You want to protect your identity, but can a stamp that costs just $20 give you an extra line of protection?
That the price for the ID Guard Stamp. Its claim: it will stamp a rectangle of letters over private information so nobody can read it.
Sedgwick County Sheriff's Detective Mark Geddis gathers a collection of paperwork to see just how well it works. When he stamps over a printed address at the top of a form, he's impressed. He can't see the information under the ink at all.
He thinks a thief probably wouldn't take the time to try to find out what's underneath it. Instead, they'd probably look for an easier target.
However, when he uses the stamp over a hand-written signature and numbers, Det. Geddis isn't as impressed. It covers up the information on the front--but he can still see the impression of the pen from the backside of the paper.
Next up: glossy paper, like some credit card applications. He stamps on the paper and gives it a few minutes to dry. That time-lapse doesn't matter. The ink smears off when he touches it with his fingers.
What happens when we try to cover up red ink? One stamp doesn't quite cover up what's written. But when he stamps over the red ink again, he discovers more is less: the more ink used actually makes the red ink stand out more!
Although it doesn't work in all situations, Det. Geddis isn't giving it a complete thumbs down.
He thinks it could be convenient to blot out personal information and then tear up the paper. That's if you need privacy on temporary basis, such as in your car.
However the best line of protection hands-down? A shredder.
We bought our stamp from this web site:
http://idguardstamp.com/idguardstamp/index.html
