Shredding Identity Theft at RBC College Heights…OLYMPIC Style!
By 250 News
Thursday, May 07, 2009 03:56 AM
Prince George, B.C.- This Saturday, May 9th from 11am-3pm, RBC College Heights is helping the residents of Prince George to protect themselves against identity theft.
No one is safe from identity theft, and thieves will go to all lengths to try to access your private information in an effort to get money.
From “shoulder surfing” (looking over you shoulder as you punch in a pin number) to sifting through your trash to find old credit card receipts, stealing your name, address and private information, thieves will go to any lengths possible to get access to your personal information and your money.
What will thieves do with your information? For starters, they will use it to apply for credit cards, or loans, or access your bank account. Last year in Canada there were 11,424 victims of identity theft , who lost a total of $9.6 million dollars.
There are numerous ways to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft, and one of the top 5 is shred, shred, shred.
Shred any old document you no longer need, that has a credit card number, your personal information address, date of birth, your social insurance number, anything that could be used to help piece together another “you”.
The College Heights RBC Branch ( in the Westgate Plaza nearest to Addition Elle and Reitmans) has set up a free Shred-A Thon to help you protect your identity.
Partnering with local company “DOCU-SHRED”, RBC College Heights invites you to bring your old personal documents, such as bank statements, credit card receipts, confidential papers, pre-approved credit card applications, and have them safely and professionally shredded. Don't give thieves a "shred" of information that could be used against you!
Just so everyone in the household gets the message about the importance of protecting yourself from identity theft, RBC College Heights has made this a family event, with a Kid Zone full of activities, a charity Bar-B-Q with proceeds going to Prince George Hospice Society, and a personal appearance by Olympic Freestyle skier Chris Wong. This Prince George native is coming back from injury and will be on hand to sign autographs and share his compelling story. as he prepares for the 2010 Olympics in his home province.
Besides shredding old documents, here are some other hints to protect yourself from identity theft:
1. Before you reveal any personally identifying information, find out how it will be used and if it will be shared.
2. Shred Shred Shred, never throw old documents or bills into the garbage, make sure they have been shredded first.
3. Guard your mail. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery. Ensure mail is forwarded or re-routed if you move or change your mailing address.
4. Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time. ( thieves will steal the bills right from your mailbox)
5. Utilize passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SIN or your phone number.
6. Minimize the identification information and number of cards you carry.
7. Do not give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the internet unless you have initiated the contact or know whom you're dealing with.
8. Give your SIN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible.
9. Don't carry your SIN card; leave it in a secure place.
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Posted by: Outwest on May 7 2009 8:29 AM