What to do in case of fraud?

A fraudulent account appears on your report? Here's what you need to do:

1. Notify the companies where a fraudulent account has been opened

The goal is to have the account canceled. They will be able to investigate the issue. Rest assured, you are not responsible for paying any charges incurred by the fraudster, unless you have been grossly negligent with your personal information.

2. Contact the police and request a report

This report may be very useful to you and could possibly be required by certain companies to cancel the fraudulent account.

3. Contact your financial institution

If you believe you are a victim of fraud involving your payment cards, you must immediately notify the issuer.

4. Call 1-800-O-Canada

(1-800-622-6232) to obtain information on how to replace your identification cards if necessary (health insurance card, driver’s license, social insurance number, etc.).

5. Regularly check your credit reports

The goal is to ensure that you have not fallen victim to new fraud. You can also implement two protective measures on your credit reports:

• Fraud alert, which requires additional identity verification when applying for new credit. For example, you may need to visit a branch of your financial institution in person to obtain your new credit card.
• Credit freeze, which is a mechanism that allows you to completely block access to your credit report by lenders and telecommunications companies. This makes it much more difficult for fraudsters to open accounts in your name with these companies. The credit freeze will be in effect in Quebec starting in February 2023.