Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.
I know, I sound like a broken record. “Protect your identity!” I’ll say. “Shred those documents!” But can you believe that a sizeable percentage of Canadians – perhaps including ones reading my post at this very moment – are still guilty of:
1) Carrying their SIN or birth certificate in their wallet
2) Throwing bills in the trash (or worse, the recycling bin!)
3) Using their birthdate or 1234 as their PIN
Ugh! Stop! These are all paths to the dark side – identity theft. Identity theft is the most serious, non-violent crime and fastest growing type of fraud in North America.
But fear not, friends! There are ways to protect yourself. Courtesy of my friends at Fellowes Canada – pioneers in creating innovative products with superior design, performance and durability – here are 10 Tips for Preventing Identity Theft.
SHRED IT. Anything with your name and address on it, such as: monthly credit card statements, employment pay stubs, personal income tax reports (older than 6 years), monthly utility bills, spam mail and membership notices. Shredding documents is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from identity theft and fraud. Check out two of Fellowes’ most popular models: the Powershred 8C -8 Sheet Cross Cut Shredder or Powershred W10C 10-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder.
GO PAPERLESS. Most companies and service providers offer customers the option of digital billing. Not having bills sent to homes eliminates excess paper, and lessens the chance someone else will pick up or intercept your mail.
KNOW YOUR MAIL CYCLE. Make sure you are aware of when you are scheduled to get your mail. If you notice that you have stopped receiving certain bills, follow up with the provider as someone may have changed the address for it.
PROTECT YOUR PIN. When using your debit or credit card, ensure you are keeping your PIN a secret. Be aware of your surroundings and make sure no one is sneaking a peak at your digits.
DOUBLE CHECK STATEMENTS. It’s easy to forget to check your statements when you get e-billing. Ensure you regularly keep track of account activities so you are not left with unwanted charges you never made.
USE A CREATIVE PASSWORD. Although it may be convenient to use a password that is easy to remember, it may not be the most secure choice. Select a password that no one would be able to guess, and stay away from obvious choices such as, ‘1234’.
ALWAYS LOG OUT. When you are doing any type of banking online, ensure you log out of the computer you are using especially when you are at the office, or on a shared computer.
SECURE YOUR HOME MAILBOX. If possible, we recommend investing in a mailbox that only you can access. With many Canadians still opting for paper billing, mail theft is an easy way for identity thieves to obtain your personal information.
PROTECT PERSONAL INFO. Always be careful who you are giving your personal information to, and never carry your Birth Certificate or SIN card on you unless absolutely required.
KNOW WHO TO CALL. Suspect you have fallen victim to fraud? Call your bank and have them cancel your cards and re-issue new ones so you are not held liable for any losses. Then, contact your local police departmentto file a report, and Canada’s main credit agencies.
Want to learn more about how you can protect yourself and your loved ones? Join the #FellowesProtects Twitter Party on Wednesday, March 7th at 12:00pm EST. Simply follow @FellowesCanada for useful tips on how you can take steps to prevent identity theft. As always, there will be some amazing prizes up for grabs!
Now, since I am a passionate about helping my followers protect themselves from identity theft, Fellowes Canada has offered a Powershred 79Ci Cross-Cut Shredder to one lucky reader!
The best choice for any small or home office – the Fellowes Powershred 79Ci Cross-Cut Shredder can shred up to 16 sheets of paper per pass and also safely shreds CDs, DVDs, credit cards, staples, paper clips and junk mail. The 100% Jam Proof System eliminates paper jams, powering through tough jobs. With the ability to shred for up to 20 minutes before a cool down period is needed, the 79Ci is ideal for deskside use and includes a 6-gallon pull-out bin.
The value of this shredder is $365! Quite simply, it’s perfect for a home office or a small business, and makes the perfect gift for an entrepreneur you may know. To enter the giveaway, simply fill the form below with your qualifying entries.
Hope to see you at the Twitter Party! Mark your calendars for #FellowesProtects and see you on Wednesday afternoon.
This post is sponsored by Fellowes Canada. The opinions on this blog, as always, are my own.
securing mailbox. mine is open and I’m always nervous about it
I find the tip about checking your statements to be helpful. It’s not always something I think to do since our bill typically stays the same. Thanks
I want to protect myself from identity theft! I need to be more deligent.
ALWAYS LOG OUT. This is a good one, I always forget to.
ooo double check statements! that is something I do not do but need to start!
I always make sure to check my bank statements.
The most helpful tip would be to always log out because I know sometimes we forget to log out because we are in a hurry or we think shutting down the browser will automatically log us out.
I think ALWAYS LOG OUT is so important. Sometimes there is a time out but it is important to log out and not have your info on page too long for anyone to see.
the mail box, i need to secure it better
Shred it is the most helpful as I think that is where a lot of identity fraud happens.
DOUBLE CHECK STATEMENTS – always do this and reconcile receipts to statements
Protect Your Pin
I need to be more aware of people around me when paying & not be in so much of a rush all the time.
