Fellowes Canada

Prevent Identity Theft: 10 Tips from #FellowesProtects

March 5, 2018 By Lena 108 Comments

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. …

Protect Yourself: Don’t Be a Victim of Identity Theft

February 26, 2017 By Lena 114 Comments

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

It’s not a subject that is at the top of everyone’s mind, but in my humble opinion, it’s not discussed enough. This year’s identity theft statisitcs are in. And, they are downright scary.
Almost one in five Canadians have, or know someone who has, been a victim of identity theft. Think about that for a moment. Statistically, that means by the time you’re done reading this post, hundreds of Canadians will have been victimized.

Don’t be one of them.

Identity theft is the most serious, non-violent crime and fastest growing type of fraud in North America. When someone takes your personal information and uses it for financial gain, it is classified as identity theft or fraud. According to Statistics Canada, identity fraud has increased by 8.62% from 2013 to 2014. In 2014 more than 20,000 identity theft cases were reported in Canada, with a loss of more than $10 million, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. …

ID Theft: Eight “Harmless” Ways to Lose Your Identity

February 29, 2016 By Lena

There you go, minding your own business. Doing things like you’ve always done, not hurting a fly. And then one fine day, when the sun is shining and the birds are singing – BAM! Someone swoops in and steals your identity.

Think it won’t happen to you? Think again.

Identity theft is at an all-time high in Canada. In fact, it’s the most serious, non-violent crime and fastest growing type of fraud in North America, increasing steadily and setting records in the number of data breaches recorded. In 2015, more than 17,000 identity theft cases were reported in Canada, with a loss of more than $10 million.

I’ll just let that sink in for a moment.

So, we know it’s a problem – one that Canadians simply aren’t paying enough attention to. However, it’s actually pretty easy to safeguard yourself and your loved ones against identity theft; there are simple steps you can take to ensure you’re not a victim. …

It’s That Time of Year Again: #PurifyYourAir

September 12, 2015 By Lena

It’s September, which means that the dreaded allergy and flu season is here.

Here’s the thing: Annually, Canadians invest $9.1 billion in janitorial and sanitation supplies to clean surfaces, remove odours and kill germs with touch-free hand sanitizers – none of which address the issue of illness from air transmission. Because even with all these products, if your child has asthma, there’s a 1 in 4 chance he or she will be heading to hospital this month.

Seriously.

Every year, up to 25% of the annual hospital admissions for asthma flare-ups among Canadian children occur in September. With the new school year in session, so comes some of most frequent asthma triggers: germs, low use of appropriate asthma medications over the summer months, and unventilated classrooms that may contain dust and mold spores.

Most asthma exacerbations are caused from the air we breathe. And, the dirty truth is that inside air is five times more polluted than outdoor air and we spend an average of 90% of our time indoors. With preventative care, we can decrease asthma sufferers’ reliance on steroid-containing inhalers as a first line of defense, an issue which has been receiving much dialogue among parents.

This is a subject I’m passionate about, as we have both allergy and asthma sufferers in our family. And that’s why I am proud to partner once again with Fellowes AeraMax Air Purifiers. The ONLY Air Purifier to be certified by the Asthma Society of Canada, AeraMax units safely remove 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. That means cleaner, safer air for you and your loved ones.

Learn more at the @FellowesCanada #PurifyYourAir Twitter Party on Thursday, September 17th at 8:00pm ET. In addition to sharing important information on how to make your air cleaner and safer, we’ll also have some incredible prizes up for grabs – join us for a chance to WIN!
RSVP below to be eligible for prizes (Canadians only) and we’ll see you on Thursday night. …

Protect Yourself with #FellowesProtects

March 21, 2015 By Lena

I’ve been a victim of identity theft. It can happen to you.

In my case, over $12,000 was charged to my account in just over six hours. I found out in the most inconvenient fashion; while exiting a parking garage after a rare romantic dinner with my husband, both our credit cards were declined at the checkpoint. Confused and frustrated – though lucky to have carried some cash that day – we arrived home to find two voice messages from VISA, asking us to call their fraud centre immediately.

Read about my ordeal here.

So, how can you protect yourself? From the Fellowes ID Theft Prevention Kit:

Shred, Shred, Shred! Invest in a good cross-cut shredder. Companies such as Fellowes make various models available at all price points. Shred all old bills, bank statements, credit card bills, receipts, personal documents and anything with your name or address on it.

Go paperless. Most companies (phone, cable, banks) offer customers the option to not have bills sent to their homes. This eliminates excess paper as well as lessens the chance someone else will pick up or intercept your mail. …

Do You Work Smart?

January 18, 2015 By Lena

Breaking News: Canadian workers are in pain.

