Community Chat

[MsCatLuver]

 Hi all,

I've been in the habit of shredding all documents which include credit card and bank account information in addition to documents that would include my Social Security number. Other day my shredder died and it had me thinking… What is the likelihood that somebody would really go through my trash  cans to obtain document information? Obviously, I'm not a movie star or well-known person… I live in A modest neighborhood… And I only put my trash out the night before collection. While I understand that  identity theft is serious, I just don't see people rummaging through my trash cans.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this matter. TIA

[DiAnne]

I also would doubt anyone would rummage in my trash cans but I do shred anything with my personal information on it.

[Imaoldhippie]

An ounce of prevention........................

[CrazyDaisy]

The chances of them targeting your trash is probably slim, however once it is picked up it could end up anywhere (blowing down the street).  When my shredder broke till I could get a new one,  I would tear things up and put it in the bag with the wet coffee grounds and other disgusting trash.  Figured if the moisture didn't blur the information and other disgusting tid bits would have them move on to an easier target.

[Kachina624]

@MsCatLuver.   I have the same garbage situation as you and have often wondered what sort of possibility there is that someone would pick my garbage can from the dozens on the street overnight and stand there with a flashlight rummaging through it.  Never even heard of it happening.  Still, I'm not going to put out anything with financial, prescription or other personal information on it.

[gidgetgh]

I’m a world class shredder. It’s easy and pretty much takes the “what if” out of the equation. 

[Carol08]

I put my personal information in with cat litter (used, of course), if I don't have a shredder available.  I cut the personal papers into little pieces.....

[SilleeMee]

I never put out my trash can until the truck is at the end of my street. I did have my trash can rummaged through on more than one occasion and that happened during the overnight hours. So now I don't give them that opportunity.

[Mary Bailey]

I shred everything. 

If I have a lot to dispose of (purging)  we burn it. 

After my dad passed, my mom hired a shredding company to bring a shredding truck to her house.

[x Hedge]

I worked for a cheesy outfit that wouldn't provide a shredder or other means of disposing of my client's confidential information.

Here's what I did:

Submerge papers with confidential info in a dishpan filled with dish soap and very hot water.

Put something heavy on top to weigh the paper down and keep them submerged. 

Soak at least overnight, but soaking a few nights is much, much better. (I used to soak a stack of papers every weekend)

When they're soaked long enough the paper will become pulpy and easily torn, twisted, mashed together, and a lot of the inks will bleed into smudgy nothings.

I used to tear chunks of pulpy paper from the stack and twist and squeeze them into handfulls of compressed mush, then toss these little handfulls in the garbage.