A peak season for identity thieves is tax time: old tax records and other expired documents are being discarded and your identity is ripe for the picking. Those old files, records and documents may be useless to you, but they provide valuable information to thieves waiting to steal your identity. Don’t just throw your identity out with the trash—help safeguard against identity theft with proper shredding and disposal of your sensitive documents at Frost’s Shred event. Shred-It shredding company will be on-hand to professionally shred and dispose of your documents and records at this free event that is open to the public. To add a sweet note to the event, sweet treats will be available to enjoy as your documents are safely destroyed.
What should be shredded to help protect against identity theft? Any document that has identifying information on it that ties to financial accounts or contains personal information such as account or loan numbers, birth dates, social security numbers, your mother’s maiden name or any online passwords; investment records and statements; bank statements and canceled checks; paycheck stubs or pay statements; ATM, credit card and debit card receipts; credit card statements; utility bills and other household receipts; insurance policies; loan agreements; and information regarding tax returns. Old driver’s licenses, passports, expired insurance cards—even mailing labels from magazines: if it can help a thief assume your identity, it needs to be properly disposed of. If you are unsure that a document needs to be shredded, don’t take chances—shred it.
Proper information disposal isn’t just for personal information—it impacts businesses as well. Many types of documents eventually outlive their purpose, and holding onto them too long puts businesses at risk of a security breach and non-compliance with current privacy legislation. Frost is proud to offer businesses the opportunity to participate in Frost Shred too. Financial records, such as expense reports, depreciation records, payroll records, sales reports, inventory lists, production reports, invoices, time cards, payroll reports and more, including personnel files and anything that can identify you, your employees or your customers, should be treated with care. Guidelines regarding record retention are important to follow, but once you’re ready to dispose of sensitive records or documents, be sure to securely shred them in a trusted manner.