Did you know that in 2009, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received over 11,000 identity fraud reports from Canadian victims, totalling a loss of more than 10 million dollars? The most reported incidents involved payment card fraud but several instances of identity theft and fraud continue to go unreported. Not surprisingly, identity thieves still rely on basic methods such as sifting through discarded physical documents in search of credit card information, bank account numbers, signatures, passports, and other personal information. Since March is Fraud Prevention Month, it is the perfect time of year to pull out your shredder and put it to work. This year, I will be using my new Powershred 79Ci Cross-Cut Jam Proof Shredder by Fellowes.

With tax season right around the corner, I found myself in spring cleaning mode recently and took to shredding old income tax documents. The Canada Revenue Agency only requires that you keep supporting documents for six years but I hadn't sorted through my old files in quite some time. And neither had my husband, who also happens to be a small business owner. Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me. And yet, it didn't seem like work at all. With my super cool Fellowes shredder, I actually had a great time shredding, shredding and shredding some more. 

You see, the Powershred 79Ci can shred up to 14 sheets at once into small cross-cut particles and can hold up to 6 gallons of shredded documents. It also shreds staples, small paper clips, credit cards and CDs. My favourite feature? The Powershred 79Ci boasts SilentShred™ technology that makes shredding ultra-quiet. And I mean, quiet! I couldn't believe it until I heard it with my own ears.

To learn more about how to prevent identity theft, visit the Royal Canadian Mounted Police web page on Identity Theft and Identity Fraud. Also, tune in on March 1st at 8 PM EST for a #FellowesProtects Twitter party where you will learn how to protect yourself against one of the fastest growing crimes in Canada. 

Disclosure: I am participating in a Fellowes identity theft campaign and have received special perks. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Feeling overwhelmed by the paperwork that comes with tax season? March is a good time to shred all documents you don’t need and any that are more than 7 years old. And since it is Fraud Prevention Month, I have included a top 10 list of documents that you need to shred. You can find this and other Identity Theft Prevention Resources on the Fellowes Canada Facebook fan page.