Article

As the old saying goes, ‘one person’s trash is another person’s treasure’.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, it can also leave you open to fraud. What’s in your household rubbish bin could make you a victim of identity fraud crooks.

Personal information, financial details, sensitive material and secrets could mean you becoming a victim of identity fraud. Criminals can rummage through your bin and use your personal information to find out all about you.

Lose your identity to fraudsters and you lose just about everything. By stealing your identity, they steal your livelihood – and your life.

Careless disposal of household rubbish is one of the main reasons why identity criminals are becoming so successful. People don’t realise that what they are throwing away can be used by fraudsters to authenticate their story when accessing, say, your bank account. They become you for that instant – and the bank has no way of knowing that they’re not you.

Credit card receipts with full credit card numbers on them, bank account numbers and details, home addresses, phone numbers, a signature – they’re a green light to the crooks. Able to access such details in your rubbish, they can clear a credit card account and start a new one before you can say ‘Charge it!’ They can take out finance for a brand new car by buying the car in your name.

So, what can YOU do to protect yourself. It’s pretty straightforward – don’t put sensitive material in your rubbish. Shred it. Tear it up. Burn it. Swallow it, even! But don’t leave it anywhere where unscrupulous people can access it.

Watch out for the bin raiders. Don’t let the crooks win!

Story by D. Feldman