Toronto man devastated after a fraudster stole identity, took out two loans and charged almost $19K in his name: Here’s how to protect yourself ASAP

After learning a fraudster had taken out two loans — worth $6,648 and $12,176 — in his name without his knowledge, he told CTV News that he “wouldn’t be able to pay that money back.”

Mendonca, who had been saving to be a first-time home buyer, was distraught. “It’s affecting my credit score,” he said. “I’m trying to get this resolved.”

Here’s what happened — and how you can protect yourself from similar scams.

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What is identity theft?

According to the Canada Revenue Agency, identity theft happens when your personal information (like your credit card number, social insurance number or medical history) is used without your authorization for criminal purposes. Once they have enough personally identifiable information, they can either take control of existing identity credentials or create new, fraudulent ones.

Fraudsters can take out a mortgage, get GST/HST benefits, or, as in Mendonca’s case, take out loans under your name.

Along with the invasion of privacy, identity theft can result in catastrophic financial impact, like a poor credit score or accruing interest and penalties on unpaid loans.

Mendonca had been working on improving his credit score to boost his chances of successfully securing a mortgage. According to Equifax Canada, fraudsters often target consumers with high credit scores to ensure they get larger loans.

Fraudsters use many tactics to steal people’s personally identifiable information, from simple methods like mail theft to more sophisticated digital schemes.

Phishing is a common way for fraudsters to use technology to access your personal information. Emails are designed to look like they come from a legitimate financial institution, and typically use scare tactics (like saying you have an outstanding amount) to create a sense of urgency to get you to share private information.

Don’t be a victim

Having your identity stolen can be a costly and frustrating experience, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself from being the victim of a scam.

Be careful who you share your personal information with, and how. The Canada Revenue Agency, for example, never requests personal details like your social insurance number by email. If you have to provide information over the telephone, call the institution's official telephone number, rather than sharing it with an individual who has called you.

Digital fraud comes in all shapes and sizes, so if an email seems suspicious, contact the organization that it appears to come from using their official telephone number.