Identity theft is a serious problem in the United States, much like it is in other parts of the world. Millions of people are targeted by criminals each year in America and statistics show that one in four people will deal with identity theft. Small bites of information can be used by a criminal and when you consider the amount of letters, junk mail and credit card receipts you may throw in the bin, the chances of becoming a victim are quite high. However, shredding companies in Los Angeles are on hand to ensure that your details are kept away from prying eyes. If you are not yet convinced that you should hire shredding companies in Los Angeles, here are some examples of identity theft that you could be at risk of.
Identity Cloning and Criminal Identity Theft
Imagine finding out that someone is using your name and address in their daily life. This is quite a scary prospect but identity cloning does happen quite a lot in America and shredding companies in Los Angeles aim to tackle this problem. Common reasons why someone may decide to clone someone’s identity may be because they are running away from the law; they are mentally ill or possibly because they are dodging child support payments. Alternatively, you may be a victim of criminal identity theft, which is when a person will break the law while using a fake ID with your details on it. This could severely tarnish your reputation, particularly if you own a business.
Medical Identity Theft
If you regularly throw your medical records in the bin, there is a chance that you could be affected by medical identity theft. This form of identity theft is known to be one of the most destructive because your insurance services may be used by another person to pay for surgery or other forms of healthcare. There are two negative outcomes of this – the first is that you may be faced with an expensive medical bill and the second is that false entries may be submitted on your medical records. When your medical records are not accurate, medical staff could make decisions that will impact your life. The risks can be reduced when you hire shredding companies in Los Angeles.
Commercial or Business Identity Theft
If you own a business and do not currently work with shredding companies in Los Angeles, you should be thinking about commercial or business identity theft. It sounds shocking but the majority of people who commit business identity theft will actually be insiders or people who were once employed in your workplace. When these people can access documents directly, they could fiddle with payment books for financial gain.
Account takeover fraud and new account fraud are two other examples of the types of identity theft you could avoid with shredding companies in Los Angeles.
