Sunday, March 12, 2006

Better Buy That Shredder

Rob at Cockeyed.com has just announced the results of an experiment on applying for a credit card.

I get a heck of a lot of credit card applications in the mail. 

I almost always tear them in half and throw them away. Sometimes, if I am feeling particularly paranoid, I’ll tear them into little bitty pieces.

Is that good enough? Could a determined and dexterous criminal gather all the bits, tape them together and apply for a card in my name?

To find out, Rob tore up a Chase credit card application into about 15 pieces, taped them together, “changed” his address to his parent’s house, “changed” his phone number to his cell phone, and sent the application in.

Would Rob receive his card? It doesn’t seem likely. On its web site, Chase advises:

If you receive financial solicitations that you’re not interested in, tear them up before throwing them away, so thieves can’t use them to assume your identity.

But Rob did receive his card at his “new” address. And he used his “new” number to activate it.

Well, I gottta go. I’m off to buy a shredder…

Posted by Richard Bloch

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