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22 stoufville suntribune thursday dec 12005 callers never have to identify themselves or testify in court w cash rewards for anonymous tips that lead to an arresf 1800222t1ps or wwwcrimesioppersyrca this message brought to you as a community service of the economistsuntribune ihi most authentic art reproductions the world has ever seen contemporary classics impressionists old masters beautifully framed see and feei the texture of real brushstrokes ixf- hwy 407 r i kkm sat dec 3rd 9am 6pm sun dec 4th 9am 4pm dec 59 10am 6pm 14th ave renoir spring bouquet 170 shields court south of 407 west off woodbine see map ph9057715820 online shoppers get protection threedigit security code helps prove identity by patrick mangion staff writer with cash registers across the region set to sing over the holidays consumers paying with plastic will have an added peace of mind if youre like millions of other cana dian shoppers and you plan on making purchases online or over the telephone you may be asked for yet another piece of information to confirm your identity before the transaction is approved its called an esn or electronic serial number a threedigit number often found on the back of credit cards above the signature if you havent been asked to provide this number yet or youre hearing about it for the first time youre not alone its new to canada visa canada spokesperson mei ankrett said its an extra layer of security for mer chants and the cardholder when the card isnt- present like with web phone and mail transactions she said the code is printed nowhere but the back of your card its used by merchants to verify you have the card in your possession when making online or telephone purchases the intent is to prevent credit card fraud canadians spent more than 3 bil lion shopping online in 2003 a 25per cent increase from the previous year according to statistics canada but retailers only began demanding the number in canada six months ago and word is slowly getting out its a long process informing all 26 million visa card holders ms ankrett said despite the added security feature you should remain vigilant in protecting personal financial information dont just give out information unless you initiate the contact ms ankrett said the shift to heightened security for credit cards is captured by statistics from the canadian bankers association that show fraudulent credit card use reached an alltime high last year more than 177000 mastercard and visa customers reported having their card used for fraudulent means in 2004 thats a sharp increase from the 146310 cases in 2003 and nearly three times 1994 levels the new feature comes as welcome news to overburdened fraud investiga tors like york regional police det fred kerr it will protect merchants and pro tect the integrity of the industry theres no doubt about it its a good idea if a thief doesnt have the number on the signature strip they cant use your card thats the bottom line det kerr said aside from the new electronic serial number there are other ways to protect yourself from credit card fraud sign all your credit cards as soon as you receive them shred all personal and financial information including bank statements and credit card atm receipts report lost or stolen cards immediately fctt saturday oeceiviber 3 rd one day only everything in the store jacket pants shirts sweaters 4- off snowboard packages boards boots bindings blrton jacket pants pre christmas special on childrens bikes 2s cmflf zj c columbia w sportswear conipam jackets childrens teens adults eff all hockey equipment including skates and composite sticks 43 a steel hockey nets reg 13900 wf in stock items only extended hours for your convenience 900 am 600 pm one day huge sale quants a p a wmiiun ae boyds sot forsports 2 ringwocd dr stouffville 9056406657 or visit our web sitetovyw boydsfscom msm- ilyjj av tin- as uxti association we can help for more information about asthma call the lung association this message brought to you as a community service of the economist sun