It may feel like people talk altogether too much about identity theft. There is a good reason for that, though. Identity theft happens every day and in greater numbers all the time. There are many reasons for this, but much of it is because of sensitive information that has not been handled safely. Documents like credit card statements, office documents, health records, and other information can all cause a big risk. Local paper shredding and other methods can help prevent identity theft. Here is how.
Keep Things Tidy
For an office environment, it is good to have a clean desk policy. That means that any documents containing sensitive information should never be left out. They should be placed in locked drawers when not being used or placed in your local paper shredding bin for disposal by shredding services.
Local Paper Shredding
Using professional paper shredding services will ensure that those documents are disposed of properly. Local paper shredding means that a local company can come to your office to collect your waste paper. With an industrial shredder, they will make sure that the information on your documents can never be recovered. In most cases, they will place one or more locked bins around your workplace, so staff can easily and simply deposit documents that are no longer needed.
No Need For ID
Well, you certainly do need ID, but maybe you don’t need to carry it all the time. Social security cards and credit cards are most popular items for thieves, so you can consider keeping them home if you do not need them. However, any kind of ID can be used to commit fraud, so be careful.
Be Careful with Your Electronics
So much of our data is stored digitally nowadays, and it is all ripe for the picking for thieves. Make sure that your computers and devices, including your phone, are all password protected. You should also have anti-virus software, firewalls, and other security measures in place to prevent hacking. If you have sensitive information stored on a hard drive that you are no longer going to use, then shredding services can shred the drive. Simply deleting the information on a drive is not enough. It must be completely destroyed so the information can never be recovered.
Social Media Savvy
It is not just thieves in major cities like Austin, San Antonio, Dallas or Houston that you need to worry about. With the internet and social media, thieves can get information from anywhere in the world. Sharing personal information on digital platforms can leave you open to theft. Make sure to set your security settings to the highest level possible, and only accept friend requests from people you know.
Monitor Your Financial Accounts
Make sure to keep a close eye on all your financial accounts at all times. If you notice a charge you do not recognize, contact the financial institution right away. The sooner you detect fraud, the easier it will be to minimize the risk. Leaving fraud for longer periods of time will only allow unauthorized transactions to pile up.
Be Smart with Passwords
Make sure that nobody is trying to peek at your PIN when you are using an ATM or making purchases. You should also make sure that passwords for online shopping sites are strong and not common or easy to guess.
Identity theft is a real threat to just about anyone. Make sure that you use local paper shredding and some other common-sense methods to prevent identity theft in all its forms.
