nToronto Dominion Bank Security Tips www.td.com/privacyandsecurity/

nCanadian Anti-Fraud Centre www.phonebusters.com/

nEquifax Canadawww.consumer.equifax.ca/home/en_ca

nTransunion www.creditprofile.transunion.ca

COMMERCIAL CRIME PREVENTION UARTERLY“We mean business”

T H E V A N C O U V E R P O L I C E D E P A R T M E N T V P D . C A V O L . 2 I S S U E N O . 1 M A R C H 2 0 1 1

WELCOME TO THE SPRING 2011 EDITION of the Commercial Crime Prevention Quarterly. As March is Fraud Prevention month, this edition is dedicated to the types of crimes that are becoming all too familiar to a lot of people – identity theft, fraud and the internet. Read through the articles to ensure you’re familiar with the ways to protect yourself, your customers and your business, and

take the time to implement the suggested crime prevention measures.

CONSTABLE ANNE LONGLEY

BUSINESS LIAISON OFFICERCOMMUNITY & PUBLIC AFFAIRS604 717 2777ANNE.LONGLEY@VPD.CA

CURRENT ISSUE

nDebit and Credit Card Fraud – How does it Happen?

nIdentity Theft 101

nSocial Networking Safety Tips

REGULAR FEATURES

RELATED LINKS

nMeet Your Neighbourhood Police Officer

nDo you know?

2 | THE VPD COMMERCIAL CRIME PREVENTION QUARTERLY

DEBIT AND CREDIT CARD FRAUD How does it happen?HAVE YOU EVER RECEIVED a letter from your bank or credit card company advising you that your card may have been “compromised” and they replaced your card for you? Did you wonder what they meant and whether your card was still at risk? Besides the obvious way of having your credit or debit card used fraudulently if it is stolen, there are many other ways that thieves obtain credit and debit card numbers.

Debit card fraud takes place when the information contained on the magnetic stripe of your card is “skimmed” or copied AND your personal identification number is stolen. Many people are aware that phony fronts and cameras can be installed at internet banking machines, which is the traditional way your bank card information is stolen. This method requires someone to physically attach a false front (usually very realistic-looking) to the card reader, as well as a tiny camera to record your PIN.

More recently, crooks have taken to replacing either the hand-held devices or the bank card readers with a card reader containing a “parasite” that will read both the magnetic stripe and your access number, eliminating the need for a camera. This still requires someone to place and remove the

device, but it can net hundreds of debit card numbers and potentially thousands of dollars at a time.

Most recently, thieves have gone wireless with Bluetooth® technology. Now the criminal can be sitting within a few hundred feet of the compromised device with their wireless device and will be able to wirelessly obtain both the magnetic stripe and PIN information as it is entered. This is why it’s so important to pay attention when you’re using your bank card as there is potential for your card to be compromised at nearly any location. Take a look at the device, whether hand-held point-of-sale terminal or at a bank, and look for anything which doesn’t fit, may be loose or looks like an “add-on.” If you are suspicious, don’t use it and notify the business immediately.

Credit card fraud is a little different than debit card fraud, as usually no PIN number is needed to fraudulently use a credit card and your card does not have to be stolen for your number to be cloned. With the traditional non-chip credit cards, all a fraudster needs is a small card reader, software to transfer the data, and an embosser. Once credit card numbers have been obtained, often by a “second swipe” of the card, the card number and client name are stored in the reader. This

information can then be transferred to any kind of blank card with a magnetic stripe and then either used in self-checkouts or for internet or phone transactions. Thousands of dollars of gift cards are bought using stolen credit card information and then

either sold on internet classified sites or used at the end business that has no idea the cards are worthless.

Be vigilant with your bank and credit cards and report all suspicious activities to the police. n

Check that 4-digit printed number isabove or below embossed account number.Must match first 4 digits of account numberand when scratched, cannot be removed.

Make sure that Account Numberembossed matches account numberon sales draft.

Check that dove Hologramis 3-dimensional and appears tomove when card is tilted in light.

Check that Account Numberbegins with a 4.

Check for valid Expiration date.

Check that “Flying V”is stylized.

PHISHING

Phishing is a scam where you receive an authentic-looking email that looks like it comes from a legitimate company such as a bank. What the email is doing is “fishing” for personal information. You will be directed to click on links that redirect you to fraudulent websites in an attempt to gather your personal information. Never click on the links and enter personal information, as financial institutions & credit card companies do not send unsolicited email asking for verification of your personal information, security codes or passwords.

