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Identity theft is a heartbreaking crime committed against millions of people every year. Using a variety of sources, identity thieves acquire key pieces of an individual’s information, such as that individual’s name, address, bank account numbers, social security number or credit history. Using this information, the thief impersonates the victim, using his or her identity to open new bank accounts, apply for loans and credit cards, make fraudulent purchases, or a variety of other actions.
The best way to thwart identity thieves is to prevent them from gaining access to your information. And the best way to keep your private information out of the hands of thieves is to maintain a close watch on it at all times, and make sure all relevant documents are destroyed once they’re done with.
Thus, the five simple methods you can use to prevent identity theft:
Practice regular document shredding at home. Shredding, shredding, shredding: Always make sure that any personal documents are made useless to identity thieves before they hit the trash can. Head to the office supply store and buy the best quality shredder you can afford; if you buy one and it breaks down, you might be unlikely to take the time to replace it anytime soon. Shred anything that might contain any personal information, even if you’re not sure about it. Shred all pre-approved credit card offers and loan applications.
Take document destruction into the digital realm. If you store information on your computer – whether it’s personal, medical or financial records – shredding isn’t enough. Make sure your computer has all the most recent virus protection and firewall software installed at all times. Discourage hackers by keeping your vital information on external hard drives that don’t always stay hooked up to your computer.
Make sure the people you do business with practice regular document destruction. Your doctor, your insurance company, your attorney and your accountant are all bound by a variety of federal laws obliging them to destroy any documents, digital or otherwise, that contain their clients’ private and sensitive information. This involves hiring a document destruction firm to take care of all the shredding, and provide certification that all relevant materials have been destroyed.
If you run a business, engage the shredding services of a top-quality document destruction firm. It isn’t enough to simply keep a shredder in the office. A good document shredding services provider can make regular appointments to collect your paper waste and shred it at their site, or bring a mobile document shredding unit to your location if there’s a substantial amount of records to be destroyed. Your clients will thank you.
Never give out information if you’re not sure who’s getting it. Don’t give out personal or financial identifiers to unsolicited offers that come by mail, phone or Internet. Delete emails that claim to be from banks and ask for your account information. Identity thieves often pose as legitimate businesses or charities to gain your trust.
Accurate Document Destruction, Inc. is a document destruction firm providing shredding services in Pennsylvania (PA), New York (NY, New Jersey (NJ) and Delaware (DE). Accurate offers medical and financial record shredding, and is compliant with FACTA, HIPAA, Gramm-Leach Bliley and the New Jersey Identity Theft Protection Act. Contact us for a price quote, visit our pricing page, or check out our FAQ.
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