

Protecting Children Online

The first line of defence in protecting children online is ensuring they receive specific, age-appropriate education. Children must understand the risks they face and make informed and responsible choices when they use digital media.

Canada is a global leader in legally protecting children from sexual exploitation both on and offline, but the report has found legislation is only part of the answer. Parents, teachers, policy makers and the private sector all have a role to play. Private companies must be vigilant in removing inappropriate materials from servers and providing child-friendly programs and privacy controls. Social service providers must also recognize the crossover between online and offline abuse and extend recovery services to all children who need them.

Finally, lawmakers must ensure legislation designed to protect children isn't actually harming them. This can be achieved through the use of early child impact assessments. For example, some laws allow for criminal charges for distributing child pornography when teens share sexual images of themselves.

The establishment of a National Children's Commissioner is also an important step in ensuring the development of a nation-wide response strategy to combat online and offline sexual exploitation, abuse and bullying.

"It is impossible to remove all risks that exist online for children," says Bernstein. "But there are many effective strategies to mitigate these risks, while respecting the rights of children and ensuring they benefit from the important opportunities evolving technology can provide."

Advice and sources of information for young people, parents, businesses and others can be found at www.unicef.ca/onlinesafety.


About UNICEF

UNICEF is the world's leading child-focused humanitarian and development agency. Through innovative programs and advocacy work, we save children's lives and secure their rights in virtually every country. Our global reach, unparalleled influence on policymakers, and diverse partnerships make us an instrumental force in shaping a world in which no child dies of a preventable cause. UNICEF is entirely supported by voluntary donations and helps all children, regardless of race, religion or politics. For more information about UNICEF, please visit www.unicef.ca.

Beware of scammers pretending to represent the CRTC

OTTAWA-GATINEAU, December 5, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has been alerted that people claiming to represent the CRTC are making telephone calls to Canadians and informing them that their computers are potentially at risk. The caller then asks to remotely connect to the computer to scan for and remove any viruses.

These callers are not CRTC employees. Canadians should never grant remote access to their computers or give their passwords to someone who has called them claiming to represent a government organization.

These calls are likely phishing scams that could result in identity theft and fraud. For tips on cyber safety, please visit Get Cyber Safe http://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx.

Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission
Ottawa, Ontario

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is an independent public organization that regulates and supervises the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications systems. www.crtc.gc.ca