Thieves Wish You Wouldn’t Shred These 4 Documents
Two crooks were being transported and the authorities had handcuffed them to each other by their wrists. When they had a chance, they attempted to escape but came to an abrupt halt when each of them tried to run on opposite sides of a street sign pole. Their headbutt collision was the perfect example of two criminals who lack intellectual skills.
Not all crooks are clueless. Many are very clever and know how to utilize isolated, seemingly-harmless pieces of your Personally Identifiable Information (PII), printed on your discarded paper, to create havoc with your identity, finances, and information. Their hope is that you, along with many other would-be victims, will neglect to shred your PII before you discard it. Some of these sly criminals are also professional dumpster divers, ready to retrieve valuable pieces of information at any cost. You can stay well ahead of their antics by shredding these documents before discarding them:
1. Receipts
Which ones should you shred? All of them. Receipts show phone numbers, addresses, membership numbers, partial credit card numbers, and much more. Receipts can also be used for fraudulent returns and benefits earned by you. When you have them shredded, you don’t have to worry.
2. Shipping labels
During COVID, online orders and shipping have increased considerably. While it is commonplace, do not leave shipping labels on boxes and envelopes. These labels not only contain your name and address, but tracking numbers, account numbers, and even the item and/or brand name, letting thieves know exactly where to find that brand-new laptop, expensive jewelry, and other desirable items you’ve received. And be sure to destroy the accompanying packing lists as well as they also contain personal and purchase information.
3. Resumés
Resumés are loaded with names, addresses, business references, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. If you are in search of a job, make sure you keep your resumes confidential by sending them only to authorized hiring representative and having unused and out-of-date copies shredded. If you are an employer with 15 or more employees, federal law requires you to keep resumes for at least one year and requires you to completely destroy them at the time of disposal in order to protect the private information of every applicant.
4. Recycling
We all want to be environmentally friendly and recycle as much as possible, but throwing some items into the blue bin might not be a wise decision. Consider shredding the portion of your newspapers and magazines that have address labels, as well as pre-authorized credit card offers, insurance offers, refinancing offers, and membership time offers from organizations like AARP. Any sealed junk mail should be opened, checked, and shredded if it contains personal information. Shred charitable organization appeals that you don’t intend to respond to.
By using a reputable shredding company to destroy your private information, you can be sure your discarded information will remain secure, and the shredded paper recycled into new products.
Shred Boss is a NAID AAA Certified shredding company that is ready to partner with you to ensure no thief can steal your information or identity. We offer mobile shredding, offsite shredding, and drop-off shredding options for businesses and residents in Southeast New Mexico. For more information or a quote, just give us a call at 575-347-4733 or complete the form on this page. We look forward to serving you!
