There are few things just as disturbing as the thought of having your identity stolen. All a criminal has to do is get a hold of a few of the right numbers and words, and they can take over your virtual and financial life, burying you in debt that you had no hand in incurring and ruining your credit. It can take years and a lot of money to get everything sorted out, and afterwards youll never feel quite as secure, knowing just how bad things can get if you arent careful.
Its a strong argument for guarding your financial information closely, and people try. You know you should never give out your financial information over the phone, and never to anyone at all unless you have some way of being certain youre talking to a representative of a legitimate business, and you know not to give it out to strangers. But are you throwing your identity out with the trash?
People frequently dont realize the quantity of sensitive personal and financial information that can be contained in the papers they throw away. Whether its just junk mail that you want to get rid of, or youre going through your files and throwing away any records you no longer feel you need, you could be...