Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country. There are simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your personal information from being compromised. One of the areas where you’re most at risk for identity theft is right in front of you—your paper mail.  A large fraction of the mail you receive likely contains identifying personal information that can be used to steal your identity. Of course, there are a variety of other documents that contain personal information that can be used against you. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides guidance on the types of documents to keep, but consider “spring cleaning” your files and shredding any outdated or unnecessary documents.

You may be wondering what types of documents you should shred. Shredding documents containing personal, financial, and account information can help to protect you from identity theft. Anything that contains sensitive personal information (especially your date of birth and/or social security number) can put you at risk if not safely stored.

Here are a few things you should consider shredding this spring:

• Outdated financial documents (statements 3+ years old)
• Old job applications (especially those containing your SSN!)
• Pay stubs
• Post it notes containing account information or passwords
• Paid utility bills
• Cancelled checks (that are not tax-related)
• Expired warranties
• Junk mail (some contain barcodes that hold personal data)

Midwest Heritage is hosting a free Shred Day to customers on Saturday May 4, 2019. Bring your shred pile to safely destroy documents and stop by the Healthy You Mobile unit for free health screenings and samples. The event will go from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.