Identity Theft - How Do You Protect Yourself?

[Green_not_greed]

With identity theft apperently rife in the south, do any Caithnesians take precautions when disposing of letters etc containing personal details?

If so, how do you do it?

Fire?
Shred?
Recycle?
Bin?
Dont care - anyone can read my stuff?

[unicorn]

well if it turns out most people in Caithness dont destroy their mail then I don't think the internet is the best place to publish that info sheesh bin rakers to contend with in their thousands after reading that

[TBH]

With identity theft apperently rife in the south, do any Caithnesians take precautions when disposing of letters etc containing personal details?

If so, how do you do it?

Fire?
Shred?
Recycle?
Bin?
Dont care - anyone can read my stuff?

I think there is a guide in the testing ground sub-forum on how to set up a poll. To answer your question we shred our documents and other waste paper and convert them into logs for the fire. What we don't use gets recycled.

[Green_not_greed]

I think there is a guide in the testing ground sub-forum on how to set up a poll.

I found it, thanks. My first one.

To answer your question we shred our documents and convert them into logs for the fire.

Nice one!

[Tony]

Debit cards should have the same protection as credit cards. Fraud is easier now as not the same lavel of controls in place when entering a pin number.

[SandTiger]

Hands up who shreds their sensitive documents and then happily gives over correct details to social networking sites such as ones date of birth which is then openly displayed on FaceBook or other non-important information gathering sites that use your private information that you have just divulged?

[northener]

Hands up who shreds their sensitive documents and then happily gives over correct details to social networking sites such as ones date of birth which is then openly displayed on FaceBook or other non-important information gathering sites that use your private information that you have just divulged?

I always lie about my age on sites like this! I never give out correct personal details either, unless its onto a bank website etc. At present I have around 8 different dates of birth.......

I try to shred all the iffy stuff or chuck it onto the fire.

[Julia]

I shred anything with personal information, everything else including the shredded paper goes in the blue box.

[SandTiger]

I always lie about my age on sites like this! I never give out correct personal details either, unless its onto a bank website etc. At present I have around 8 different dates of birth.......

How do you remember them all?

[stiggy]

I burn any papers that include mine or any of the families names and addresses to stop anybody getting them.

[Highland Laddie]

With identity theft apperently rife in the south, do any Caithnesians take precautions when disposing of letters etc containing personal details?

If so, how do you do it?

Fire?
Shred?
Recycle?
Bin?
Dont care - anyone can read my stuff?

Not just in the South, I had my current account emptied about 6 months ago; luckily it was near the end of the month, so there was only about 400 pounds in the account.
I do 99% of my banking online, so I first noticed a bus ticket purchased down in Colchester, that I think was just a tester to see if they could get away with it, I went into my local bank and told them what had happened, they reckoned it was just a mistake.
I asked to get my account cancelled, but they said it was just an error, 2 days later 350 pounds was debited from my account to an American online poker site. I went back to the bank the next day, they cancelled the account, then I was told because it was a debit account, I may not get my money back.
My eldest son works for a well known bank in Edinburgh, he told me to go back to the bank and ask them for a form for the ombudsman, they then said my money would probably be paid back, seems if the ombudsman has to investigate a customer complaint for loss of money from an account, it cost the bank quite a few quit.

My money was paid back 3 days later.

[Riffman]

I shred with a crosscut shreder. This mushes it up so much that reconstruction would be a challenge.

[garrioch]

i shread everything is quite fun and a stress reliver shredding that bill into oblivion

[Thumper]

I shred then put it in the hamsters cage ......theres no way they would leave it in a state that could be read x

[Cinderella's Shoe]

I shred it, use it for animal bedding, then compost the lot!

[Yoda the flump]

I burn absolutely everything with a name, address or any other identifying info on it.

Try and use it then.

[Whitewater]

I always lie about my age on sites like this! I never give out correct personal details either, unless its onto a bank website etc. At present I have around 8 different dates of birth.......

Reincarnation??

[anneoctober]

I shred then put it in the hamsters cage ......theres no way they would leave it in a state that could be read x

Liking your style Thumper ! Errr, I did n't know that rabbits could keep hamsters..........

[TBH]

I shred then put it in the hamsters cage ......theres no way they would leave it in a state that could be read x

A rabbit that keeps hamsters incarcerated, you should be ashamed.

[Thumper]

I know I should be ashamed of myself but its the baby bunnies who wanted the hamsters x