Protecting Your Personal Information When Looking for a Job

It is very important to protect your personal information during a job search.

Whenever you apply for a job, personal information is shared in your résumé and during the job interview. You must be cautious before disclosing any personal information such as:

• Your social insurance number
• Your marital status
• Your age or date of birth
• Your driver’s licence number
• Your health insurance card number
• Your financial information (credit card number, bank account number and personal identification number)

An employer may invite you to apply for a job on their website using an online form. If you have any doubts about the nature of the information requested or how it will be used, do not provide it. Wait until the hiring process is complete to share the required personal information.

When in doubt, you can ask the employer whether it is necessary to ask you for some personal information. This approach and the refusal to provide some personal information are legitimate. The employer cannot penalize you for wanting to protect your right to privacy.

Do not hesitate to report any suspicious job offers to the Centre d'assistance au placement.

If you believe that you are a victim of identity theft after providing personal information, follow the recommended steps below:

1. Report the incident to the Sûreté du Québec.
2. Notify your financial institution and credit card company, and report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
3. Contact the 2 national credit bureaus and ask them to place a fraud alert in your credit file.
   • Equifax Canada
   • TransUnion Canada

For more information, visit the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec website (in French only).