As loyal DormDelicious readers may know, we like to start a series of giveaways each summer to help a few lucky students kick off the school year right (with free stuff!) This summer is no exception and we're starting off with a sweet shredder from Fellowes that can help you keep your identity safe on campus. Okay, so maybe you never thought you would hear the words "sweet" and "shredder" in the same sentence, but Fellowes was nice enough to provide us with a P-12C cross-cut shredder to review, and we've got to admit this one is pretty cool. Read on to win one of your own!
We should start by explaining why a shredder is important. Unfortunately, identity theft is becoming more and more common all over the world, and college campuses are no exception. One easy way to protect yourself is to never throw out documents that contain personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, your social security number, or anything else that might help someone to steal your identity. Instead, you should shred those documents into so many pieces it would be impossible to re-assemble them and read the information.
That's where the P-12C comes in. In our tests, it was easy to set up, fast, and shredded not only documents but also paper clips, staples, expired credit cards, and more. It can even shred CDs! And this particular model does cross-cut shredding, which means it shreds horizontally as well as vertically, which makes it much, much harder to paste back together documents. Equally important (to us at least) is that it looks pretty darn cool. Its shiny black finish and rounded design mean it won't stick out at all in your otherwise impeccably decorated dorm room (which you decorated with our help, right?)
Shredding isn't the only way to protect yourself from identity theft though. Here are a few more tips:
- College campuses are famous for credit card promotions. We’ve all been there: "Sign up for this card and get a free t-shirt." But be careful, because filling out an application at a table on campus presents serious security issues. You should never include your sensitive information, such as Social Security number or birth date, on any information that could potentially be picked up by an identity thief.
- We know social networking sites are a huge part of college life, and there's no reason they shouldn't be. It's a great way to connect with new friends, or re-connect with old ones. But just make sure you know who you're friending! It's best to stick to connecting with people you know in the real world, and even then limit what you post to your profile. Best to keep off personal information like your address and phone number.
- Be sure to protect your personal computer, whether it's a desktop or a laptop. Install firewall, anti-spam and anti-virus software to protect the confidential information on your computer. Change passwords often, and make sure its something that is not easily guessed. Your college's computer center should be able to help you get your computer set up and protected.
Alright, I Admit I'm Excited About Shredding. How Do I Win a Fellowes P-12C?
Easy! Just share with us how you plan to protect yourself on campus this year, whether from identity theft or anything else. We'll be following this post up with another post on campus safety and might use some of your tips for it. And of course one lucky tipster will take home the Fellowes P-12C!
Here are the details:
- Post your tip as a comment on this post, or post it on our Facebook page.
- One winner will be selected randomly on Monday, July 26th.
- One entry per person (either on Facebook or as a comment here)
That's all there is to it! Happy shredding, and start posting those tips!
That shredder looks great...