Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

#FellowesProtects

Prevent Identity Theft: 10 Tips from #FellowesProtects

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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. …

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

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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. …

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

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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. …

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Protect Yourself! WIN a Fellowes Powershred 63cb Shredder

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Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

It’s annual. It’s unavoidable. And sometimes, it’s a pain in the behind. It’s tax season.

If you’ve already completed your 2014 income tax return, congratulations! Hopefully by now you’re enjoying your refund, or have paid the amount owing and put it out of your mind. And if you’ve yet to file your taxes… two weeks, friends! The deadline is in two weeks.

Of course, you may have a small reminder of tax season… papers, documents, receipts, invoices, agreements…. and what should you do with it all? If your gut reaction is simply to throw it in the trash, STOP! You may be putting yourself at risk for identity theft.

The answer? Shred, shred, shred.

I’m once again pleased to partner with Fellowes Canada, the global leader in paper shredder design and engineering, providing the highest quality personal and general office business shredders on the market. With their innovative “Jam Blocker” technology and Energy Savings System, they’ve earned a reputation as the “World’s Toughest Shredders”.

Now y’all know I love my Fellowes Powershred 63cb Cross-Cut Shredder; it’s a staple in my home office. Features:

– Jam Blocker blocks jams before they start
– SafeSense Technology stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening
– Energy Savings System provides optimal energy efficiency 100% of the time – in use and out of use
– Shreds 10 sheets per pass into 5/32”x 2” cross-cut particles (Security Level 3)
– Shreds for up to 8 minutes before a 20 minute cool down period
– One year product warranty and five year cutter warranty

I’ll never tire of saying this: every home needs a shredder. And Fellowes makes it easy and affordable to safely dispose of all your personal records, thereby reducing the chances of being a victim of identity theft. Every tax season, I put the shredder to the test with a whole year’s worth of statements and receipts. I’ve shredded old credit cards. I’ve shredded documents with staples and paper clips. I’ve even shredded CDs – yes, CDs! …

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Protect Yourself with #FellowesProtects

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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. …

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Protect Yourself: The #FellowesProtects Twitter Party

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If you read my post Protect Yourself with #FellowesProtects, you’ll know that like so many, I’ve been a victim of credit card fraud. And, I don’t want the same to happen to you! Be sure to check out the Top 10 Documents You Should be Shredding, and enter to win a Fellowes Powershred 63cb Cross-Cut Shredder to help protect against identity theft. (Giveaway ends in two weeks! Good luck!)

Since March is Fraud Prevention Month and I’ve got Family Travel on my mind, I’m eager to share the following tips to Protect Yourself from Identity Fraud while on Vacation:

1. Put a hold on your mail. If you are planning to be gone for an extended period of time (a week or more), it’s a good idea to put a hold on all your mail (bank statements, credit card bills etc…).

2. Take out the garbage. Don’t leave any personal items that are not shredded in your blue bins or garbage cans. If thieves notice you are away, it doesn’t take long to go through your bills and obtain information leading to fraud.

3. Alert Credit Card Companies. Be sure to let your credit card providers know you will be travelling, so if any suspicious charges appear on your card, they will know ahead of time. Also, this will help them keep track of other possibly suspicious charges that could appear elsewhere.

4. Limit Online Banking.  If you use internet cafes or other public- usage computers, ensure you log out of all sites that may give out personal information – especially when on a public computer.

5. Keep your wallet light. Travel with as few cards and personal information as possible. Lock all valuables in your hotel safe or your suitcase. Pickpockets are more common than you think!

6. Never leave valuables unattended.  Be sure to never leave your passport, birth certificate credit cards etc. lying around your hotel room. Most hotels provide a safe in each room, so use it!

7. Keep a close watch on your bills. When you get home from your vacation, ensure you thoroughly check your bank statements and credit card bills for any possibly suspicious activity.

8. Choose ATMs carefully. Banks have been reporting more and more ATM-skimming crimes. This is when thieves insert a card reader into an ATM to capture your account information and PIN number when you use your card. It’s best to stick with ATMs located directly in a bank.

