Protect Your ID with a Fellowes 73Ci Paper Shredder #IDSafetySeason

This post was created in partnership with Fellowes. All opinions are my own.

Someone stole my credit card. Several months ago, I got a call from Discover’s fraud department asking whether I’d made various purchases in Texas. I hadn’t. Somewhere along the bill-paying and online shopping way, some pilfering hacker got my credit card number and decided to go on a mini-shopping spree.

Since then I’ve been even more vigilant in protecting my personal information. When shopping online, make sure to keep an eye out for the little lock icon that shows the page is secure. NEVER enter credit card or personal information on URLs that start with http:// instead of https:// (note the “s” after http.)

But protecting your ID and information goes beyond being careful online. From bills to credit card statements, your personal information is all over your mail. Everything you throw away is a potential look into your life. Old checks, those pesky credit card applications, and other types of mail can give people with nefarious motives access to information you wouldn’t want them to have.

One solution to help protect your identity at home is to purchase a paper shredder like the Fellowes 73Ci Paper Shredder. I’ve had a few other paper shredders over the past few years, and the new Fellowes 73Ci Paper Shredder really demonstrates how far technology has come. Not only does it have a 100% jam proof system that prevents paper jams, but it’s heavy-duty blades cross-cut each sheet of paper into 397 itty bitty bits.

Side note: If you saw the movie Argo, you’ll better understand why shredding into more pieces is better. If there was a Fellowes 73Ci Paper Shredder in the embassy, it would’ve been much harder for them to identify the employees.

Not only does the Fellowes 73Ci Paper Shredder pulverize up to 12 sheets of paper at a time, but it can also shred credit cards and old CDs with the same ease. If you have any old checks, this paper shredder will destroy them easily.

Whenever you have a machine with sharp objects, safety is definitely a concern. The Fellowes 73Ci paper shredder has SafeSense Technology. With SafeSense Technology, if the shredder is shredding and someone (like a curious child) touches the paper opening, it stops shredding immediately and an orange SafeSense light illuminates. As another safety feature, the shredder won’t even operate if the paper bin isn’t in place. A red light illuminates if the bin is still “open.” (Didn’t I tell you it was high tech?)

By shredding mail or documents with personal information before you throw them away, you can help protect both your identity and your finances. If you’re interested in buying the Fellowes 73Ci Paper Shredder, you can find it on Amazon, at office superstores and their online stores. It has a suggested retail price of $199.99 but is currently on sale on Amazon for just $159.99.

How do you protect your/your family’s identity and information?

This post was created in partnership with Fellowes. All opinions are my own.