Shredding with confidence – don’t fall foul of identity fraudsters

Here at Yeates, we know how important it is to dispose of confidential paperwork responsibly. And, whilst it’s easy to talk about a paperless society, the reality seems very different. With spring cleaning currently on our minds, why not use this time to get to grips with your ever-increasing pile of paperwork?

But, what to keep and what to shred?

The Citizen’s Advice Bureau offers very helpful information on the subject, as well as reminding us that keeping on top of paperwork can save us time (hours spent looking for that all important piece of paper), money (no more late payment penalties), and provide peace of mind as the ever-growing  paper mountain is under control.

With over 100,000 people or UK businesses* in UK falling foul of identity theft each year, simply discarding confidential documents in the rubbish, or the recycling bin, leaves you wide open to fraud. Stolen credit and bank card information is big business and so all documents that include card numbers, passwords legal and medical information, and passwords need to be destroyed responsibly.

But it’s not just confidential documents that give fraudsters free rein to stealing your identity.  The endless stream of junk mail that comes through our letterboxes can also be used to gather personal information. Again, in the wrong hands the consequences can be devastating.

In addition to shredding, there’s a host of other ways to keep your identity safe. Saga offers some great top tips on how to protect yourself on its website and which be viewed here.

Today’s online and digital world opens up the opportunity for identity fraud exponentially.  Cifas is a not-for-profit prevention membership organisation and is the UK’s leading fraud prevention service. Offering a host of useful information on their blog on subjects ranging from what to do when asked for personal details for payment, to helping young people understand the effects of fraud, we hope you find it helpful.