Stopping Junk Mail may Prevent Criminal Identity Theft
While the recent rise in identity theft has been thought to be driven primarily by online scammers and complex computer viruses, it can be easy to forget that one's mailbox may provide all the information an identity theft needs.
According to Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Scarpetti, a significant amount of identity thefts are occurring through simple thefts from the mailboxes of victims who are, often time, unaware of how much confidential information can be stored in their mail every day and ways to prevent identity theft of this information.
"Many consumers believe that high tech methods account for most identity theft, but old fashioned methods, such as rifling through someone's mail box can yield a wealth of information that aids in the theft of consumers' personal information," said Scarpetti.
In order to prevent becoming a victim of criminal identity theft through mail theft, the bureau offered some tips on ways to prevent identity theft and how to turn the odds against scammers looking for personal information in your mailbox.
Because junk mail offers that contain pre-approved offers for credit cards that contain bits of information that could be utilized by identity thieves, one of the ways for consumers to prevent identity theft is to opt themselves out of receiving any pre-approved offers.
Additionally, direct mail offers can be stopped by getting in touch with the Direct Marketing Association at DMAChoice.com, while "resident" mailings can be halted by contacting Valassis Inc as a method of prevention for identity theft.
When heading out of town on either business or vacation, consumers should also make sure to remember stopping their mail service while they are gone to prevent criminal identity theft of potentially important or confidential information from being left in an easily accessible spot for a prolonged amount of time.
