TransUnion.ca Provides Consumers With Steps to Minimize Exposure to Identity Theft During Holiday Shopping Season
TORONTO--(Marketwire - Nov 17, 2011) - Next week starts the official holiday shopping season and while consumers are trekking through the malls or cruising websites looking for great holiday bargains, it may be difficult for them to remember that not everyone around them is as caught up in the holiday spirit. Some of their fellow shoppers may actually be identity thieves looking to parlay the season's hustle and bustle into an opportunity to steal their personal information and, ultimately, their money.
A recent IBOPE Zogby International survey commissioned by TransUnion found that nearly half (45 percent) of Canadians surveyed plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping online. At the same time, 33 percent of Canadians surveyed say they are more afraid of becoming the victim of identity theft during the holiday shopping season.
"The holidays present a wealth of opportunity for identity thieves," says Tom Reid, director of consumer solutions at TransUnion. "The hectic holiday season can potentially expose our personal information to theft in both high-tech ways like phishing scams, and in traditional ones, such as a stolen wallet or mail theft."
TransUnion.ca provides consumers with proactive steps they can take now that will help minimize their exposure to identity theft -- both while shopping online and in the malls. While these tips from TransUnion.ca are useful year round, they're especially important during the holiday season:
Survey Methodology
IBOPE Zogby International was commissioned by TransUnion to conduct an online survey of 502 Canadian adults.
IBOPE Zogby International's partners supply email addresses for adults in Canada. These panelists were invited to participate from 10/19/11 to /20/11. Slight weights were added to region, age, education, and gender to more accurately reflect the population. The margin of error is +/- 4.5 percentage points. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.
About TransUnion
As a global leader in information and risk management, TransUnion creates advantages for millions of people around the world by gathering, analyzing and delivering information. For businesses, TransUnion helps improve efficiency, manage risk, reduce costs and increase revenue by delivering high quality data, and integrating advanced analytics and enhanced decision-making capabilities. For consumers, TransUnion provides the tools, resources and education to help manage their credit health and achieve their financial goals. Through these and other efforts, TransUnion is working to build stronger economies worldwide. Based in Burlington, Ontario, with global headquarters located in Chicago, Illinois, TransUnion provides local service and support throughout Canada. Visit www.transunion.ca to learn more.
Contact Information:
For More Information:
John Branham
512.351.3512