My favourite tip is always log out because I feel like some people forget or think it’s ok to stay signed in because it’s their own computer. Online threats are increasing and we have to try our best to protect ourselves and our personal info.
Favourite tip would be to stop forgetting to log out of accounts on your devices ! Which i have to work on !
@JulieAnne23
These are all terrific protection reminders, thanks very much. The one that stood out the most to me is KNOW YOUR MAIL CYCLE, to ensure that the bills that you receive in the mail are received on schedule and if not, contact the provider ASAP.
The tip to double check statements, something I quite often forget to do
Double checking statements. With e-bills it is waaaaay to easy to forget this step.
Always double check bill statements and account transactions. So often small transaction can go unnoticed.
I throw bills away without shredding. I need to change that!
Always log out! I never remember to do that.
ALWAYS LOG OUT. When you are doing any type of banking online, ensure you log out of the computer you are using especially when you are at the office, or on a shared computer.
This is something I am always forgetting .. good advise !
I’m going to share the password tips with my mom and mother in law. I think it could really benefit them both!
Also a good reminder to never throw your personal documents in the recycling!
Thanks for the information and the reality check…
These tips are great! thank you for sharing. My favourite tip is ‘Go Paperless’ – it is easier and you get less mail and waste less paper, too! Thank you :)
double check statements
Always logging out us my favourite tip. I can be lazy about that sometimes and this is a good reminder!
I like the tip to always log out after online banking.
Shred it is very important. I need to invest in a shredder.
I liked the creative password tip
KNOW YOUR MAIL CYCLE, This in a good idea, never thought of it. It has happened to me and I had them change it to email.
Always log out! I sometime forget and close the page before I log out.
I wish my mailmen would be more careful, he delivered sensitive document in my neighbour street mailbox.
ALWAYS LOG OUT. When you are doing any type of banking online, ensure you log out of the computer you are using especially when you are at the office, or on a shared computer.
this is very useful as there are too many hackers out there and everyone needs to protect their things
“KNOW WHO TO CALL.” is a good reminder. Because I didn’t think about it myself.
I like the tip about shredding! Because you never know who might go through your trash/recycling to get personal info. We definitely need a shredder!
securing mailbox
I think the not carrying your SIN in your wallet. I never really thought about it being a security risk if it was with me.
Shredding sensitive documents is very important. I’ve made it a habit to shred anything that has my name or personal information on it.
I always log out. And I turn off my computer when I’m not home.
DOUBLE CHECK STATEMENTS is a good one.
Always shred anything with my name or pur name and address even though they will find our name in address book or.tel.book. I sign off in my computer everyday.
To ALWAYS LOG OUT – this one is good to remember.
I found the tip to double check statements the most helpful as I don’t also do so.
Going paperless is a great idea. So long as your online persona is secure, it’s a great tip for avoiding identity thieves who may be going through trash looking for documents.
Thanks for the information.Logging out,dang I never do that….read my statement….Thanks I have much to learn
Securing mailbox, scary thank you think
DOUBLE CHECK STATEMENTS – I tend not to since everything is electronic now so I forgot to log in to check the monthly credit card statements.
SECURE YOUR HOME MAILBOX is the one I find most useful! Not just securing my mailbox but I find I rarely shred my mail that I throw away. Which I should start doing.
always log out, because i don’t do it and didn’t realize it’s a way for identity theft to happen.
I make it a practise now to double check everything on our statements. I’ve caught a couple of very suspicious, and very minor, charges that way!
Double check statement and bill cycle, also keeping mailbox safe.
PROTECT PERSONAL INFO. Always be careful who you are giving your personal information to, and never carry your Birth Certificate or SIN card on you unless absolutely required. This is certainly extremely important. I’ve just had weeks and weeks of back and forth with my bank in England who wanted proof that I pay my taxes here. I sent in my latest tax return but they still weren’t happy as there were XXX out spaces in the place of the tax number. I explained again and again why that was. They still weren’t happy and I had to actually fill in the whole form again. I mean honestly my name hasn’t changed so why all this hoo hah about a tax number, ridiculous.
Make sure that someone reliable looks after your mail if you go away on vacation or are away from home for any period of time.
I have to pick PROTECT YOUR PIN because I didn’t necessarily think about this especially when I’m in the check out lane bagging my groceries and I’m all distracted.
DOUBLE CHECK STATEMENTS is a useful tip because there are lots of transactions and we tend not to check them to ensure they are legit.
That I shouldn’t toss bills in the recycle bin! We so need a shredder. Thanks for the chance!
Always Log Out! I try to be very careful about this when I am doing my online activities. You definitely have to be careful these days.
Oops forgot the why – think it is important to log out because you often leave devices sitting around and you want to make sure that no one else can pick it up and access your information.
The tip about always logging out!
Know your mail cycle so you know if the mail has been stolen.
