Many people don’t realise that failing to shred sensitive documents doesn’t just leave you vulnerable to identity theft from strangers. You could also be victimised by people you know – even by close family members. That’s what makes Melbourne secure document destruction so important when it comes to avoiding identity theft and security breaches. Many cases of identity theft are not recorded with authorities once the perpetrator is identified as a family member as it is often a case of not wanting to press charges.
Identity Theft
The following is an overview of people “close to home” who could potentially steal your identity or commit credit card fraud in your name:
Co-Workers
Unfortunately, fellow staff members may not always have your best interests at heart. If you ever leave your purse, wallet or personal files unattended even for a few minutes, they could be subject to theft by someone who can use them for their own financial gain. If a credit report is accessed, the data can then be used by the co-worker, or sold to others for fraudulent use.
Employees
If you’re a business owner, you could be at risk of fraud by your own workers. Employees of smaller businesses have been known to commit identity theft and get away with it for long periods of time. While proper employee screening is key, a policy of regular secure document destruction and paper shredding can help minimise the risk.
Customer Service Personnel
You may not know them very well, but many people get on a first name basis with customer service workers such as wait staff and cashiers. Customer service workers have access to all of your credit card details, and it would not be difficult for these individuals to access your account, or sell the details to a third party. Some would need little provocation; such as believing your tip was too low.
Neighbours
We should all be lucky enough to have friendly, trustworthy neighbours. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Neighbours have easy, up-close access to your doorstep, routines, mail, garbage and recycled items. If you aren’t making use of secure document destruction and paper shredding in Melbourne, you could be leaving yourself open to financial fraud and identity theft from the boy or girl next door.
Friends
Anyone can make the mistake of poor judgment in choice of friends. Also, even the highest quality individuals are subject to dishonesty at certain times in life given the right circumstances. If a friend or associate stumbles upon sensitive documents and paperwork in your home, they could use these items to commit identity fraud, banking fraud or credit card fraud. Using secure document destruction can help reduce the temptation and minimise the risk of such incidents.
Family Members
It might be difficult to think about a family member stealing from you, but unfortunately, theft within families is all too common. For example, teenagers or young adults may take advantage of close access to their parents’ sensitive documents and use them to steal money for a range of reasons.
The sad, sobering fact is that around half of all identity theft cases are committed by somebody close to the victim according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. From substance abuse issues to general financial problems, any number of motives could prompt someone close to you to steal your identity or other sensitive information.
Fortunately, you can take proactive measures to greatly reduce this risk. Shred on Site is Melbourne’s trusted document shredding service that brings you effective, secure document destruction. Now you can protect yourself from fraud and identity theft from both strangers and people closer to home.
