Dave Stuart is an industry expert on paper shredders and office equipment.
There are literally dozens of things you can do to prevent ID theft. Although education is a critical part of preventing ID theft, a good old-fashioned paper shredder is one of the most important, yet overlooked, things you can use.
It is amazing the amount of credit card applications, receipts, invoices and bills we receive in the mail on a daily basis. A lot of this "junk mail" gets thrown in the garbage without even a second glance. Some people even rip mail in half, thinking this is enough to prevent someone else using this information.
Garbage is an identity thief's best friend. They love it. It literally takes seconds for a thief to rummage through your garbage and grab sensitive information. This could be from your garbage can sitting on the curb, a garbage can sitting next to a desk all the way to a dumpster behind a building.
Letters ripped in half can be easily taped back together. There are reported cases of credit card applications being taped back together, mailed in and approved!
The only sure way to be certain a thief doesn't get their hands on your discarded mail is to shred it. Confetti-cut (cross-cut) documents are next to impossible to re-assemble. Most thieves want to take the easy path and won't even bother trying to piece together shredded paper.
Higher security levels on shredders means the particles are cut smaller. Security level 4 to 6 shredders make it impossible to read information. Paper shredders range in size from a small shredder designed to shred letters to a high-end shredder designed to shred bins of paper. There is a shredder out there for you that will work for your needs.
Prices on paper shredders have dropped over the years. There is no longer a good excuse not to buy a paper shredder. Make sure your identity is safe and start shredding today!
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