prevention tip book - shredstation · all material recycled when your personal shredder justwon’t...

all material recycled

when yourPERSONAL SHREDDER

JUST WON’T CUT IT

when your PERSONAL SHREDDER

JUST WON’T CUT IT

IDentIty theftprevention

tip BooK

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JUST WON’T CUT IT


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JUST WON’T CUT IT


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In the past year alone, more than 8 million Americans have been victims of identity theft. Criminals can be very clever and the list of techniques they use to steal identities continues to grow. But most people don’t realize that, with a few modifications to their every day behaviors, they can take control and dramatically decrease the likelihood of becoming a victim.

This Tip Book was designed to provide you with the tips and insights necessary to eliminate the risk. Learn them. Live them. Make sure you aren’t one of the unfortunate 8 million.

Al VillamilPresident, ShredStation, Inc.

A letter from thePReSIDent

yOUR MAIL•Youshouldhavealockedmailboxatyourresidence

oruseaservicelikeTheUPSStoreorMailBoxesEtc. to ensure that you’re the only person to have access to your mail.

•Limittheamountofinformationyoureceivebymail.E-Billing and removing yourself from mail marketing lists are effective ways to cut down on unnecessary mail.

•Donotleavemailinyourmailboxovernightorforextendedperiodsof time–noteven ina lockedmailbox.Protectyourselffrom“mailnapping.”

• Ifyoureceiveapieceofmailwithinformationthatseemstoogoodtobetrue,itmostlikelyis!Donotgive personal information to the person or company who sent you the information. Verify that the offer is legitimate by calling the company directly.

tRASh At hOMe•Shredall junkmailassoonasyouget it–leavingit inaboxorpile

of things that you intend to shred can be very hazardous. Roughly 70percentof ID theft casesare “inside jobs”manyofwhicharecommitted by people you invite into your home including cleaning services, babysitters and even friends and relatives.

•Takeyour trash to thestreetasclose topickup timeaspossible.Thereisnolawagainst“dumpsterdiving”meaningthatonceyouputyour trash out on the street, it’s available to anyone who feels like digging.

hoWSAfeAre YoU?

•Shredalldocumentsthatcontainanypersonalinformation.Thereisamisconception that if a document does not include your social security numberitisunusable.Thatissimplynottrue.Anexperiencedcriminalcan apply for credit cards, mortgages and loans in your name with only a few pieces of personal information.

•Onlyuseacrossshredder,avoidusingstripshredders.Stripshredderscut documents into pieces that can be put back together. In fact, if an identity thief sees strip shredded material, it can alert them that the shredded information is sensitive and valuable.

hOMe ShReDDIng

yOU ShOULD get IntO the hAbIt Of ShReDDIng the fOLLOwIng DOcUMentS:

•Monthlycreditcardstatements•Bankstatements•Paystubsfromwork•Unwantedcreditcardapplications

hoWSAfeAre YoU?

HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE YOURS?

1 BILLION BOXESof sensitive documents

IN BASEMENTS AND GARAGES throughout the country.

there are an estimated



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cReDIt cARDS•Usepermanentmarker toblackoutallpersonal informationon

statements.

•Shredcreditcardstatementsafteryouhavedeterminedtheyareaccurate.

•Cutupexpiredorcancelledcreditcardsintotinypiecessothattheycan not be put back together easily. Make sure the card number can not be used by anyone else to make purchases by phone or online.

•Onlysaveannualcreditcardsummaries—shredtherest.

•Checkyourcreditreportatleastonceeverysixmonths.Everyoneisentitled to one free report per year, but in many cases one time is not enough.

• Ifpossible,carryonlyonecreditcard.Thissignificantlyreducesyourrisk of fraudulent charges if your wallet is ever stolen.

•Setupacreditfraudalert.Yourbankmayofferit,butiftheydon’t,allof the credit agencies can provide you with a service. They do charge, but typically you will not be held accountable should someone steal yourID.

FPO

hoWSAfeAre YoU?

AccOUnt PROtectIOn•Keepyourcheckbookinasecureplacethatavisitorinyourhome

would never find.

•NEVER keep your checkbook in your purse, computer bag or desk at work.

•Havenewpersonalcheckorderssenttoyourbankforpick-upinorder to protect yourself from stolen blank checks.

•Contactyourbankimmediatelyifadiscrepancyexistsbetweenyourrecords and the monthly statement for your account.

•Checktoseeifbalancealertsareanoptionwithyourbank.Somebanks will notify you when your credit balance goes above a certain amount you designate or if your debit/checking balance dips below a certain amount. Both are recommended.

•Bankingonline isagreatway tostayon topofyouraccount,however, make sure your bank offers 100% protection when banking online so you are guaranteed coverage if funds are removed from your account.

