Identity theft is a sad reality that continues to affect many New Jersey residents who must come to terms with its risks. The effort and extremes that a determined individual will take to obtain information might shock you, from pickpocketing to the practice of “dumpster diving”. Thankfully there are effective steps you can take to reduce your chances of experiencing such a crime.
One of the best ways to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft is to pay attention to your everyday habits; what are you throwing in the trash? Knowing what is ok to go in the waste bin and what isn’t is a very good place to start when it comes to protecting your identity.
The items you should be securely destroying may be surprising to you; in fact, what you may consider harmless papers, such as ATM receipts, could be a thief’s gateway into your savings account. Other than ATM receipts, there are some other files you should strongly consider shredding:
- Used airline tickets and boarding passes
- Resumes
- Copies of birth certificate
- Veterinarian invoices, except be sure to store certain medical records to keep your pet safe should any issues arise
- Employee records and stubs
- Expired or redundant legal and insurance documents
Remember that a bulk of your personal and business records do contain information that makes it possible, and sometimes extremely simple, for a thief to find and steal your identity. With that said there are records you should be securely storing for critical legal and financial purposes; some of which can come in handy if you are the victim of identity theft and require proof of identity to recover from it. What records should you be storing in a secure and safe area?
- Canceled cheques
- Credit card statements
- Tax receipts and other receipts
- Investment statements
- Insurance policies – however, these should be shred yearly
Adhering to these suggestions can make a substantial difference in whether or not you may fall victim to identity theft. The only things left to consider include how to safely store important documents, and how to shred the rest. As far as storage is concerned, a locked safe in a safe location can do the trick.
For all other records deemed private that you wish to include in your shredding pile, contact Security Shredding, serving New Jersey today. Our state of the art shred technology provides the best solution on the market, and will shred a thousand times faster and more effectively than any conventional shredding machine; plus security is 100% guaranteed when you turn to our professional team.
