Shreading bank statements query..

[reetpetite]

Do old bank statements from closed accounts need to be shredded, or can they just be put in the recycling .Anyone know please ? .

[Salsaboy]

Shred anything with your name and an address on it, even if it's an old address. I was the victim of ID fraud last year using an address that I hadn't lived at for 5 years.

[MGolden]

I shred anything that has my name and/or address. I may be paranoid!

[Twirly]

Same here - even magazines which I have delivered, with inserts with my name and address on, go in the confidential waste bag. Anything at all!

[Mick Mac]

I have always assumed that if someone wanted to steal an indentity, they would not be stupid enough to pick me.

[Lowlander]

Shred / burn it. There was a case not that long ago of someone being the victim of ID theft by leaving an airline boarding pass stub on a train.

Of course the risk is pretty low, but it's an easy one to mitigate.

[KidKruger]

i shred, then burn, then dissolve the ashes in acid.

[Loz]

Lowlander Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Shred / burn it. There was a case not that long ago of someone being the victim of ID theft by

> leaving an airline boarding pass stub on a train.

I like to think I am very careful and read a bit about ID theft, so this flagged up to me as a possible urban myth. So I googled it. I couldn't find an actual case, but there was a Guardian article from 2006 which showed how it could be done. Rather sobering.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2006/may/03/theairlineindustry.idcards

I shred everything that can identify me. I had never bothered with boarding passes. I will now.

[reetpetite]

Thanks everyone ..looks like I will be spending hours..days even , shredding .I don't think my little shredder will cope ! Could do with a much bigger one though, I've got masses to do .

[katanita]

Gosh, I normally just worry about stuff with credit/debit card details, never thought to take it to this level. Is it really that big a risk to warrant shredding everything with any personal details whatsoever? Seems more likely I'd have my card cloned at a bar, as I have done, despite all my best efforts.

I do have a ton of stuff that needs shredding, though, and I don't think a single shredder will cope. Is there anywhere else to take confidential waste around here?