Express Business News

Identity theft is one of America’s fastest growing crimes. According to a recent Federal Trade Commission report, nearly 10 million people in the last year alone have been victims of identity theft, costing them $5 billion in out-of-pocket expenses and costing businesses a total of almost $48 billion. Fellowes, Inc., one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of paper shredders for home and office use, offers tips on the proper disposal of personal documents – key to reducing this devastating crime.

What to Shred
Always destroy any discarded documents that contain personal identifiers and account numbers, such as the following:

• Obsolete financial records
• Pre-approved credit card applications
• Personal medical records
• Correspondence and tax preparation worksheets
• Receipts
• Credit card statements
• Telephone bills
• Cancelled checks and bank statements
• Mail and old records
• Insurance forms
• Physician statements
• Expired charge cards
• Mailing labels from magazines

Fellowes has seen double digit increases in shredder sales in the past year as more consumers are becoming aware of the growing threat of ID theft. “Consumers are increasingly translating awareness into action,” said John Fellowes, Product Manager for Fellowes, Inc. “News about the increase in identity theft is pervading conversations as never before, and more and more consumers are going out and buying shredders to protect themselves.”

When selecting a shredder, keep in mind the following guidelines to reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft:

Security Levels - Some shredders offer a “strip cut,” which provides cost-effective, good security by shredding paper into unreadable strips. Another type of shredder to consider, which goes one step further for added security, is a confetti (or cross-cut) shredder, which produces smaller, confetti like pieces. The finer cut also significantly reduces waste bulk, which means not emptying the basket as often.

Daily Usage and Sheet Capacity - Think about how much shredding will be done in a day then double it. Most users shred twice as much as they think they will. The biggest difference between shredders is the varying levels of motor efficiency, duty cycle and speed. Also, it is important to keep in mind the number of pages the user can feed through it.

Specialty Shredding - Today’s shredders do more than just shred documents. For example, Fellowes’ newest model, the Powershred® PS70-2CD Strip Cut Shredder, is designed to cut up credit cards, paperclips, staples and even compact discs – valuable features in today’s information age.

For the best prices on Fellowes Paper Shredders, visit Factory Express

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