Do You Get Them? Then You're A Target!

When I'm not talking about computer security, I am addressing the issue of Identity Theft.

And if you own a credit card or two, you could be an easy target.

Now, nothing against the US Postal Service - I love my snail mail dearly and can be seen giddily skipping to my mailbox everyday at 2p.m. when it's delivered - but sometimes our mail doesn't quite reach its intented recipient. Delivered to the wrong address. Lost. Hey, when you think about the number of pieces of mail that are handled each and every day (over 200 billion a year), you gotta cut 'em some slack.

But those lost pieces of mail can cost you your identity.

Here's just one example. At least 4 times a month, I get some blank checks from my credit card company. "Transfer your balance!" "Take a vacation!" "Have some fun!" they exclaim. Why, it's free money (not!). Normally, I shred them as soon as they are delivered.

But then I started thinking, what if they get delivered to the wrong person? Or worse, what if somebody steals them from my mailbox (yes, people do this!). They will have my account number, my name, address. . . all of my personal information.

So I picked up the phone and called my credit card company.

"Uhh, you know those blank checks you keep sending me?" I said, "Well, I don't want them anymore."

"No problem Mrs. Trahd," came the accommodating reply. "Consider it done."

Couldn't have been easier. So call your credit card companies today and make the same request. And if you ever decide you need a blank check, they'll be happy to send them!

. . . Stephanie

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