Privacy and Security

Be careful of sharing personal information

When you are asked to provide personal information, ask how it will be used, why it is needed, with whom it will be shared and how it will be safeguarded.
Be particularly careful about your Social Insurance Number (SIN); it is an important key to your identity, especially in credit reports and computer databases. Use other types of identification when possible (and when your SIN is not required by law). Only provide personal information on the phone or through the mail when you have initiated the contact or are dealing with someone you know.
Provide personal information over the Internet only when you know that the communication channel is secure.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to represent your credit card issuer or your bank and the caller asks for your credit card number, do not provide it. If the call is legitimate, the issuer will already know your credit card number.
Never disclose your Personal Identification Number (PIN) to anyone. No one from a financial institution, the police or a merchant should ask for your PIN.