Be sure to create a password that is creative so it’s so much more harder to crack protect against hackers and malware. Protecting your identity is important.
Securing my home mailbox is most relevant… the problem is, if the mailman and delivery people cant access it, theres no point
I find the tip about checking your statements helpful, I never though about that one before now.
Double check statements. It’s something I get pretty lazy about as long as the main numbers all seem about right but I couldeasily miss something because I don’t take the time to check them better.
I found the tip about Securing your home mailbox very helpful because it’s something I’ve never really thought about doing but I will now.
go paperless, or secure the mailbox, woulnt think of that, scary thought that people would do that
I like the tip to make a create password because so often we are lazy & want something simple. The more people know about you, the easier it is for them to be able to guess a password you might be using! All too often people use their birthdays or other info that could be easy for hackers to find out.
I like the tip to DOUBLE CHECK STATEMENTS. I have had shady errors on my statements in the past, so this is important.
I have been guilty of tossing bills and mailers into the recycle bin. I was really good until my last shredder broke. I definitely need a new one.
Always logging out is the most helpful tip to me. It’s so easy to forget, and leave yourself vulnerable!
The tip I found most useful is securing your mailbox. I never thought that it always open to anyone that has the nerve to take my items from it.
Always double check your statements. It takes a few minutes but give you peace of mind.
My favourite tip is ALWAYS LOG OUT! Thanks for all the other helpful tips too.
Know who to call is the step I’m most interested in because if something did happen I wouldn’t have a clue who to contact first.
Knowing who to Call! There are so many scams around these days, text, phone, mail, email you name it. it’s nice to know where to direct the concerns
I think that knowing your mail cycle is a good tip!
USE A CREATIVE PASSWORD – It’s so important to use passwords that people can’t figure out!
KNOW WHO TO CALL was my favourite tip because that made me stop and think about recording all my card info and their contact numbers in case I ever need them.
Going paperless makes so much scents to me , no one can still your mail.
The tip “always log out” – I’m really bad about that one!!!!
I found the “USE A CREATIVE PASSWORD” tip most useful. I have had my facebook hacked a few times.
i like the tip to double check statements. its easy to get lazy and not even single check them
use creative passwords, to increase security of passwords
Using Creative passwords to increase the security. This is so important, my passwords are always weak – I also learned that I should use simple things like kids name or animals names etc. Easy to figure out.
ALWAYS LOG OUT. being mindful is so important. I’ve made a little sticky to remind myself to try and train my brain to do it automatically. thanks
I found it helpful to know who to call because it is a good reminder.
I think double check account statements is the most helpful since if there’s anything unusual I will be able to notice and make further inquiries
To always check my statements. I need to be more diligent.
My most helpful tip for me was to ALWAYS LOG OUT!
I need to be more diligent on PROTECT YOUR PIN. I don’t want it to fall into the wrong hands
I need to protect my pin more I am not doing it but after reading this blog post I am for sure now
Securing your home mailbox is something I hadn’t thought of.. thanks.
I’ve seen a couple of people who have secured mailboxes when visiting them, smart idea.
Protect personal information! It’s important to know the safety basics online
always log out. have to make a note for myself. thx
Don’t carry your SIN or your original birth certificate with you …. I think at one time people didn’t even blink when it came to giving out your SIN to a bank…I think we all felt like that was one institute you could trust. And nowadays the original birth certificates are too huge to carry around, unlike 60 yrs ago
Remembering to always log out!!
USE A CREATIVE PASSWORD to protect your digital properties
Double check your statements
I like the shredding of all import and personal.business documents. This is the best way to stop identity theft.oh fingers cross as we can use this shredder big time.
I like the tip to secure your home mailbox. A lot of personal info and important documents are sent this way, yet access is open to anyone.
“DOUBLE CHECK STATEMENTS” is the most helpful
Know who to call – it’s better to be overprepared than have to do a bunch of research and miss a step after the fact. When I was a tween I lost my wallet and was only afraid that someone would use my library card and I’d be stuck with all the fees – thankfully my mom was on top of all of the other things when I told her and luckily it was only lost in the house so no overdue items were ever reported but I still don’t know every card I carry and who I would have to contact if I actually did lose my wallet now #scarythought *knocksallthewood*
Going paperless is my favourite tip. There have been times when I have received someone else’s mail by mistake. I would hate to have my mail, containing personal information, opened by someone else.
Logging out is the most helpful tip for me because I tend to forget to do that sometimes.
Know your mail cycle, I rely on the companies I need to pay to send me a bill or an email.
I will be more diligent and record those on the calendar to be sure.
Using creative passwords. With the amount of online accounts I have I definitely need to be smarter about my password picking!
`Going paperless, because i had the bad experience someone intercept my paper bills once, and i ‘m receive my bills online now, i feel more secure.
I was Phished once, so I know what a pain getting all your ID changed is. I am super careful now. Good suggestions here.