Protect Yourself From Identity Theft and Identity Fraud

The 2009 Identity Fraud Survey Report by Javelin stated that almost 10 million Americans found out that they were victims of identity theft/fraud in 2008. The study has also shown that the rise in identity theft and fraud is due to decline of the economy for the past 5 year. Due to these hard times, people have started exploring other ways to save and make money, even if it does involve digging through the trash of others, or “dumpster diving.” Of course, not all those who dive dumpsters intend to misuse the things they find, but the higher rate of unemployment and other related financial problems have pushed people to do things they normally would not do.

Dumpster diving has received a lot of mixed perception. Since it is legal, you can't exactly say it's wrong, but some states are moving towards the ban of dumpster diving. The consequences of giving other people the freedom to go through our trash (with or without consent) will surely have its bad effects. Crimes like trespassing, vandalism, and identity theft have been three hot topics related with the issue, and now, more and more people are alarmed with the fact that there is no existing law that is set to protect them from such crimes.

Even if the ban on dumpster diving does happen, there is still no complete assurance that your personal and confidential documents will be kept safe from the hands of other people. Financial records, credit and debit records, payroll records, and other confidential documents are instant sources of vital information that can give strangers access to your bank accounts, personal profile, checking accounts, company revenue reports, personal mail, and other private documents.

But what happens when you simply have no room to keep all your private documents in? What about files you just need to get rid of, but you know you can't just dump them anywhere?

This is where the services of document shredding companies come in. Document shredding is the process of disposing files and records permanently. It is also one way of disposing stagnant or expired documents in an environmentally safe way. An example of a document shredding company is Shred-it. They offer secure shredding services for private or large companies and institutions like law firms, private and public hospitals, banks, and stores.

A shredding company offers disposal for a variety of file and document types. They provide medical files destruction and x-ray film destruction for clinics and hospitals; and since hospitals and clinics have so little time to take documents to a shredding company, they can have the whole process brought to them via mobile shredding. Mobile shredding is very convenient for institutions who have a lot of files to dispose of. Some shredding companies also destroy files in your computer so no one can retrieve deleted files.

Identity theft and fraud has cost millions for a lot of big companies. Financial records and revenue reports should always be kept confidential because it these documents hold vital information to accessing company connections and resources. Allotting budget for proper disposal of these files will save your business from becoming a victim of identity theft, fraud, or maybe even worse crimes.

Shredding companies can be found all over South Florida. They places like Fort Lauderdale, Aventura, Hollywood, Hallandale Beach, Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point, Boca Raton, Miami, Miramar, Miami Beach, North Miami Beach, Tamarac, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Davie, Cooper City, Weston, Sunrise, Palmetto Bay, Kendall, Homestead, and Plantation.

When subscribing the help of a shredding company, make sure they are HIPAA compliant. This is SOP for all shredding companies.