VISHING

Vishing is similar to phishing except it is done over the phone. In most cases the fraudster will initially contact you by a recorded message or email which then directs you to call a telephone number to verify, activate or re-activate your account. The phone number appears to be a genuine number, but once again, you should not call back or provide any account numbers, passwords, PINs or other personal information. Never give out your three-digit security code on the back of your credit card, as this could be the only missing piece of information a fraudster needs.

If you suspect phishing or vishing, do not respond to the phone or email message. Do contact the financial institution, business (eg. Pay Pal) or credit card company and tell them of your suspicions.

DO YOU KNOW THESE TERMS?

PREVENTION TIPS FOR BUSINESSES

• Checkyourpoint-of-saleterminaluponopeningandclosing your business daily.

• UsestickersorstorespecificI.Donthedevicetoeasilyidentify it as belonging to your store.

• Keepyourpoint-of-saleterminalunderthecounterawayfrom public access or secured to the counter.

• Followtheprotocolandrulesassetoutbythebankorcredit card company to avoid having “charge backs” to your business.

• Educateyourfrontlinestaffoncreditcardsandtolookateach card carefully. If the card doesn’t work when swiped, DONOTmanuallyenterthenumbers–thisislikelyafraudulent card!

• Reportanysuspiciousactivityorattemptstochange your device to the non-emergency number 604 717 3321 or 9-1-1 if it is in progress.

DETECTIVE CONSTABLE BRIAN MONTAGUE

VPD IDENTITY THEFT TASK FORCE

IDENTITY THEFT 101

What is identity theft?

Identity theft occurs when key pieces of personal information are stolen and used to impersonate someone or used to commit crimes in their name. Once enough personal information is obtained, identity thieves use stolen identities of their victims to commit various types of fraud, conduct spending sprees, open new bank accounts, divert mail, or apply for loans and credit cards.

What are some signs that my identification or identity may have been stolen?

1. You receive a letter with your name and address from a creditor informing you that an application for

credit that you did not complete was received or declined.

2. You receive credit card statements or other bills in your name that do not belong to you.

3. You notice that not all of your mail is delivered.

4. You are being contacted by a collection agency regarding an unpaid or defaulted account in your name that you did not open.

What can I do to protect myself from becoming a victim of identity theft?

First and foremost: protect your key pieces of personal information!

1. Guard your cards and ID. Don’t

carry important documents such as your SIN card, birth certificate, or passport with you. These are items that you rarely need or use, but if lost or stolen, contain the information required to steal your identity. Leave them in a safe place at home, or in your safety deposit box.

2. Be careful of sharing personal information. Do not provide personal information over the phone or internet to someone you do not know. Fraudulent e-mails and websites are sent out en mass to “phish” information from their victims.

3. Prevention tip: do not give your information or credit card number unless you made the contact first. Your bank will never contact you to request or “update” your personal information. E-mails that ask you to provide information or click on a link should be deleted and attachments should not be opened.

4. Shred all old bills, bank statements, credit cards, personal notes, or anything that has your personal information or address on it.

5. Retrieve all your mail promptly. Track your regular mail, such as bills, bank statements and magazine subscriptions. If they suddenly stop, somebody may have changed your address.

6. A lot of identity theft occurs by stealing your purse or wallet. Don’t leave your wallet or purse in your vehicle or unattended in any way. Call the police immediately, as well as your credit card companies and your financial institution.

7. Review all your bank and credit card statements on a regular basis for suspicious purchases and activity.

8. Move your bills and bank statements online so there is less paper with your identity printed on it.

What do I do if I think I might be a victim?

1. Report the incident to police on the non emergency line at 604 717 3321 (Vancouver).

2. Alert your financial institutions and ask to replace your existing bank card with a new one and assign new PINs. Also discuss whether to close your bank accounts and open new ones.

3. Alert your creditors and discuss whether to cancel your credit cards and get new ones issued.

4. Ask the issuer whether other accounts have been tampered with or opened fraudulently in your name.

5. Notify your telephone, cable and utilities companies that someone is or may be using your name to open new accounts fraudulently.

6. Advise credit agencies, such as Equifax 1 877 323 2598 and TransUnion 1 877 713 3393, and ask to have an alert put on your file to notify you if someone attempts to open any credit application.

Taking precautions and being vigilant with your personal identifiers can help protect you from identity theft and will save you countless hours of frustration in dealing with creditors, financial institutions and other agencies if your identity is stolen.

