Why You Need To Shred Important Documents To Stop Identity Theft

So why you need to shred important documents to stop identity theft

? Well if your company doesn't dispose it's customers details in a proper manner, you could be criminally negligent. It wouldn't be that hard to trace the loss back to you if the correct procedures are not in place. If this happens your company could be liable for any debts or worse as a result.

If you are an individual that has not taken reasonable precautions to protect your identity then there is a chance you will get massive debts. Armed with enough information about you, a thief could apply for loans and other credit in your name. A professional identity thief will not just look for credit in your name; they will apply for replacement documents such as passports. With these they can open bank accounts, and commit fraud in your name.

What would happen if one day you got arrested for a crime that someone else had done. Maybe that other person had produced some ID to prove that they were you at the time of the crime. If that has happened then you are going to find it hard to get the police to believe that you are the victim. Often they will take the easy route to a swift conviction as this will get their crimes figures looking better.

You may think this is a little absurd but when you look take a close look, it doesn't seem that crazy. Imagine a court and the sort of people they deal with on a daily basis. If a criminally minded person was looking to escape justice then they may well have had an accomplice. What I mean is a clever criminal may provide their information for someone else to use in order for this eventuality. Some people have in the past sold their identity to criminal gangs.

It's precisely because of this type of situation that a courtroom may not look upon your case with a sympathetic view. If someone else has sold your Identity on to a criminal gang then you could really be in trouble at some point. There are large groups of people that have focused their efforts on massive bank frauds. They may not be looking to use your name for banking, but they may want to traffic people from troubled areas of the world.

Your ID can be obtained in many ways but your garbage is the main source. It can start with just your name and address and move on to your account numbers. You could be targeted over a period of time where little bits of information is taken each time. A friend of mine had their new bank card stolen from their mail by a person at the mail depot.

The person then called to my friend and pretending to be the bank. They said that they were mailing the new card and that they needed the code for the old one to release it. As this was a replacement for a damaged card no new code was needed and the criminal was able to use the card immediately.

When disposing of your personal information there are a few guidelines for you. Always use a good cross shredder for anything with your details on whether there is just one item of information or more. Even shred your name and address because if someone is targeting you then they may not know critical information. This could be how to spell certain names or even whether or not you have any middle names. The most reason why you need to shred important documents to stop identity theft is because you are responsible for your details nobody else.

by: Brad Hopperton

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