Community Chat

[Its Me LuLuBelle2]

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@Mominohio wrote:

Why would it matter the amount of risk, when you consider the damage that could be done?

It is so easy to shred or burn the documents so even if the risk is minuscule, why chance it. 

These days, this is just one of those no brainer kind of things that I would never skimp on or stop doing. 

We also don't let our mail lay in the box. We are home when the mail runs and we get it quickly. 

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@Mominohio, I'm with you regarding picking up the mail immediately.  I also take all outgoing mail to the Post Office.  We live on a small private road with only a handful of houses.  Our mailboxes are on the main road we live off of.  Recently two young kids (late 20s) bought the house next door.  They both work on Wall Street.  They are out every morning at 6:00 to catch the train into Manhattan and are not usually back until 9:00 p.m.  They let their mail sit all week and pick it up on Saturday.  A few years ago someone robbed all of the mail from another neighbors mailbox and what a nightmare it turned into for them (bank statements, credit card statements, etc. were stolen and went unnoticed by them until the proverbial you know what hit the fan).  To make a long story short I told the new kids about what had happened in our quiet, "safe" (virtually crime free) little community and suggested they not let 5 days of mail sit, or perhaps get a P.O. Box.  They told me they weren't worried about it.  Okey dokey.  It's not a concern, until it is.

[GAQShopr53]

@CrazyDaisyI agree with your recommendations...when I can't burn or shred, I ensure the papers are wet with some type of trash that will deter going though a bag of trash...usually it is oil or water or food items being discarded.  I use to take my items to a community shred event but recently stopped because the items were not shredded while you waited. I believe, now more than ever, some are looking for ways to steal identities so it does not hurt to be careful. 

SN: I know that some say the Internet is a more conducive place for thieves to steel identities and this may be but people are still stealing from mailboxes and taking packages from porches so I don't put it past them to steal trash.

[hckynut]

@MsCatLuver

Love you nic! Our trash? Pretty much zero chance, unless it is done at the dump. We live in a unique 1 way in 1 way out cul-de-sac, on a rural gravel road. Our trash is also in a 95 gallon trash bin. Can hear cars coming up this hilly gravel road, and they pretty much have to turn around in our driveway.

But!! I still use our Micro-shredder for all our documents, even just to shred some news ads. Makes good packing for sending things. Started decades ago with the old Strip Shredder/then on to the Crosscut Shredder, now the gran daddy of them all, for now anyways!

hckynut(john)

[Spurt]

@MsCatLuver

Of course it depends on where you live.....

BUT A WORD OF WARNING!

I live in a Condo and we have dumpsters. I have seen a group of  4 women all wearing the same color smocks with these little carts on wheels, large garbage bags and a stool and long sticks with spiked ends going through the dumpster. 

I asked them what they were doing and they said looking for cans and bottles to redeem for money at the recycle center.  But that didnt make any sense because the recycle trash cans were right beside the dumpsters with all the cans and bottles that they said they were looking for!!!.(I lifted up one of the lid of the recycle bins and it was full).....  I quietly left and went back to my Condo and called our security officer...I guess he chased them off ..... But I saw them one other time again!!!....

And another time driving down the street in another part of our subdivision, I saw this same group of women going through trash cans of homes put out for trash day....

So what were they really putting in their bags.... It made me glad I shred things.  Better safe than sorry these days!

[goldensrbest]

I can not imagine throwing away your important papers,and not shredding them instead.

[Spurt]

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@Mominohio wrote:

Why would it matter the amount of risk, when you consider the damage that could be done?

It is so easy to shred or burn the documents so even if the risk is minuscule, why chance it. 

These days, this is just one of those no brainer kind of things that I would never skimp on or stop doing. 

We also don't let our mail lay in the box. We are home when the mail runs and we get it quickly. 

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@Mominohio

Most subdivisions,condos, and apts all have community mailboxes now, and our local news has reported on incidents of thieves breaking into mailboxes....it happened at my sisters apt complex......... Cleaner way to get info to start the identity theft process....After this happened, I also make it a habit to get my mail daily, but I have friends that let it go for a week before they pickup their mail.........

[software]

I even shred my junk mail.

I get offers for credit cards, I don't want anyone getting a card in my name.

It's just a habit.  I separate my mail when I open it.   Save, Garbage or Shred.

I bought a $25 crosscut shredder from Walmart.  The shred looks like confetti.

When it dies, I'll buy another one..

[Mothertrucker]

After I saw the movie “Argo” , and saw how they recreated the documents that had been shredded, I am not even sure if shredding is enough...

[bonnielu]

I really don't want to take a chance and in our case we have two ways to get rid of trash... regular trash pickup every Monday and recycle pickup every two Tuesdays.  Not sure those pick up people would look but what if something fell out of the truck or what if..... Never know.

[NicksmomESQ]

  DH & & I were victims of identity theft.It was a nightmare.I shred everything that has any kind of personal info at all or use an ink blocked roller to cover the information. 

   I take zero chances. When my shredder broke I replaced it immediately. JMO but better safe than sorry.DH & I have worked too hard to let some low life steal our retirement!!