• Itisalwayssafertowrite“See ID” in addition to your signature on thebackofyourDebitorATMcardratherthansigningonlyyourname.

tRAveL•Donottakebillsoryourcheckbookwithyouwhenyoutravel.

•Youshouldshredsensitivedocumentsatyourhotel’sbusinesscenterjustasyouwouldathome.

•Make sure that if you travelfor several days you put your mail and newspapers on hold –nothing tells thieves “I’m agoodtarget”morethanastackof mail.

•Donottravelwithyourpassportunless you absolutely must.

SAfeKeeping it

•KeepyourSocialSecuritynumberpersonal.Theonly time you should give it out is when starting anewjoborapplyingforanewcreditcardorloan.

• IfyouthinkyournameorSocialSecurityNumberis being used by an identity thief, contact your state DMV. Also, if your state uses your SSNas your driver’s license number, ask for it to be substituted with another number.

bUSIneSS OwneRS•Makesureyouhavetwodifferentpeoplehandlingyourbusiness

account.Onepersontoissuechecks,theothertobalanceyourcheckbook.

•Checkyouraccountregularlytokeepuptodateandverifyanycancelled checks.

•Randomlyauditemployeeswhohandlefinancialinformation.

•Shredallfinancialmaterialthatisnolongerneeded.

•Nevershareloginaccesspasswordsforonline services with anyone.

•Takeadvantageofsystemsdesignedtoassistyouinprotecting your accounts.

•Developrecordretentionanddocumentdestructionpolicies for your business. If you ever have an incident, your company may be required to prove that these policies are in place to avoid potential fines.

theftprevent

SOcIAL SecURIty cARD

IN THE PAST YEAR ALONE,

446 COMPANIES WERE GUILTY

OF COMPROMISING THE IDENTITY

OF MORE THAN 127 MILLION PEOPLE.

CAN YOU AFFORD TO PUT YOUR COMPANY ON THIS LIST?



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cOMPUteRS AnD eLectROnIc MeDIA•Beforerecyclingoldcomputers,makesuretosecurelyeraseor

destroy the hard drive.

•CellPhonesandSmartphonesalsocontainsensitiveprivateorcompanyinformation.Youcouldberiskingfinesbynotproperlydisposing of the information.

•Regularlyuseanti-spywareprogramsonyourcomputer.

•Downloadandbrowsecarefully;youcanavoidvirusesandplantedsoftware used to steal usernames and passwords.

•NEVERusepeer-to-peerfilesharingprograms.TheyopenthedoortoIDtheftnightmares.

• Ifyoureceiveane-mailrequestingaccountverificationfromabankor payment service such as PayPal, don’t click on it or reply. Call the real source to verify the message is legitimate.

•Becarefulaboutstoringinformationonyourlaptopharddrive.Ifthelaptop gets stolen or lost, the information will be compromised.

•NEVERopenattachmentsfromunknownsources.

thinKSAfetyfirst

there are more than 500 millionexpired computers containingsensitive information.

how many of them are yours?



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JUST WON’T CUT IT

OnLIne ShOPPIng•Whenshoppingonlineneveruseadebitcard.Whenpossible,use

an online payment service that allows you to limit the total funds in the account. If the account should ever be compromised, you will be able to limit your losses.

• Ifyouhavetouseacreditcard,alwaysuse the same one. If someone does steal the card information, you can isolate the source of the problem and limit the amount of financial damage.

•Checkforthepadlocksymbolor“hackertesteddaily”validationonwebsitestoensure that you are using a secure site.

•Readthewebsite’sprivacypolicy.Thepolicy will let you know that personal information you provide will be kept confidential and not sold or disclosed to others.

thinKSAfetyfirst

PhOne

•Placeyourselfonthe DO NOT CALL list to avoid telemarketers and scamartists–gotowww.donotcall.gov

•NEVER give your social security number to anyone over the phone.

•NEVERdiscusssensitiveinformationusingacellphone.Waituntilyou have access to a more secure land line.

yOUR cAR

•NEVER leave sensitive information in your car overnight.•NEVER keep your mail, checkbook or social security card in your

glovebox–reservethegloveboxforregistrationandinsurancepapers only.

PROtectYoUrself

PRevent InfORMAtIOn ShARIng

Keepyourpersonalfinancialinformationoffofcorporatemarketingandbilling databases as much as possible to reduce the chance that your information will be hacked or stolen. To be removed from many mailing lists for up to five years, sign up online at www.the-dma.org, or write to:DirectMarketingAssociation,MailPreferenceService,P.O.Box643,Carmel,NY10512.

Limit the number of pre-approved credit offers you receive by removing your name from the marketing lists of the three credit reporting bureaus. Call888-5OPT-OUT(888)567-8688.Ifanyofyourcreditcardissuerssendrandom-issue convenience checks, request in writing to be removed from that mailing list.

