Identification theft is on the rise. You might have come across many instances wherein people have become victim to identity theft. Identification theft can be avoided by taking necessary precautions. This begins by protecting your confidential documents and disposing them responsibly.
Avoiding Identification Theft
Shredding need not be limited only to papers or documents. It goes beyond that. Electronic transactions, data on your hard drive or mobile can also be disposed. Many companies have in house shredding equipment that does the shredding process. This can be a bi weekly or a quarterly activity depending on the nature and size of the business.
Many companies hire onsite shredding companies to carry out the shredding job. Houston has a lot of onsite shredding companies that are experts in this field. They have the latest equipment that does bulk shredding. If you are looking for document shredding Houston companies, then ensure that you compare price and go for companies with good reputation.
Types of Documents that can be shredded
If you work in an organization that deals with client confidential information, then you need to dispose the documents after use. This helps in building a good rapport with your clients and builds trust with them seeing how serious you are about their welfare.
Some of the important documents that you need to shred after use include:
- Junk Mails
- Old ID’s
- Travel Documents
- Old Tax Returns
- Old Bank Statements and Medical Information
- Personal or school information of kids
Junk mails that are addressed to you need to be shredded. Any one can use your address or name that come on the envelopes and misuse them. Old ID’s can be used for thefts or forging of documents. Travel itineraries need to be shredded too. Many a times, when you book a vacation, you might give out personal information which can fall in wrong hands and misused.
Old tax receipts that have been audited or older than seven years old can be disposed. If in doubt, you can check with the lawyer on the same. Bank statements or medical information also contain your name and address and needs to be shredded. Important documents related to your children such as birth certificates and report cards also need to be shredded.
Conclusion
Many countries take document shredding very seriously. They have federal and State laws in place wherein, you can be penalized if you do not dispose the documents properly. Throwing important documents into the trash can be a leading cause of identity theft. Anyone can get a hold of your documents and use it for their own benefit.