Sometimes it can take years to gain back a stolen identity, and the unease of knowing someone is pretending to be you can also take a heavy emo-tional and financial toll. n

THE VPD COMMERCIAL CRIME PREVENTION QUARTERLY | 3

SOCIAL NETWORKING SAFETY TIPSHOW MUCH INFORMATION is too much information in this day and age of social networking? Are you unintentionally putting yourself at risk by revealing where you are and what you are doing with your tweets and updates or by having GPS or Geotags? The speed and visibility of social media makes for a fun experience and great entertainment, but it also creates an opportunity to embarrass yourself or others, jeopardize

your employment or, worse still, compromise your safety or your identity.

It used to be enough for us to think about our physical security, such as what type of door locks we should use, or whether or not to have an alarm system installed, but now we also need to think about our online safety and whether our online persona is equally safe. Protecting yourself means thinking about what you post and managing

your internet persona on all the various social network sites that are at your disposal.

Social networking safety tips for home use:

• Usetheprivacysettingsforeach social media site and review or update them on a regular basis. Decide how visible you want your contact and profile information, photos, videos and postings to be,

and then take the time to learn

how to set the right level of control. Restrict delivery of information and photos to only those in your circle of friends.

• Makeaconsciouschoiceastohow searchable you want to be, and set up your profile the way you want it, rather than leaving it to the default settings.

continued on page 4

MEET CONSTABLE JOHN BRAITHWAITE

CONSTABLE JOHN BRAITHWAITE is the Neighbourhood Police officer for the newest Vancouver Community Policing Centre, the Kitsilano Fairview CPC located at 1687 West Broadway (lower level).

Constable Braithwaite spent 20 years as a police officer in the UK prior to immigrating to Canada and joining the Vancouver Police Department in 2005. He brings a wealth of experience in community policing and community initiatives from his police work in England, and his special interest is in community policing. While in the UK, Constable Braithwaite also worked in child protection, traffic,

4 | THE VPD COMMERCIAL CRIME PREVENTION QUARTERLY

NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE OFFICER FOR KITSILANO FAIRVIEW

the investigative division and spent 10 years as a sergeant in charge of a community beat team. The Kits Fairview CPC has been open since June 2009 and serves the communities of Point Grey, Jericho, North Arbutus, Kitsilano, Fairview and North Riley Park. They are looking for interested people to volunteer with them to participate in foot patrols, outreach work, special events, Speed Watch and front counter duties.

If you are interested in volunteer-ing, please contact Constable Braithwaite at 778 331 4023 or email: kitsfairpc@gmail.com n

TO FIND A COMMUNITY POLICING CENTRE NEAR YOU, GO TO VANCOUVER.CA/POLICE/COMMUNITY-POLICING/INDEX.HTML

• Don’tshareinformationthatcan help people steal your identity or locate you, such as your date of birth, address or personal information. Be cautious when sharing your work, school and family connections, as these can help an identity thief steal your “profile.”

• Checkintoyourabilitytoopt-out with advertisers and third parties. Each “add on” for social networking will have access to your information, so be careful with the applications you add.

• Don’tadvertisethefactthatyou’ve just purchased new electronics like a computer, big screen TV, etc., because even if you trust your friends, do you know their friends and friends of friends?

Social networking safety tips while you’re on vacation:

There are a few reasons why you should hold off from posting your

SOCIAL NETWORKING SAFETY TIPS

vacation details and photos until you’re home.

• Sendingupdateswhileyou’reaway advertises to everyone that you are not home. That means your unoccupied residence can be that much more vulnerable to people who are trolling the web for personal information.

• Beforeyoupost,thinkhardabout the content of your post and whether it can be used by someone who may be involved in criminal activity.

• Ensureeveryoneinyourhouseunderstands the rules you set about sharing information while you’re away.

• Neversharedetailsaboutthedates you’ll be away or whether children will be left home alone.

• Switchoffordisconnectthelocation applications if you’re using social media while on vacation.

• Takeabreak–vacationsarealsoa great time to disconnect from the social networking world for awhile.

Social networking is here to stay and it’s up to each person using it to protect themselves as best as they can. Take the time to understand and apply the security settings so that you will be less likely to be

preyed on by those seeking to use your personal information in a nefarious manner.

Protecting your online persona is just one part of planning your personal safety – for more personal safety tips go to: vancouver.ca/police/crime-prevention/for-individuals/personal-safety.html n

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