2013 SPRING ISSUE | CHOICES 23
SHRED , SHRED , SHRED
Shred . One of the most
6 foolproof ways to guard against dumpster divers is to shred your documents . Before you throw personal data away , put it through a shredder . There are many inexpensive personal shredders available through discount , department , and office stores these days . A cross-cut shredder , sometimes called a diamond shredder for the shapes it cuts the paper into , is safer than a shredder which merely cuts paper into strips – but any shredding is better than none . These shredders are inexpensive and worth the money .
You should shred :
• Credit card receipts
• Credit card applications
• Expired credit cards
• Account statements
• Loan applications
• Court records
• Anything containing your Social Security number
• Anything containing any personal information
Consider purchasing a scanner , scan all documents and save them on your computer system before you shred them . When in doubt – scan , save , then shred the original !
KEEP AN EYE ON CREDIT CARDS
Be careful with your credit
7 and ATM cards .
• While you can ’ t guarantee a waiter won ’ t ‘ skim ’ your credit card , you can minimize your risk by using it less . Always check and verify your credit card with your bank online . You do not have to wait for your bank statements at the end of the month .
While ATMs might have undetectable skimmers , independent ATM machines are more likely to have been tampered with than those which belong to banks . And make sure no one is looking over your shoulder !
Don ’ t ever give out your credit card number , over the phone or even in person , unless you initiate the purchase .
Copy the front and back of your credit cards , as well as the customer service credit card numbers . Store the information in a safe place . You can scan this information , too , and save it on your computer .
UPDATE YOUR ANTI-VIRUS
8
Make sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware software programs are up-to-date .
Avoid phishing scams . Never follow a hyperlink in an email . Type the official address of the company ’ s website into your browser yourself , or call the company to see if the e-mail is legitimate .
Don ’ t respond to “ remove me from your list ” links . This will notify a scammer that your e-mail address is active , and make you a potential mark . Most email software programs have spam folders where you can move these and other unwanted email file to be purged from your inbox .