Preventing Identity Theft and Fraud Through Secure Shredding

Identity theft is the fastest growing form of fraud in the United States. Each year, about 9 million Americans fall victims of identity theft, according to the Federal trade Commission (FTC). Surprisingly enough, despite the available advances of electronic hacking, most fraud and identity theft cases occur during unauthorized acquisition of paper-based information. Most people get mixed up with identity theft and identity fraud. The former is actually the misappropriation of one's identity information without their knowledge or permission. The latter, on the other hand, is the use of another person's identity for illegal purposes. An example of  identity fraud is the use of another person's passport.

An emerging means for getting private documents for the purpose of fraud is dumpster diving. Dumpster diving, basing from the term, means going through stuff that have already been thrown away and keeping those stuff for whatever purpose you can think of. A discarded sofa can now be anyone's sofa. A barely-working radio thrown in the trash can is up for grabs for anyone who sees it; and old documents you've thrown away can now be anyone's. Of course, not all people have the intention of harming others, but then there are those instances when you never know what they'll do with what you've thrown away. What's even more scary is that, dumpster diving is legal!

Lawsuits can get messy, especially if it involves big companies or powerful people. But at the end, no one wins because you waste money, time, and energy into something you could have prevented before all hell broke loose.

One safe and inexpensive solution to this problem is to shred it. Shred all your old private files without having to worry about dumpster divers using it illegally. Shredding documents instead of just throwing them away ensures your business from identity theft and fraud. Safely shredding unneeded files will protect your company, your employees, your associates, and even your family of harmful intentions from strangers.

All business have to keep track of financial records, employee profiles, payroll records, client records, business plans, account records, and so much more. But with so many new files coming in everyday, old files from 10 to 50 years ago will just seem like clutter in the workplace. Shredding companies can provide secure shredding for all kinds of businesses with all types of files and documents. They offer x-ray film destruction and medical file destruction for hospitals and medical professionals, they offer document shredding for big firms and government offices, and some even provide computer files destruction for documents saved in your computer. Mobile shredding is also available for business who need secure shredding by the bulk and just can't seem to find the time to take those boxes of files to a shredding company.

You will also be doing service for your community with secure shredding. Prevent non payment of taxes and debts, unqualified drivers from driving, crimes against children, and misappropriation of authority.

For areas in Florida, RecordShred, Inc. is one shredding company that offers its services for 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 looking for a shredding service company, make sure that they are HIPAA compliant. HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. When a company is HIPAA compliant, it means that they follow standard policies on security, privacy, and environmental safety. So make sure you get the service of the right shredding company.