Canadian Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Other Fraud.

Tanya Rogoschewsky is a librarian at Red Deer College in Red Deer,
Alberta.

Identity theft: it is one the fastest growing crimes in Canada, and the effects can be devastating. Although identify theft stories continue to appear in the news, many Canadians are unaware of what they can do to protect themselves from identify theft and what they should do if they suspect it may have occurred. Many books covering this subject are American in origin and, as laws and financial institutions differ in Canada, are of limited use to Canadian citizens. That is one of the things that make this book so valuable to Canadian readers. Equally important is the authors’ straightforward language and attention to detail. After all, although many of us have heard of a credit report, few of us understand all of the components of one or how to read it. Using individual case reports, news stories, and statistics to illustrate their point, The Canadian Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Other Fraud goes through the many different forms of fraud you may be susceptible to (from email to mortgage to investment) and gives specific advice on how to prevent each type. Although it can be somewhat alarming to read about how many ways your credit and identity can be compromised, the information detailed in this book gives you the tools to protect yourself, and that can offer a lot of peace of mind. Recommended for all public libraries.