Ask your bank about its privacy and information policies. Find out under what circumstances your bank may provide your account information to a third party. Request that you be notified in advance and ask if it is possible to opt out of this practice.

whO tO cOntAct:

Contact a credit bureau immediately to notify them that your information has been compromised. Any of the agencies listed below can set up alerts and make sure that no one uses your information to set up any unauthorized accounts. Also, each agency is required to inform the other two of your situation, so you will only have to contact one office.

TRANS UNIONP.O.Box2000Chester,PA19022-2000www.transunion.com(800) 888-4213(request report)

(800) 680-7289(report fraud)

EXPERIAN P.O.Box2104Allen,TX75013-2104www.experian.com (888) 397-3742

EQUIFAXP.O.Box740241Atlanta,GA30374-0241www.equifax.com (800) 685-1111 (request report)

(800) 525-6285(report fraud)

A vIctIMif YoU Become

Mail Theft

The USPIS is the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service, and it investigates cases of identity theft. TheUSPIShasprimaryjurisdictionin all matters infringing on the integrityofU.S.mail.Youcanlocatethe nearest USPIS district office nearest you by calling your local post office, checking the Blue Pages of your telephone directory, or visit www.postalinspectors.uspis.gov.

Social Security Information

If you are over age 25, you shouldreceive a Social Security statement by mail each year. Check your statement thoroughly and report any inaccuracies to the Social Security Administration. Youcanorderacopyofyourstatementby cal l ing (800) 772-1213 or byaccessingtheSocialSecurityWebsiteat www.ssa.gov. YoumayalsocontactSSAtoll-freeat1-800-772-1213.

IfyoususpectSSNmisusecontacttheSSAOfficeoftheInspectorGeneral.You may file a complaint online at www.socialsecurity.gov/oig, or call toll-free(800)269-0271,orwrite:SSAFraudHotline,P.O.Box17768,Baltimore,MD21235.

Passport Fraud

If you have lost your passport, or believe it was stolen, contact the United StatesDepartmentofState throughtheir website, or call a local USDSfield office which is located in the Blue Pages of your telephone directory. To visit their website go to www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html.

Credit / Atm / Debit Cards

The Fair Credit Billing Act establishes procedures for resolving billing errors on your credit card accounts, including fraudulent charges on your accounts. Immediately contact your bank or your credit card company to cancel your card and put a hold on your account.

Computer and Internet Security

Review the privacy policy of any online companies you deal with. Also, request that they do not share your financial information.

Telemarketing No Call Lists

FederalNoCallList (888)382-1222toll free www.donotcall.gov. Consumer Complaints Federal Trade Commission www.consumer.gov/idtheft/.

Phone Fraud

If an identity thief has established phone service in your name, is making unauthorized phone calls, or is using your calling card and PIN, contactyour service provider immediately to cancel the account and/or calling card. Contact the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)atwww.fcc.gov. The FCC regulates interstate and international communications by cable, satellite, radio, and television. Cal l 1-800-CALL-FCC or wr i te : Federal Communications Commission, Consumer In fo rmat ion Bureau , 44512thStreet,SW,Room5A863,Washington,DC20554.Youcanfilecomplaints online at www.fcc.gov, or email questions to [email protected].

A vIctIMif YoU Become

Capitalize on the perfect storm in the information destruction industry:

1. ID theft is at an all time high

2. Data breach fines are through the roof –as much as $2,500 per individual record compromised

3. Green businesses are experiencing dramatic growth and increases in customer loyalty

4. Over 500 million computers and hard drives with sensitive information expired just last year

a Green Franchise Solutionto America’s ID Theft CrisisShredStation Express is currently accepting applications for new franchises.

We have a unique business model that brings a variety of information destruction and recycling services directly to the virtually untapped residential and small business markets.

To learn more about franchise opportunities, please visit www.shredstationfranchise.com and click “request more information.” Once you submit your information, we’ll contact you about getting one step closer to owning your own business.



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JUST WON’T CUT IT

to obtain additional information about identity theft and fraud visit the following websites:

Department of Justice: www.usdoj.govFederal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov

Federal Communications Commission: www.fcc.govInternal Revenue Service: www.IRS.gov

Social Security Administration: www.ssa.govU.S. Postal Inspection Service: www.postalinspectors.uspis.gov

to report fraudulent use of your checks call your bank or the following:

Chexsystems: 1-800-428-9623Equifax: 1-800-437-5120SCAN: 1-800-262-7771

Telecheck: 1-800-710-9898



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JUST WON’T CUT IT

www.shredstation.com



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prevention tip book - shredstation · all material recycled when your personal shredder justwon’t...

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