So what's in your trash? This question may seem irrelevant, or even silly, but what you throw away may be a gold mine for an identity thief.
I've mentioned dumpster diving in my junk mail post, but it's important enough to repeat for emphasis. Once your trash reaches the dumpster or curb, it is no longer private, and the dumpster diver is free to do just as the term implies, rummage through your trash for whatever treasure he/she is seeking. In the case of the identity thief, he is looking for anything that can be used to steal your identity. Some examples include stubs from bills, old bank statements, credit card offers, junk mail or anything with any kind of personal identifying information and account numbers. These items are gems that should not just be thrown away.
Make it a point never to throw any of your paper products away. If you don't already have one, invest in a shredder, preferably a cross cut shredder which will render any shredded documents impossible to reassemble. While businesses are expected to shred confidential documents, more people are keeping personal shredders in their homes. This is an inexpensive way of protecting you personal and financial information from the dumpster diving identity thief. Please shred all mail and paper work before it gets to the curb. Never assume you are not vulnerable.
No comments:
Post a Comment