Don’t be a victim of Identity Theft

Identity theft is on the rise and the methods of stealing one’s identity are becoming more sophisticated by the day. Consumers need to be aware of the dangers and protect themselves from becoming victims. There are many ways we can keep our identities safe:

• Use unique and complicated passwords online
• Keep important documents like passports and SIN cards locked up at home or in a safe deposit box
• Do not share personal information online
• Never send your credit card information through email or messenger services
• Turn off touch payment and touch transfer functions on your smartphones
• Review your credit card statements and bank accounts closely
• Use your shredder

I have the Fellowes Powershred 60Cs, and I’ve been putting it to good use to protect myself from identity theft. I shred old credit cards, expired identification cards and any financial documents that I no longer need, but there are many other things that need to be shredded as well. To protect your identity, add the following items to your “to be shredded” box:

• Junk mail that has your name and address on it
• Boarding passes, Train tickets or any other ticket that has a bar code for identification
• Bank withdrawal and deposit slips
• Bills and credit card statements (after reviewing, of course)
• Paystubs, tax forms after 6-7 years

The safest rule of thumb is to shred anything that has your name, address, phone number, social insurance number or financial information on it. With a powerful cross cut shredder like mine, you can do several pages at once and you don’t have to worry about removing staples or paperclips. It even chews up passports and plastic cards.

Find a shredder to keep yourself protected by visiting your nearest Staples store, or by shopping at Staples online.