Protect Your Identity – Dumpster Divers and Trash Pickers Steal Identities
Perhaps one of the most notorious cases of identity theft prosecuted was an instance of dumpster diving. Dumpster diving is when some body goes through other people’s trash trying to find items they can use or sell.
In most cases, the roll off dumpsters Reading PA diver is looking for clothing or household items, discarded by others, but useful to them. Some are even trying to find food. Most dumpster divers are harmless; some are homeless and the items they truly are looking for are necessary to their survival.
Then there are the roll off dumpsters Reading PA divers who are desperate; they truly are hooked on drugs and trying to find whatever they can find to offer and finance their next fix. Back in the 1990’s, Stephen Massey leader of an identity theft ring, meth addict and dumpster diver, stumbled upon the idea of stealing identities when he found barrels of recycled paper in a dump. These barrels contained everything that he needed including names, addresses, birth dates and social security numbers.
Massey and his partner were caught and imprisoned in the season 2000. This case generated certain legislative acts forcing corporations and businesses to deal with personal information more responsibly. Many use paper shredding services to dispose of paper containing personal and confidential info on their customers.
Corporations and business handling personal information properly is good, but people need to do this at home aswell. Dumpster divers also undergo trash cans; many have the trash pick-up routes down pat and their particular schedules as to when are going to in each neighborhood.
Office supply stores sell small paper shredders for homeowners as well as larger, commercial grade shredders for businesses. Quickly, paper shredders will be as common of a household item as the microwave oven.
People should be using care when throwing out junk mail, specially those annoying pre-approved bank card and mortgage loan letters which many people just throw out without opening. These are a great commodity to the identity thief; just what they need to get started in operation.
In addition to identity theft, dumpster divers also pose a liability risk to business people who have dumpsters. Most dumpster rental services provide roll off dumpsters Reading PA that can be locked at night.