Andrea told her husband Jack that she had noticed a young person going through their condo paper-recycling bins. At first, she thought they were just looking for recyclables which could be turned into cash, but later realized the person was rummaging through all of the containers that were paper-products only.
These bins often contain bank statements, cancelled cheques, private letters, other important documents, credit card statements and envelopes. If the information is from a business office, old client files and related data can often be found. There have been stories in the news about scavengers going through people’s waste and recyclables specifically looking for these items. The information that can be obtained is very valuable to information thieves and can be potentially damaging to you.
Credit Card Statements – Just how valuable is your credit card number to a thief? One couple was vacationing in Montreal when their credit card information got into the hands of an organized crime group in Mexico. Overnight their card had been maxed out. How would you like your next vacation to start this way?
Bank Statements – With an old bank statement, a cancelled cheque and a little bit of today’s technology, anyone can easily print up cheques drawn on your account and forge your signature. You can imagine the havoc this can create.
Envelopes and Magazines – Check your name and address on the magazines to which you subscribe and the notices you receive and you will often find your account or membership number is displayed. With that number, anyone can gain access to your member or account information and re-direct your mail. In some cases, this can be done on the Internet. If someone can re-direct your mail, would you wonder what else they might be able to accomplish?
Office Waste – The information that can be found in discarded office material is very valuable. It can contain confidential information on your customers, correspondence from companies with which you deal, statements of account, customers’ account data, quotations, billing information, purchase orders, etc. Would you like a competitor to get their hands on any of this information? What about your customer’s own identities – could they be stolen from information you discard?
Andrea and Jack decided to foil the information thieves by buying a personal paper shredder for less than $100. They now shred all papers containing anything other than their names and addresses. Though a determined thief might piece the shredder’s output back together, stirring it up should make this practically impossible.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (www.antifraudcentre.ca) is an excellent resource regarding all types of fraud including Identity Theft. Here are some quick tips from their website.
1. Before you reveal any personally identifying information, find out how it will be used and if it will be shared, and with whom.
2. Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time.
3. Use passwords on your credit cards, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SIN or your phone number.
4. Minimize the identification information and number of cards you carry in your wallet or purse.
5. Do not give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the internet unless you have initiated the contact or know with whom you are dealing.
6. Keep items with personal information in a safe place. An identity thief will pick through your garbage or recycling bins. Be sure to shred receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, Physicians’ statements and credit offers you get in the mail.
7. Give your SIN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identity proof when possible.
8. Don’t carry your SIN card; leave it in a secure place.
In my next post, I will share some thoughts on other types of fraud and identity theft – including the internet, your telephone and RFID scanners!
Thomas Lim
Computer Manager – London Drugs Mission
