Don't Stockpile Papers, Opt to Shred Instead. @FellowesCanada Powershred 63Cb shreds the paper trail to your personal information. #FellowesProtects

Identity Theft is a Crime of Opportunity. Don't Give Identity Thieves the Opportunity by Stockpiling Papers Containing Personal Information. Opt to Shred Instead.

I'm not sure whether it's my age, having been born in that nowhere land I like to refer to as the "generation gap". Those of us born at the end of the Baby Boom, sandwiched between the true boomers who have already downsized in preparation for retirement, and the Gen X and Y'ers who are wired connected and paperless. Maybe it's because I come from a banking background, before the days of online banking and paperless statements. Documents and cancelled cheques (Gen Y'ers will have to Google that) were all filed in banker boxes and labelled to be held until year of destruction (12 years back then as I recall). 

Either way the practise of saving all my receipts, statements, cancelled cheques and warranty forms, just in case I ever needed them became the norm. 

I know I'm not alone, since I have had many conversations over the years with people about how long and exactly what we need to keep. The notion that we should keep all these in case we ever need them, has turned piles into shoe boxes, and shoe boxes into banker boxes of receipts, and statements. 

I'm pretty sure I will never need the 1982 receipt for gas I paid cash for, so why do I still have it?

Then along came kids and crazy busy lives, and the years passed, until the boxes were moved to a corner of the basement or garage or storage unit. There they stay for years collecting dust. Warranties on appliances we no longer own, cancelled cheques and statements for accounts closed years ago. Sound familiar to any of you? 

All those papers with addresses, names, signatures, and personal information on them. 

I married an engineer who works in hi-tech, and fiercely guards his privacy both online and off. We have spend hours talking to our kids and setting rules about Internet usage and protecting their privacy and information online. All the while a paper trail of information sits in a box. Surely "the box" deserves as much attention as the credit card offers we receive in the mail and shred on a daily basis. 

Clearly it is time for a change people! 

So with the help of the Fellowes Canada  and their Powershred 63 Cb Cross-Cut Shredder I'm ready to turn over a new page on protecting my personal information against Identity Theft. I'll start by saying goodbye to that box, and going forward following their Top 10 Documents You Must Shred. 

The PowerShred 63Cb Cross-Cut Shredder is perfect for a home or home office with features such as:

• Jam Blocker: blocks jams before they start.
• SafeSense Technology: stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening.
• Energy Savings System: ensures optimal energy efficiency.
• Shreds 10 sheets at a time into 5/32" x 2 " cross-cut pieces. (Security Level 3)
• Shreds credit cards.
• Comes with a 5 gallon pull out bin.

Personally energy efficiency is a must when I'm looking at purchasing a new product, so I love the Energy Savings System. My Hubby was impressed with the SafeSense Technology, and how it worked. But lets face it at the end of the day it just has to work so the Jam Blocker and the fact I can shred expired credit cards are what sealed the deal for me.

The Fellowes Canada site has great information about What to do if you fall victim to Identity theft!, Identity Theft: How it Works and Information Identity Thieves Want as well as tips on How to Select the Best Shredder. 

Or follow Fellowes Canada on Facebook or Fellowes Canada on Twitter and the hashtag #FellowesProtects.

You can find the Fellowes PowerShred 63Cb Cross-Cut Shredder at Staples Canada.

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about protecting my personal information and fraud prevention.

Note: I received a Fellowes Powershred 63 Cb Cross-Cut Shredder free of cost for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own and reflect my personal experience with this product and brand.