Photo: Contributed

A Nelson resident was the target of multiple fraudulent calls after a data breach compromised their identity.

The Nelson Police Department was called this week by a Nelson resident who had been the target of an identity fraud.

“Fraud is the most common crime in Canada,” said special Const. Silk Edwards, “It’s important to learn about the techniques that scammers use and take steps to protect yourself.”

The caller’s identity had previously been compromised by a data breach of Interior Health. Since then, they had been receiving calls from an unknown number. Upon answering, they were informed that they owed $4,000 due to an overdrawn account with a company that they had never banked with.

Police advised the caller to contact Equifax and TransUnion to make sure that no accounts had been opened in their name, and to reach out to the bank’s anti-fraud department. No money had been taken from any of their accounts.

If people find out that their information has been leaked in a data breach, it’s important to take proactive steps to protect from identity fraud.

“Accounts can be opened in your name without you finding out, which can negatively affect your credit rating,” said special Const. Edwards.

• More information on fraud and identity theft can be found at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm

If you believe that you have been impacted by this type of privacy breach, you can contact the Nelson Police Department.