Posts Tagged ‘identity theft prevention’
Security Mailboxes Offer ID Theft Protection
Locking Mailboxes Protect Your Good Name
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the nation, according to the FTC. Millions of Americans become victims of identity theft each year, so protection is a must. One of the many ways criminals steal your identity can happen right at your front door. Your mailbox is a prime target for identity thieves, who can find a wealth of sensitive mail, bills and other private documents with little effort. Most people are cautious about what mail is put in the trash, using a paper shredder when necessary. However, most of these sensitive documents originate in an unlocked mailbox.
Read MoreSammamish Review Features Mail Boss in “Mailbox: Version 2.0”
Original article published in Sammamish Review on 4-16-08, written by J.B. Wogan
David Bolles was tired of having his mail stolen. After falling victim to several instances of mail theft, he decided it was time to upgrade his mailbox two years ago. “That’s kind of what compelled me to take a look at this seriously,” said Bolles, who lives with his wife Monica and son Gabriel on East Lake Sammamish Place. So he visited local hardware stores and investigated various locking mailbox options.
“There was one product that looked like it was okay,” said Bolles, who expressed disappointment about how easily one could pry open locking mailboxes with a rudimentary screwdriver. “I thought, I’m not seeing what I like. Maybe I ought to make one.”
Read MoreStop the Junk Mail!
Rid Yourself of Junkmail and Safeguard your Identity
Sick of sorting through all that junkmail? If you’re like most Americans, your mailbox is flooded with a waste of time and resources. A typical year’s worth of junk mail in the United States uses 62 million trees and 25 billion gallons of water! More importantly, it puts you at greater risk for identity theft. Every pre-approved credit card offer you receive is an invitation for mail thieves to open a credit card in your name and rack up the bills, ruining your good name in the process.
To stop the flow of junk-mail, make a 30-second phone call to the Credit Bureaus Main Opt-Out Line at 888-567-8688. You will be connected to an automated voice response system and you can opt-out of all credit-related offers for two years or permanently. If at some later point you want the credit offers to start flowing again, you can call back. If you choose to never again receive those offers, you will receive a form in the mail to fill out and return. (If you don’t send it back, your “lifetime” opt-out is reduced to 2 years.
Read MoreCatch (Up) 22
The Venerable Paper Shredder: You can only shred the mail you get!
It never ceases to amaze me to learn that most of the people I talk to either own a paper shredder, burn, or cut up the personal information they receive at their homes. These people are wary to prevent this information from getting into the hands of identity thieves. When I ask them where they get this personal information, most of them think for a second or two and reply, “I guess most of it comes out of my mailbox”…
Read MoreLocking Mailboxes as ID Theft Prevention
Locking Mailboxes: A Basic Way to Prevent Identity Theft Monday through Saturday, most of us check our mailboxes without giving it a second thought. Our mail is delivered throughout the week, and we take our letters, advertisements, statements, and credit card offers out of the mailbox when we find time during the day or when we…
Read MoreHow to Keep Your Mail Safe
Secure locking mailboxes offer identity theft protection Should you have a locking mailbox? Most of us assume the mail carrier will safely deliver and pick up our mail, rain or shine, six days a week. But the mail carrier may not be the only one visiting your mailbox. Mailboxes have become the targets of identity…
Read MoreAsk Washington State Attorney General
Rob McKenna on Mail Theft: Why You Should Use a Secured Mailbox and a Shredder This site allows consumers to ask questions of the Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna. All of us here at the Mail Boss found one Q & A particularly relevant and informative, and have included it below. Consumer: I mailed…
Read MoreHow Does Identity Theft Happen?
2008 Identity Fraud Survey Report Provides Answers Javelin Strategy & Research, the leading provider of nationally representative quantitative research focused exclusively on financial services topics, recently released the “2008 Identity Fraud Survey Report—Consumer Version: How Consumers Can Protect Themselves.” Available online as a .pdf here, this report provides guidelines for consumers to help prevent, detect…
Read MoreHow Do Identity Thieves Steal Information?
2008 Identity Fraud Survey Report Provides Answers In yesterday’s post, we provided the answer to the question “How Does Identity Theft Happen?” according to Javelin Strategy & Research. The leading provider of nationally representative quantitative research on financial services topics recently released the “2008 Identity Fraud Survey Report—Consumer Version: How Consumers Can Protect Themselves.” Available…
Read MorePaper Shredder: A Dumpster Diver’s Bad Dream!
One common way thieves perpetuate identity theft is by stealing your personal information through dumpster diving, or sorting through your trash. Just what are they looking for? Anything with your personal information, including credit card statements, electricity bills, and so on. One simple thing you can do to protect yourself from dumpster diving identity thieves…
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