Today, one in eight people are victims of identity fraud.
Why? Because it’s easy.
There is an array of seemingly inconspicuous items and pieces of information that an identity thief can easily acquire – mostly due to the fraud victim not realising their significance or not disposing of them properly. Knowing which items can leave you susceptible to identity theft means you can guard against it – so maintain vigilance when using or disposing of the below:
Bank and Credit Card Statements
Though these do not contain information such as PIN codes, which would allow an identity thief to simply withdraw your money, the fraudster will be able to get details of standing orders and direct debits, which in conjunction with other stolen information, would allow them to pass some bank security measures. The information on bank and credit card statements may also be enough for identity thieves to buy from foreign websites.
Driving Licences/Passports
Identity thieves can easily amend a stolen passport or driving license to pass themselves off as others. To prevent this from happening to you, keep these items in a safe, secure place, making sure you always know where they are, and only carry them with you when you need them. When the time comes to dispose of your driving licence or passport once you have replaced them after expiry, don’t simply throw them in the bin – make sure they’re destroyed.
Credit and Debit Cards
Access to a debit or credit card will allow an identity thief to whatever they wish with your money, bar physically taking your money out from a cashpoint. Yet, once they’ve built up a detailed enough picture of your identity, they may be able to bypass bank security measures. Keep your cards secure by only taking them away from a secure location when you know you’ll need them. Once cards are no longer in use, they, like driving licences and passports, should be destroyed rather than thrown away.
Laptops, Computers and Hard Drives
This type of technology is constantly improving and, as such, constantly being replaced – with many computer owners sending their outdated technology to landfill. But for an identity thief, a discarded computer is a treasure trove of confidential information. Simply wiping everything on a computer won’t do, as technology exists which can restore deleted data – the only way to render the confidential information held on your computer irretrievable is to destroy the machine itself.
Flash Drives
Small, light and portable, these are extremely useful methods of carrying files around – but they’re also very easy to lose. If you must carry a flash drive containing sensitive information, keep it secure by attaching it to a key ring and once you no longer use it, have it destroyed.
You may have noticed a pattern emerging here – that the only way you can ensure that you’re safe from identity theft is to have the items on the identity thief’s shopping list destroyed. In order to do this, get in touch with a paper shredding and confidential data disposal company such as Datashredders, whose AXO double shredding machine can deal just as easily with plastics and hardware as it can with paper. Don’t make it easy for identity thieves by handing them the items on their shopping list – hire a shredding company to make sure these items are destroyed.