Why Document Shredding is Crucial for Preventing Identity Theft!
Imagine you're at a store, ready to pay with your credit or debit card, only to find it declined, even though you're sure your account has enough funds. This could be an alarming sign that someone may be fraudulently using your identity. In the best-case scenario, banks and creditors might catch the suspicious activity early and temporarily freeze access to your accounts until they verify your identity. But in worst cases, your accounts could be drained completely, leaving you to deal with the long, arduous process of recovering from identity theft.
Stay Vigilant with Your Bank Statements Monitoring your bank activity is one of the most effective ways to prevent financial fraud. Use your bank’s app to check for any unusual transactions, especially small, seemingly insignificant ones. Often, criminals will start by withdrawing a tiny amount, like $1, to test if the account is active before launching a full-scale attack. If you notice any unfamiliar transactions, even small ones, immediately contact your bank to freeze your accounts and prevent further damage.
Check Your Credit Report Regularly Another major red flag is the appearance of unfamiliar accounts or debts on your credit report. Regularly reviewing your credit report helps ensure that fraudulent accounts haven’t been opened in your name. If you start receiving letters from debt collectors about accounts that aren’t yours—or even if the name on the bill is slightly different—take action right away. Investigate the issue, and don’t dismiss it as an error.
Respond Quickly to Data Breach Notifications Data breaches have become increasingly common, and companies are often quick to notify customers when their information has been compromised. While many organizations offer free security monitoring services after a breach, it's essential to take proactive steps to protect yourself. Start monitoring your accounts and take any necessary precautions as soon as you receive a breach notice, even if the stolen data hasn’t been used yet.
The Importance of Document Shredding Many cases of identity theft can be traced back to improperly discarded documents containing personal information. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to protect yourself from identity theft is through document shredding. Whether you're discarding old bank statements, medical records, or other sensitive documents, shredding ensures that your information is unreadable and unrecoverable by would-be identity thieves. Chesapeak Shredding offers many service lines to shred documents. We work with businesses to shred on-site, schedule one-time purge requests and also offer an off-site shredding service. Additionally, we have a van service for small shred jobs where we pick up documents and place them in our secure locked bins to be shredded back at our facility. Call our office at 410-322-8700 to find the best document shredding for your needs.
Take Action if You Suspect Identity Theft If you suspect that your information has been compromised—whether due to unusual banking activity, unfamiliar debts, or a recent data breach—visit IdentityTheft.gov. This government resource provides guidance on how to report identity theft and offers tools to help you recover and restore your financial security.
By staying vigilant, monitoring your financial activity, and ensuring sensitive documents are properly destroyed, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to identity theft.