Identity Theft A Major Concern For Most Canadians:

TORONTO, ON - According to a recent study conducted by Ipsos -Reid on behalf of Capital One Canada, over three quarters (77%) of Canadians are very or somewhat concerned about becoming a victim to identity theft in the future.

The survey also finds that many Canadians have experienced some form of identity theft or attempted identity theft. One-quarter (24%) have received emails that appeared to come from a financial institution that asked them to verify their input account, password or personal information or "phishing". One-in-seven (14%) have been the victim of a "phishing" scam, fifteen percent say their credit card has been used fraudulently and the credit cards of 12% have been stolen.

Canadians believe many people/institutions are responsible to protect people from identity theft crime, especially themselves: When asked whose responsibility is it to protect people from identity theft crime, 92% said it was the individual's, 87% said credit card companies, 86% cited other financial institutions such as banks, 70% credit bureaus, 68% retailers, 67% government, indicating a strong sense of shared responsibility.

However, many are not taking the recommended precautions to prevent identity theft. Half (51%) of respondents said "no" when asked if they keep any credit cards they are not using, locked in a safe place and 45% said "no" when asked if they review or monitor their credit bureau report or files on a regular basis for errors or suspicious loans.

Finally, one-in-five (21%) Canadians say they are not well informed about how to protect themselves against identity theft and only 10% feel that information available to consumers to help them protect themselves from identity theft is fully adequate.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on behalf of Capital One Canada. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 2002 adult Canadians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within +/- 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.

Please open attached files to view full press release and detailed tables.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Gail Cowling
Ipsos-Reid
416.324.2900
[email protected]

Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country's leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos-Reid employs more than 300 researcher professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos Reid's Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada - including the Ipsos Trend Report, the leading source of public opinion in the country - all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2004, Ipsos generated global revenues of 605.6 million Euro ($752.8 million U.S.).

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.