Wave Issue 0509 3/4/05 Article 11-01

***Tax Season Puts Consumers At High Risk for Identity Theft;
Identity Theft Resource Center and Fellows Urge Tax Payers to
Protect Information

ITASCA, Ill.
March 2, 2005

The days and weeks leading up to Income Tax Day, April 15th,
can be an especially vulnerable time as tax filers are
reviewing financial information that is highly attractive to
identity thieves, such as bank records, payroll forms and loan
documents that contain very valuable and private information.

Linda Foley, co-executive director of the Identity Theft
Resource Center, a nonprofit organization, has been a victim
of identity theft - she knows this scenario all to well. "A
few years ago an employer used personal information taken
directly from my tax forms to open credit cards and a cell
phone account in my name," said Foley. "At that time, there
was little known about ID theft, but today there are many
resources and tools available to help prevent crimes like
these from happening."

With tax season well underway, the Identity Theft Resource
Center and Fellowes, Inc., the leading manufacturer of
shredders for home and office use, offer important tips for
tax payers to help keep personal identifying information out
of the hands of would-be thieves:

-- Document Disposal - Destroy personal paperwork needed
to calculate taxes, including receipts, bank records
and various forms. Fellowes recommends a cross cut
shredder that will safely destroy private information
and produces tiny, unidentifiable pieces. When
selecting a shredder, it's important to think about
how much you'll shred in a day, then double it. Most
first time users shred twice as much as they think
they will. Plus, today's shredders do more than just
shred documents.

-- Computer Security - If preparing taxes on a computer,
make sure to have a firewall installed to protect it
from invasion and set up password security to protect
against unauthorized users.

-- Mail Theft - Take tax forms directly to the post
office. Do not leave tax forms in a private mail box
accessible to a potential neighborhood thief.

-- Tax Preparation - Be very selective about who is
working on your taxes. Research companies through the
Better Business Bureau, especially if they are new or
seasonal offices. Ask questions of the preparer or
manager, including how your information will be
stored, shared, secured and disposed of.

For additional identity theft prevention tips and information
on how long to keep financial records, please visit