Junk Mail Must Go, but Don't Throw it Away

Junk mail is a part of life these days, guaranteed, like death and taxes. Pre-approved credit card offers, catalogs you never order from, magazine subscription offers, and my personal favorite, those "you could be a winner" sweepstakes generally fall under the umbrella of items labeled "junk mail." Does a day go by when at least one of these items does not grace your mailbox with its presence? If the answer is "no," you are leaving yourself at the mercy of potential identity thieves.

Mail theft is a major method these thieves use to steal your identity, and why junk mail when a credit card bill or bank statement would be so much better? While bills and financial statements are valuable to accessing your existing accounts, junk mail is a good target because you are less likely to miss it if it doesn't show up. Besides, of all your junk mail, those pre-approved credit card offers are the items your thief wants most because he/she can open use them to open credit accounts in your name. Therefore, they must be the first to go. The three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) have a toll free number to "opt-out" of these pre-approved offers for two years. The number is 1-888-5-OPTOUT (567-8688). You'll need to take further steps to eliminate the rest of your junk mail. The Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Mail Preference Service allows you to opt out of receiving direct mail marketing from numerous national companies for five years, but this will only stop junk mail from companies registered with the DMA's Mail Preference Service. To opt-out, send a letter to:

Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

Any other companies will have to be called directly, so you can ask them to remove you from their mailing list.

So what happens to the junk mail you already have? If you are like I was, it would be thrown on a vacant desk or coffee table until it piled up enough to become annoying and then was thrown away. Or does it just go right to the trash? Either way, you are making yourself a target for identity theft. If it sits around the house, it is vulnerable to be taken by any one who enters your home, welcome or not, and then used to obtain credit in your name. But if you just throw it away, you make it available to the sinister dumpster diver who will also make use of it. The best way to handle your current unwanted mail is to shred it before disposing of it. If you don't have a paper shredder, buy one. This is an investment that will help protect your credit and financial future.

Eliminating junk mail from your box is just one step towards a more secure lifestyle.