Your workspace and identity fraud

Feel it’s about time to breathe new life into your work spaces and the things you use every day? Here are some sound and practical ideas to get started.

For your living space. Get ready for spring and summer by decluttering the most commonly used areas in your home. Recycle or donate things you no longer need, and use shelving, baskets and decorative storage containers to tidy the items you do need on hand while eliminating visual clutter. Encourage your kids to do the same in their rooms.

For your wallet. An ordered wallet can save you time at checkout and make carrying it around a little lighter. Throw out old receipts and coupons, and ask yourself if you really need all the identity documents you keep in there. The more documents you have, the more vulnerable you are to having your identity stolen if you lose or get robbed of your wallet. Remove any documents you don’t use regularly and store them in a secure place instead.

For your devices. Need more storage space and processing power? Ridding your laptop, computer, smartphone and tablets of unnecessary apps and large files can help with this, as well as make navigating your devices and finding documents easier. While you’re at it, run a full system check using reliable security software and make sure your antivirus software is up to date. For your office. Whether you work from home or at your organization’s offices, an organized workspace can boost productivity and increase motivation. Set up your monitor, chair and keyboard so you don’t have to strain or twist awkwardly to use any of them. Use document trays and create a “catch-all” space that you regularly review and sort so staying organized becomes part of your routine.

Have items work double duty. Get creative and think outside the box to find things that can do some of the cleaning for you. For example, your dishwasher can do much more than just clean your plates, pots and pans. Load it up with plastic toys, light fixtures and toothbrush holders and have it run while you work on everything else. Use dryer sheets to prevent musty odours in clothing storage boxes, linen closets and shoes.

Find more information on how to protect yourself from identity fraud at www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/idtheft-vol-eng.htm.