Volume I

Issue : 10: November 13, 2003

• B.C. Court of Appeal Takes Note of Special Nature of an IT Business in Recent Decision
• Internet Browser Patent Re examination Ordered
• Time Warner to Enter the VoIP Market in California Bangladesh to Open VoIP to Private Sector
• CDT Releases Report on Spyware
• FTC Holiday Warning to E tailers
• B.C. Supreme Court has Jurisdiction Over Domain Name Dispute
• U.S. Court of Appeals Reverses FBI Eavesdropping Orders
• Pharma Companys Use of Cookies Found Not in of Violation of Privacy Legislation
• Manufacture of Garage Door Openers Uses DCMA to Fight Competitor
• Music Industry Establishes One-Stop International Licence for Webcasters
• Movie Industry Set to Sue Individual File Sharers in War Against Piracy
• Report Finds Identity Theft on the Rise in Canada
• Bank Managers Disclosure Of Private Information Leads To Cancelled Wedding

Home > Volume I > Issue 10: November 13, 2003 > Report Finds Identity Theft on the Rise in Canada

Report Finds Identity Theft on the Rise in Canada

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre has released a comprehensive report on the growing problem of identity theft in Canada. Identity theft is the unauthorized collection and fraudulent use of a person's personal information. The report focuses on identity theft for financial gain, as opposed to identity theft for non-financial criminal activities such as terrorism. In consumer identity theft, information is most commonly used to fraudulently open or draw on a credit card account, open a telecommunication account, or obtain a loan in the victim's name.

The report recommends that there be stronger enforcement of existing laws in order to prosecute and protect from ID theft. It also recommends that Canada implement victim support measures offered in other jurisdictions, such as providing consumers with toll-free hotlines and online support, the opportunity to put a security freeze on their credit files and court-ordered restoration of victim credit reports. Canadian businesses are also encouraged to change their practices by placing more stringent controls on the granting of credit and providing better disclosure of the risks inherent in online banking and electronic services.

For a copy of the report, visit:

http://www.piac.ca/IDTHEFT.pdf