Stolen passport turns into thousands of dollars in debt for Oceanside resident

Worth said the collection agency was unable to reach the victim to inform them about the debt because the contact information used by the fraudster wasn’t connected to the victim.

However, because the victim filed a police report when their passport was first stolen, it’ll likely go a long way in helping them remove the fraudulent charges from their history.

“Their passport was stolen from their vehicle, so they did make a police report at the time. If you do lose your passport or your ID, it is a good idea to report the police, just so there’s a record of it. That could be a likely starting point from where fraud did start to happen.”

Worth said it’s never a bad idea to check with your bank or credit agencies to see if there are any accounts opened in your name you’re unaware of.

Most banks have ways to check through their apps, or through major Canadian credit agencies like TransUnion or Equifax.

“If they have your name and birthdate and a couple other little things about you, it’s quite easy to open up an account in your name and assume your identity and rack up a whole bunch of debt. The best thing to do is to track it and monitor your name to make sure nothing’s open. If you see something suspicious or that doesn’t belong to you, get on top of it and notify the banks.”

If you think you’ve been the victim of fraud, you’re urged to reach out and report it to your local police detachment, or check out the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s website for more information.

Follow us on Facebook. Join Everything Nanaimo on Facebook and stay connected with everything happening on central Vancouver Island.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook

by Jordan Davidson

Stolen passport turns into thousands of dollars in debt for Oceanside resident

More Local News