What should I do if I am a victim of identity theft? What steps should I take?

If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, we suggest contacting Equifax for further assistance so you can place an alert on your file, to receive alerts to key changes to help you detect and protect against potential fraud. You can reach them here 1-866-828-5961. Once you have opened an investigation with Equifax, Borrowell will wait for the documentation. You may then send us an email at [email protected] with your information and we will confirm the deactivation of the Borrowell account that was created under your name.

I already placed an alert on file with Equifax, will Borrowell call me if someone creates an account under my name?

We currently offer our Borrowell customer support through email. If there is an alert on your file, Equifax will not give us identity verification questions to present to the user. The process will be automatically blocked. We can be contacted directly at [email protected].

Will you place an alert on file with Equifax on my behalf?

Due to security reasons, Borrowell cannot place an alert on file on your behalf. We recommend contacting Equifax Canada at 1-866-828-5961 (press 7 to speak with a representative). 

Can you call the police directly to file a claim?

Due to security reasons, Borrowell cannot call the RMCP directly on your behalf. Should an RCMP require further assistance, they can contact us directly at [email protected]

How can I reach you if I am a victim of identity theft?

We can be contacted via email at [email protected]

I have an alert on file and am a victim of identity theft, but I still want to create a Borrowell account to monitor my credit in case of any fraudulent activities. Will I be able to?

Unfortunately, as long as there is an alert on your Equifax file, you will not be able to check your credit score with Borrowell. The only way we can verify your identity is through the security questions generated by Equifax. If there is an alert on your file, the questions will not be presented to you. We are unable to verify your identity over the phone.

I received an email or text saying I was approved for a loan. How do I know if it’s from Borrowell?

Here is a quick guide as to what Borrowell may or may not do as part of our loan application process to help you identify suspicious activity. 

Borrowell may: 

• Send you an email from an @borrowell.com email address that asks you to apply for a Borrowell loan. This would occur only if you are Borrowell member and it has been indicated that you are pre-qualified for a loan.
• Confirm information about your loan, only if you have applied for a loan on the Borrowell website (www.borrowell.com). We would contact you via email from an @borrowell.com address.
• Contact you with further inquiries pertaining to your loan application and those would come from an @borrowell.com address. 

Borrowell will NOT:

• Email you saying you’re approved for a loan if you have not applied for a loan on the Borrowell website.
• Ask for any money, gift cards, pre-paid credit or debit card or anything of monetary value from you upfront.
• Ask you to transfer money via Western Union or other means. All money transfers are done via pre-authorized debit agreements.
• Email you from alternative addresses. Emails from us will always come from an @borrowell.com email address.

If you have received a text, call, email or mail that appears to be fraudulent, we advise you to not reply or open any of the attachments. Do not click on any of the links or contact any of the phone numbers provided. Please report these emails as spam or phishing to your email provider.

If you are ever concerned with the legitimacy of email, text, call or mail please reach out to us at [email protected] and report any fraudulent activity to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or by calling the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

If you suspect you may be the victim of fraud or have been tricked into giving personal or financial information, please contact your local police service.

How do I report an email, text, mail or phone call that I think is a scam?

If you have received a text or email that appears to be fraudulent, we advise you to not reply or open any of the attachments. Do not click on any of the links or contact any of the phone numbers provided. Please report these emails as spam or phishing to your email provider.

Keep an information log of the emails, texts, calls or documents that you may have received to include in your report.

To report a suspected fraud email, text, phone call or mail that looks like it comes from Borrowell, please reach out to us at [email protected]

Report any fraudulent activity to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or by calling the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

If you suspect you may be the victim of fraud or have been tricked into giving personal or financial information, please contact your local police service.

What do I need to look out for to ensure I don’t fall for a scam that appears to be from Borrowell?

Beware of unsolicited emails, text messages, mail letters or phone calls and do not click on any attachments or links. When in doubt, ask yourself:

• Is this an unsolicited email, call, text or letter?
• Are they asking me for money, gift cards, prepaid credit or debit card or anything of monetary value that you must send to them upfront?
• Are they asking me to transfer money via Western Union or other means? (Please note that all Borrowell money transfers are done via pre-authorized debit agreements.)
• Is the email, text or caller pressuring me to act urgently?
• If you answered yes to any of the above, it is possible that it could be a scam.

Any contact from Borrowell will always come from an @borrowell.com email address and you would have signed up to be a Borrowell member.

How is Borrowell helping to protect me against fraud?

Working together is the best way to help us protect you against fraud. Our team actively works to detect, prevent and investigate fraud and we work closely with government and law enforcement. To ensure that you are safe and secure with Borrowell, we invest in technology and maintain rigorous security procedures. Fraud detection and protection is part of our day to day normal business activities and we work hard to employ controls to detect and prevent fraudulent activity.

If you suspect that you have received an email, text message, mail letter or phone call that appears to be from Borrowell and you suspect is fraudulent, please reach out to us at [email protected] and report any fraudulent activity to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or by calling the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

If you suspect you may be the victim of fraud or have been tricked into giving personal or financial information, please contact your local police service.

Victims of identity fraud should place flags on all their accounts and report to both credit bureaus, Equifax and Transunion.

If you suspect a friend or family member is a victim of fraud, encourage them to report their experience and share the information above on how to avoid fraud.