Identity Theft
What Is Equifax Identity Restoration?
Should you become a victim of identity theft, a dedicated ID Restoration Specialist will work on your behalf to help you restore your identity by contacting those places where the fraud occurred, submitting applicable evidence and negotiating on your behalf with the completion and return of a Limited Power of Attorney (LPOA).
If you do not desire to submit a LPOA, a dedicated ID Restoration Specialist will still guide you through the process to help restore your identity with Identity Theft Assistance by:
- Educating you about identity theft victim’s rights
- Assisting in placing fraud alerts with Equifax and Transunion and accessing your Equifax credit report
- Instructing you how to contact places where the fraud occurred, submit applicable evidence, and dispute transactions
- Mediating three-way calls with merchants to gather further information
- Documenting and organizing correspondence in case of future ID fraud events
The ID Restoration Specialist will help manage your case. Throughout the case process, they will keep you apprised of any updates or changes to the case and notify you when the case is complete.
Certain conditions, exclusions and limitations apply to all products, for details please refer to the Terms of Use and to your product documentation.
What is Equifax Identity Theft Assistance?
With Equifax Identity Theft Assistance a dedicated ID Restoration Specialist will guide you step- by- step to help you restore your identity should you become a victim of identity theft.
The dedicated ID Restoration Specialist will guide you in restoring your identity by:
- Educating you about identity theft victim’s rights
- Assisting in placing fraud alerts with Equifax and Transunion and ordering an Equifax credit report at the beginning and end of your case
- Instructing you how to contact places where the fraud occurred, submit applicable evidence, and dispute transactions
- Mediating three-way calls with merchants to gather further information
- Documenting and organizing correspondence in case of future ID fraud events
The ID Restoration Specialist will help you manage your case. Throughout the process, they will keep you apprised of any updates or changes to the case and notify you when it is complete.
Certain conditions, exclusions and limitations apply to all products, for details please refer to the Terms of Use and to your product documentation.
How Do I know If Equifax Identity Restoration or Equifax Identity Theft Assistance is an Available Feature with My Product?
If your product has Equifax Identity Restoration (IDR) or Equifax Identity Theft Assistance ( IDTA), the feature will be listed within your myEquifax account. In most cases, if your product has IDTA or IDR as a product feature, information about how to contact customer care can be found after you sign in to your myEquifax account. If you are receiving IDTA or IDR through an offering from your employer, however, your employer may provide you contact information for customer care and provide other important information and requirements. If you have been notified you are eligible for IDTA or IDR because of a suspected data breach or security incident, your notification letter will instruct you about how to obtain IDTA or IDR and provide other important information and requirements.
What Types of Fraud are Covered with Equifax Identity Restoration and Equifax Identity Theft Assistance?
- Bank accounts and Credit/debit cards fraud
- Investment/retirement fraud
- Loan fraud
- Utilities fraud
- Tax fraud
- Housing fraud
- Employment fraud
- Medical fraud
- Government fraud
When will an Identity Theft Assistance or Identity Restoration case be considered abandoned?
A case may be considered abandoned if:
- The restoration specialist does not receive requested documents from the end user within 30 consecutive days
- After 3 attempts to contact and after 30 consecutive days from last attempt, the restoration specialist does not receive a return email, a phone call or other requested correspondence from the end user
How can I find out more information about Identity Theft in Canada?
If you want to know more about identity theft and credit fraud, the following websites are excellent sources of information and additional contact information:
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
- Canadian Bankers Association
- Interac Association
You can limit the potential for fraud by remembering a few key tips:
1. When using your credit cards:
Carry only the identification and credit cards you need when traveling, whether locally or abroad. Do not carry your cards in your chequebook
If your chequebook is lost or stolen, call your bank and inform them of the cheque numbers missing
Sign your credit cards in permanent ink as soon as you receive them
When making a purchase, keep your cards in view at all times; ensure you take your card back as soon as a transaction swipe has been completed with your card
Do not sign a blank charge slip
Always save your receipts, never leave them behind
Avoid saying your account number aloud so that others can hear
Only provide your ID and credit card information over the phone to reputable companies when you have initiated the call
If you receive a call from someone claiming to represent your credit card issuer and the caller asks for your account number, do not provide it - if the caller is employed by the issuer, they will already know your account information
2. Manage your credit and debit card statements:
Check your statements as soon as they arrive to ensure all charges gathered are correct.
Keep statements in a safe place - they contain sensitive and personal information.
Check your Equifax Credit Report on a regular basis to determine if there are any changes.
3. Be prepared in the event your credit or bank cards, Driver's license or Social Insurance Card are lost or stolen:
Keep a list of the names, account numbers and expiration dates of all your cards in safe place (separate from your cards) to be used when alerting credit grantors about a lost or stolen card
Call all of your credit grantors immediately upon discovering your cards are missing. Most have 24-hour service numbers for this purpose. If you re-open the account, ensure they have your correct personal information.
If your Social Insurance Card is lost or stolen, contact your employer or your local Human Resources Development (HRDC) office immediately
If your Driver's License is lost or stolen, contact your local driver and vehicle license issuing office and report it to your local police station
Additionally, please call Equifax toll-free at 1-800-465-7166 or 514-493-2314. We will add a statement to your file to alert credit grantors that you may be a victim of fraudulent activity. This may mean that the next time you apply for credit you will be questioned more thoroughly as a precautionary measure. The credit grantor wants to make sure that you are, in fact, the person you say you are.