WHAT DAY IS YOUR GARBAGE PICKUP DAY?
QUESTION: What day of the week do you put your garbage can out on the street?
ANSWER: That is the day you are MOST vulnerable to Identity Theft.
Why?
Think about what you put into your garbage can.
If you are like most people, you have tossed a lot of “junk mail” into the garbage (usually tied up in a neat plastic bag). Things like “pre-approved” credit card applications, just waiting for a signature and returning them back to the bank.with your NAME on the application form.
Other items include canceled checks, medical bills (usually with your social security number), phone bills utility bills, and charge card account information.
Armed with the critical few bits of information you provided in your garbage can, criminals can hijack your credit reputation and go on hundred-thousand-dollar shopping sprees using new credit cards issued in your name.
They can run up large phone charges to 900 numbers, make long distance phone calls, and using your cancelled checks, make Automatic Check Transactions on-line to buy what ever their heart desires.
Do you want some more bad news? The government can't stop them.
The U.S. Supreme Court, in effect overturning the 1974 Privacy Act, stated that: “garbage left at a curb for pick-up is public domain and subject to inspection and seizure by anyone”.
This means “anyone” including criminals and your corporate competitors are free to check your garbage can or dumpster, anytime they are so inclined.
So what is a person supposed to do to protect themselves and their family?
The simple answer is to buy a paper shredder and use it every day.
“Shredding makes your personal information unavailable for the taking” states Tony Storrie, director of marketing for Fellowes, the world's leading manufacturer of shredders. “Shredding junk mail, credit card receipts and any other form of personal information means it is thoroughly destroyed, useless to criminals looking to profit at the expense of unsuspecting people.”
The Privacy Rights Clearing-house (PRC), a non-profit education and research program administered by the University of San Diego's Center for Public Interest Law, also suggests shredding, claiming it can protect citizens against having their sensitive information stolen by Identity Thieves.
Start Shredding TODAY!
Merritt Tumanis
Author/Publisher
Copyright (C) Merritt W. Tumanis 2002
Permission is granted to reprint the following article as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright information, and the resource box is included. Please let me know if you use this article by sending an email to mailto:mtumanis@iserv.net
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Article excerpt from the ebook
“Credit Alert, Learn how to reduce your risks for Identity Theft” found at http://www.wmce.net/idtheft/sales.html