Reason#1 why I own a good paper shredder: The Torn-Up Credit Card Application. The short version: A guy tore up, then taped together a credit card application he received in the mail. He filled it out, mailed it in, and ... the bank issued the card!
When Melanie and I got married, it seems we suddenly became very creditworthy. Every week we get a dozen or so credit card applications, a half-dozen “deposit this for an instant loan” checks, another half-dozen student loan refinancing apps with personal info on them, and more. Everything goes into the shredder. That’s also where I put old credit card receipts, pharmacy information, and anything else with private information on it. Frankly, I think my shredder was one of the best things I’ve purchased in the past year.
This is the one I bought. I got it at Staples. You might find better ones for a similar price.
Technorati Tags: identity-theft, privacy, shredder, technology
