Proactively protect yourself and your information

The Elections Data Breach has exposed the personal information of nearly 3 million Albertans.

This has serious implications for personal safety, identity theft, and financial fraud. 

Below are some tips and resources you may want to consider to protect yourself.

Alberta’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) has put together a dedicated FAQ and resource page regarding this data breach.

Protecting against financial fraud and identity theft 

To protect yourself against identity theft and financial abuse, government guidance recommends the following: 

- Don’t share personal information with unexpected callers or emails 

- Change passwords (email, banking, key accounts) 

- Monitor financial statements regularly 

- Report suspicious activity immediately 

- Use multi-factor authentication 

 

If you believe you may be a victim of identify theft or financial fraud, review the following resources for more information: 

- Alberta Identity Theft Resources

- Canada Antifraud Centre

 

Placing a fraud alert on your credit file can help protect you if you may be a victim of identity theft. This alert asks lenders to verify your identity before approving credit in your name. 

Canada’s two main credit bureaus can assist with placing a fraud alert: 

Equifax Canada: 1-800-465-7166 

TransUnion Canada: 1-800-663-9980