What personal information should I never share online?

Never share your Social Insurance Number (SIN), banking passwords or PINs, credit card full number + CVV + expiry date together, Ontario health card number, and your full home address with exact postal code on public social media. These five items are the keys to your identity and financial life.

If a government website asks for my SIN, is that safe?

Government websites (those ending in .gc.ca) do sometimes require your SIN for tax filing or benefit applications. Check the web address carefully — it must end in .gc.ca, not any other domain. Never provide your SIN in response to an email or phone call you did not initiate.

5 Things You Should Never Share Online

By Aaron Kramer, Two Birds Innovation · March 2026

Some information, once in the wrong hands, gives criminals everything they need to steal your identity or empty your accounts. These five items should stay private:

Never share these 5 things

🔴 Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) — this is the key to your entire financial identity in Canada. Only share it with your employer for payroll, your bank when opening an account, or official government portals ending in .gc.ca
🔴 Your banking passwords and PINs — no bank, CRA agent, or tech support person will ever legitimately ask you for these. Ever.
🔴 Your full credit card details (number + expiry + CVV together) — only enter these on websites you navigated to yourself, with a padlock in the address bar
🔴 Your Ontario health card number — this is used for identity fraud. Only share it with a healthcare provider in person
🔴 Your full home address with postal code on public social media — this helps criminals know when you are away from home and where to find you

The emergency exception

In a genuine 911 emergency, you will give your address to the dispatcher. That is the right thing to do. The rule above is about protecting yourself from scammers, not about preventing you from getting help when you truly need it.

Want to learn more?
Module 2: The Security Shield goes deeper on this topic.
Go to module → All Tips →