Think I’m referring to the trades, like construction or carpentry? Nope. I’m talking about office workers. You know, the people who were once referred to as having “cushy” jobs.

FACT: Almost 7 out of 10 people experience back pain while working at their desks. On average, we spend 7 hours a day in front of a computer screen, and computer use causes 1 in 3 people to experience sore wrists, hands and/or arms. Even more alarming, 50% of people suffer from neck strain, eye strain and/or headaches while working at their desks.

And, I could go on.

Folks, what we have here is a hazard of our lifestyle, which left uncorrected, almost always develops into conditions that majorly impact the quality of our lives. That’s why I’m pleased to invite you to the @FellowesCanada #WorkSmart Twitter Party, where we’ll share valuable information on how to correct bad habits, and introduce you to a range of Fellowes wellness products that can help take the pressure off and ensure your work space is a healthier environment.
To thank you for participating, we have the most amazing prizes to give away. Seriously! This could completely change your work space. …

Purify Your Air.

September 25, 2014 By Lena

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

It happens every year, like clockwork.

On a morning – just like this morning – I will wake up, rub the sleep from my eyes, and swallow. And I will have a tickle at the back of my throat. Later that day, my nose will twitch; my eyes will water. I will understand that the misery of seasonal allergies is upon me, and I will resign myself to weeks (maybe months) of discontent.

It’s a September thing.

Canadians invest $9.1 billion annually in janitorial and sanitation supplies to clean surfaces, remove odours and kill germs with touch-free hand sanitizers – all of which address an issue that does not kill the key contributor to illness from air transmission. And even with all these products, if your child has asthma, there’s a 1 in 4 chance he or she will be heading to hospital in September. Every year, up to 25% of the annual hospital admissions for asthma flare-ups among Canadian children occur in September.

Why? It’s simple – and complicated. With the new school year, so comes some of the most frequent asthma triggers: germs, low use of appropriate asthma medications over the summer months increasing vulnerability, and unventilated classrooms that may contain dust, mould spores and more.

Although I thought allergies were my biggest concern, I’m actually writing this post on the heels of a very disturbing phone call I received from Reid’s school, just this afternoon.

“Mrs. Almeida, we’re concerned Reid has been coughing a lot today, bordering on wheezing.”
“Oh!” I replied. “Well, he was sick recently…”
“Is he asthmatic?” she asked.
“Noooo….” I answered.

And now, of course, I’m wondering if he is. It’s Reid’s first time in a group environment, so naturally he is exposed to germs, allergens and a whole grab bag of potential triggers that I simply did not have to worry about before. I know that most asthma exacerbations are caused from the air we breathe, and the dirty truth is that inside air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air. And, we spend an average of 90% of our time indoors. …

‘Tis the Season to #PurifyYourAir

September 11, 2014 By Lena

Take a peek at the calendar. Allergy and flu season are here! And Canadians invest $9.1 billion annually in janitorial and sanitation supplies to clean surfaces, remove odours and kill germs with touch-free hand sanitizers – all of which address an issue that does not kill the key contributor to illness from air transmission. Because even with all these products, if your child has asthma, there’s a 1 in 4 chance he or she will be heading to hospital in September.

How scary is that?

Every year, up to 25% of the annual hospital admissions for asthma flare-ups among Canadian children occur in September. With the new school year approaching, so comes some of most frequent asthma triggers: germs, low use of appropriate asthma medications over the summer months increasing vulnerability, and unventilated classrooms that may contain dust, mould spores.

Most asthma exacerbations are caused from the air we breathe. The dirty truth is that inside air is five times more polluted than outdoor air and we spend an average of 90% of our time indoors. Hopefully with preventative care we can decrease asthma sufferers’ reliance on steroid-containing inhalers as a first line of defence, an issue which has been receiving much dialogue among parents.

This is a subject I’m passionate about, as we have both allergy and asthma sufferers in our family. And that’s why I adore Fellowes AeraMax Air Purifiers. The ONLY Air Purifier to be certified by the Asthma Society of Canada, AeraMax units safely remove 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. That means cleaner, safer air for you and your loved ones.

Learn more at the @FellowesCanada #PurifyYourAir Twitter Party on Monday, September 15th at 8pm ET.
In addition to providing you with information on how you can keep your air clean this fall and winter, we’ve also got some terrific prizes up for grabs:

2 x $100 Staples Gift Cards
2 x AeraMax 100 Air Purifier (value $189.99)
2 x AeraMax 200 Air Purifier (value $290.99)
1 x AeraMax 300 Air Purifier (value $349.99)

RSVP below for your chance to win. – and see you on Monday night! …