Do you shred pre-approved credit applications?

Do you tear them up?
Do you just throw them away?

You might be interested to read the post below from
cockeyed.com.
The author shredded, taped back together, and changed
the address on one of his own pre-approved applications.
Then he gave a cell phone number so he wouldn't have to
be at his home number when he called to activate the card.
How convenient (for a CRIMINAL!), right?

(Link takes you to page 1 . At the bottom of each page is a link
that takes you to the next page to continue reading.)

http://www.cockeyed.com/citizen/creditcard/application.shtml

When we get pre-approved offers, I generally try to mutilate
the address and my name, then just tear up the rest.
This method would be ineffective, though, if someone were
to find something else in the bag with my name and address or
actually steal garbage FROM my address, thereby knowing the
address from whence it came. :>)


(Not an advertisement for this service, just talking about
something.... :>)

We've recently purchased LIFELOCK coverage for all four of us.
http://www.lifelock.com/

Yep. All four of us. Because, the way I see it, for just over
$2 a month (I entered promo code RD3 when I signed up,
so we got a discount!)

I'm attempting to ensure that some creepo won't get ahold
of any of our So-So Security numbers. Imagine the damage
a criminal could do to a child's credit (undetected) before
they ever reach adulthood.

That would be a long time for a creepo to be
out there wreaking havoc, would it not?

Now, LIFELOCK is not completely foolproof.

Link to article about its failings here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080522/ap_on_hi_te/identity_fraud_flap

I don't think anything is completely foolproof.
Because the is "absolutely confident" of their services, he has
his So-So number listed on the LIFELOCK website.

Since I don't plan on publishing any of our So-So numbers,
odds of that NOT happening to us are a bit better. So while
I'm not absolutely confident, I'm pretty confident in their services
in general.

My cousin's credit card number was recently stolen and used online.
The thief 's charges were approved. Her credit card company actually
declined one of her actual charges and questioned her about another.

Last I heard, it was expected that all would work out, that she wouldn't
have to pay for the fraudulent charges. But it could have been worse.
There were thousands of dollars in available credit on that card!
We talked about services like LIFELOCK. She was going to look into it.
Not sure what she decided to do. Her experience prompted me to just
go ahead and do something I've been thinking about doing for a long time.

You can read more about LIFELOCK in the link. I'm not asking you
to use LIFELOCK... just telling you that I do.

And I'm not asking you dispose of your pre-approved credit card
applications in any certain way. I'm just saying that what I thought
was an ok method may not have been. But I won't even really have
to worry about that anymore, since one of the things the service is
supposed to do is stop pre-approved offers from coming in the mail.

Ok, I'm done rambling about that now.
What's for lunch?

**H**