Stolen laptop

What to do if your College‑issued laptop is lost or stolen

If your College‑issued laptop is lost or stolen, immediately follow these steps:

1. Call the Winnipeg Police Service non‑emergency number, 204‑632‑6222, and obtain a police report. (If you are not a resident of Winnipeg, file a report with the local police in your community.)
2. Report the incident to RRC Polytech Security Services in‑person, or by phone at 204‑632‑2323, and obtain an incident tracking number.
3. See the ITS Service Desk website to notify IT Solutions of the incident.
4. Change the password to your College network account, as well as any web‑based applications such as your online banking, social media, personal email, etc.
5. Immediately report any incidents of identity theft. Refer to the Reporting identity theft section for detailed information.
   
   IMPORTANT: IT Solutions maintains the ability to secure and delete any information stored locally on your lost or stolen laptop.

Protecting your personal information

Your laptop may contain personal information about you that others could use for fraudulent or illegal purposes. If you use web‑based applications such as online banking, social media, or personal email, your personal information (including passwords and credit card numbers) may be stored in your computer’s cache memory by these third‑party applications.

If your laptop is lost or stolen, immediately change all of your passwords. This not only includes your College network account, but also your web‑based application passwords. If you think that someone has illegally accessed your personal or financial information, immediately report the suspicious activity. Refer to the Reporting identity theft section for detailed information.

Reporting identity theft

If you suspect that someone has used the personal information stored on your laptop to commit fraud or theft, take immediate action and keep a detailed record of your conversations and correspondence.

If you believe you have been a victim of identity theft, immediately follow these steps:

1. Call the Winnipeg Police Service non‑emergency number, 204‑632‑6222, and obtain a police report. (If you are not a resident of Winnipeg, file a report with the local police in your community.)
2. Notify your financial institutions and credit card companies.
3. Contact the following two national credit reporting agencies to report the fraud, identify any suspicious or unauthorized activity on your account, and receive advice about protecting your credit report:
   • Equifax Canada
   • TransUnion Canada
4. Report the incident to the Canadian Anti‑Fraud Centre.
   
   NOTE: Visit the RCMP’s Identity Theft and Identity Fraud webpage for detailed information about recognizing, reporting, and stopping identity theft and fraud.

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