The province of Ontario, Canada has a new simple law that should help prevent . If a consumer places an alert on his or her credit report or file, lenders must verify the identity of the customer before granting a loan or credit. If they fail to do so, they could face fines up to $100,000 or even jail.

Typically, consumers put such alerts on their files if their wallets or purses are stolen, or if they have already been the victim of fraud. But any consumer can put the alert on their file for any or no reason. The alert service costs $5, as specified by the new legislation.

Anyone in Canada can put such an alert on their file. But only in Ontario are there penalties for ignoring them. The two biggest credit reporting agencies are and . Check your credit file with them at least once a year, or before applying for a large loan such as a mortgage on your house.

Report errors at once, and ask that they be corrected. Guard your personal information well. There are three critical pieces of info that you should never divulge unless you absolutely have to: your Social Insurance/Security Number, your date of birth, and your mother’s maiden name.

Only governments, banks and your employer (or similar) have a right to ask for the first two. Refuse all others.

Syd Tash is a noted computer security consultant and author of How to Protect Your Computer Online. He has been keeping Internet surfers safe and secure since the last century. Find out how he does it; protect your own computer with five layers of protection right here:
= > http://MyPCSecuritySite.com

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