Looking for more information? Be sure to like Fellowes Canada on Facebook to gain access to a great variety of ID Theft Prevention Resources, including an ID Theft Prevention Kit, Shredding Tips, What To Do if You’re a Victim and more. And for a great chat focused on keeping your personal information safe and secure, please join us at the @FellowesCanada #FellowesProtects Twitter Party!

Join us on Wednesday, March 26th at 8pm EDT as we tweet up a storm with important, relevant information perfectly timed for Fraud Prevention Month, and in advance of tax season! Of course, we’ll have amazing prizes up for grabs:

2 x 63Cb shredders (retail value $189.99)
2 x P-12C shredders (retail value $99.97)
4 x 4-pk of Fellowes Bankers Box R-Kive boxes (retail $19.99)

RSVP below for a chance to win, and see you on Wednesday night!…

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#FellowesProtects Twitter Party Rules

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OFFICIAL RULES

No Purchase Necessary to enter or win. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. THIS CONTEST IS IN NO WAY SPONSORED, ENDORSED OR ADMINISTERED BY, OR ASSOCIATED WITH TWITTER (“Twitter”). A Twitter ACCOUNT AND INTERNET ACCESS ARE REQUIRED FOR ENTRY.

BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, YOU (“ENTRANT” OR “YOU”) MUST AGREE TO THESE OFFICIAL RULES:

SPONSOR: The sponsor of this Contest is Fellowes (Canada) Ltd. (hereafter referred to as the “Contest Sponsor”).

ELIGIBILITY: To enter the Contest you must be a resident of Canada who has reached the age of majority in his/her province or territory of residence at the time of registration and/or entry. Employees, officers and directors (and immediate family members and members of the same household of such persons, including common law spouses) of Fellowes (Canada) Ltd., and their respective affiliates, agents, advertising or promotional agencies, suppliers of prizes and the independent contest organization are not eligible to enter the Contest. The Sponsors shall have the right at any time to require proof of identity and/or eligibility to participate in the Contest. Failure to provide such proof may result in disqualification. All personal and other information requested by and supplied to the Sponsors for the purpose of the Contest must be truthful, complete, accurate and in no way misleading. The Sponsors reserve the right, in its sole discretion to disqualify any entrant, should such an entrant at any stage supply untruthful, incomplete, inaccurate or misleading personal details and/or information.

CONTEST PERIODS: The Contest commences at 8:00pm EST on March 1, 2017 and will end at 9:00pm EST on March 1, 2017 (the “Contest Period”). All entries must be received by 8:59:59pm EST on March 1, 2017 (the “Contest Closing Date”).

HOW TO ENTER: No purchase necessary. Tweet during the contest period outlined above. Eligible tweets (“Submissions”) must also include the hashtag #FellowesProtects. Each submission from an entrant that these requirements, constitutes a contest entry.

ENTRY CONTENT RESTRICTIONS (collectively, the “Guidelines and Restrictions”).

Tweet Content Restrictions:

The Tweet Submission must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, including but not limited to privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes copyright infringement;

The Tweet Submission must not disparage the Sponsors, Administrator or any other person or party affiliated with the Contest;

The Tweet Submission must not contain brand names, tradenames, trademarks or any other third party identifying marks, other than those owned by the Sponsors, which entrant has a limited license to use to incorporate in his/her Submission in this Contest;

The Tweet Submission must not contain images or artwork not created by entrant;

The Tweet Submission must not refer to third parties without their express permission;

The Tweet Submission must not contain material that is inappropriate, indecent, obscene, hateful, tortuous, defamatory, slanderous or libelous, or in the sole discretion of the Sponsor not in good taste;

The Tweet Submission must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age; and the Tweet Submission must not contain material that is unlawful, in violation of or contrary to the laws or regulations in any province where Submission is created.

Entry into the Contest constitutes an entrant’s consent to give the Sponsors a royalty free, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, create derivative works from, and display such submissions in whole or in part, on a worldwide basis, and to incorporate it into other works, in any form, media or technology now known or later developed, including for promotional or marketing purposes. Without limiting the foregoing, entrants waive all moral rights and assign all copyright in their Submission, and covenant, represent and warrant that the contest entrant has the right to refer to any third party referred to in the Submissions.

