Documents You Should Be Shredding

Most people know they need to shred some documents to protect personal information and prevent identity theft. Aside from the major culprits, like tax info or credit card bills, several other types of documents need shredding to give you peace of mind. With that in mind, the team at UCI Document Solutions is here to talk about document shredding and which documents you should shred.

Junk Mail

People get junk mail every day, and junk mail providers often have more access to your information than you think. If someone stole your junk mail, it might be pretty easy for them to take your identity and open a credit card or take out a loan in your name. You can either shred all junk mail or opt out of receiving junk mail by signing up for the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) block list.

Old IDs

If you recently changed your driver’s license or got a new passport, make sure you completely dispose of the previous copy. Picture IDs contain all kinds of personal information, like your full legal name, physical address, and other identifying features. Shredding is the easiest way to dispose of these documents so bad actors can’t take advantage of them.

Bank Statements

Bank statements should also be regularly shredded. Even statements from a bank you no longer use can provide crucial details to identity thieves. They can even figure out things like your past buying behavior to make their identity fraud look more realistic.

Shipping Labels

You know those new pants you got from Amazon? Make sure to shred any shipping labels with personal identifying information. Companies will usually put the shipping label on the outside of the package or include it inside. Wherever it is, make sure you find and dispose of it before throwing away the packaging. It’s not hard to figure out personal details from something like a shipping label.

Boarding Passes

After you get off your plane, make sure you keep those boarding passes to shred later instead of throwing them away in the nearest trash can. Plane boarding passes have QR codes that contain a lot of personal information. Identity thieves can use that info to steal more personal and financial information.

Post-It Notes

If you work in an office, you probably have used Post-it notes to create small reminders. Make sure you dispose of these notes afterward, especially if they have something like a username and password on them.

Sales Receipts

Lots of people save receipts to keep a tight accounting on their finances. If you have any older receipts you no longer need, make sure you shred them when you get a chance. Sales receipts might have sensitive information, like your name or partial credit card numbers.

Credit Card Offers

Everyone probably gets a few credit card offers in the mail every couple of months. Be sure you dispose of these documents because malicious actors can use them to sign you up for credit cards or buy insurance.

If You Are Not Sure, Shred It

As a general rule of thumb, you should shred any copies of documents that have sensitive personal information on them. If you are not sure, then your best bet is to do some information destruction. Document shredding rules go double if you run a business — leaking sensitive business information can not only harm revenue but also put a black mark on your company’s professional reputation.

Full-Service Document Solutions for Businesses

At UCI Document Solutions, we want to take the stress out of managing important business documents. Call us today at (806) 372-7722 or fill out our online contact form to receive a free quote!