PRIZES:

4 x Fellowes Fellowes® Powershred® 79Ci 16-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
1 x Fellowes® Automax™ 200C 200-Sheet Auto Feed Shredder

5 x $100 Staples Canada Gift Cards

Prize must be accepted as awarded, is not transferable or convertible to cash. The sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize or prize component for one of equal or greater value for any reason.

CONTEST DRAWS: A random draw for the Prize outlined above will be conducted in Toronto, Ontario on or about March 1, 2017 from amongst all eligible online entries received. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received. In order to win, the selected entrants may be asked to correctly answer a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question to be administered by e-mail. Selected entrants may also be asked to complete a Declaration and Release and return same to the specified address and within the specified time period that confirms each selected entrant’s (a) Eligibility for the Contest and compliance with these Contest rules; (b) acceptance of the Prize as offered; (c) release of each of the Released Parties and Twitter, from any and all liability for any loss, harm, damages, cost or expense arising out of participation in the Contest, participation in any Contest related activity or the acceptance, use, or misuse of any Prize, including but not limited to costs, injuries, losses related to personal injuries, death, damage to, loss or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation, or portrayal in a false light, or from any and all claims of third parties arising therefrom; and grant to the Sponsor the unrestricted right, in the Sponsors’ collective or individual discretion, to produce, reproduce, publish, broadcast, communicate by telecommunication, exhibit, distribute, adapt, modify, and otherwise use or re-use the Winner’s name, photograph, address (City and province), likeness, voice, Submission, and biography, in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, in connection with the Contest and the promotion and exploitation thereof or for other purposes, without any notice, payment, notification, permission or other consideration, whatsoever . The executed Release must be returned within the specified time period or the selected entrant will be disqualified and the Prize forfeited, without any liability to Sponsors whatsoever.

Potential winners will be notified on Twitter by @Listen2Lena once their name has been drawn from eligible entries. If the potential winner cannot be contacted, or does not comply with these Official Rules, or the prize is returned as undeliverable, the potential winner forfeits the prize. If the potential winner is disqualified for any reason, the prize may be awarded to an alternate prize winner selected at random by Sponsor, if any, in Sponsor’s sole discretion and without any liability to such disqualified potential winner. Only two alternate winners may be determined, after which the applicable prize will remain unawarded. Without limiting the generality of these Official Rules, winner shall irrevocably grant, transfer, convey and assign to Sponsor the entirety of the rights in and to the Submission, including moral rights, and all renewals and extensions of copyright, and the right to secure copyright registrations thereto in perpetuity including, without limitation, the rights to use the Submission for any and all purposes in any and all media whether now known or hereafter developed, on a worldwide basis, in perpetuity. The winner accepts and acknowledges that Sponsor shall not be obligated to use the Submission and that Sponsor in its sole discretion shall have the right to refrain from using the Submission. Sponsor shall not incur any liability whatsoever to the extent Sponsor chooses to refrain from any exploitation of its rights hereunder. Winner will indemnify Sponsor, Released Parties and any licensee of Sponsor against all claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and legal expenses) arising out of any breach of these terms. Decisions by the Sponsor will be final. Sponsor shall have no responsibility for any printing, distribution, production, prizing, or similar types of errors.

GENERAL: This Contest governed by the laws of Ontario without resort to conflict of law provisions. By entering the Contest, participants agree to be bound by these official rules and by the decisions of the independent administration and judging organization, which shall be final and binding with respect to all matters relating to this Contest. All entries become the property of the Sponsor and none will be returned.

The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion, to terminate, suspend or amend contest without liability subject to applicable laws. If for any reason, the online portion of this Contest is not capable of being completed as planned including, but not limited to computer virus, bugs, tampering, technical failures or other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor, the Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this Contest or to modify the Contest rules. Any attempt to deliberately damage any website or to undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated by Twitter.