• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Crime / Courts / Sensitive documents? Expert says: Shred it and forget it!

Sensitive documents? Expert says: Shred it and forget it!

July 4, 2012 By Matt Kelley

Iowans who may be in the throes of summer cleaning projects need to protect themselves from identity theft as they sift through all of those papers on the desk.

Jim Hegarty, of the Better Business Bureau, says a good rule in avoiding a risky situation with your private documents is to save only what you need and shred the rest.

Hegarty says, “Get rid of things that have sensitive information, credit card statements, old bank stubs, pay stubs, things of that nature that you don’t want people seeing.” Hegarty says Iowans shouldn’t think they’re immune from identity theft, as even people who take the proper precautions can find themselves in trouble.

“There were somewhere in the neighborhood of 9 or 10-million consumer victims last year of ID theft,” he says. “Once this happens to you, it’s very challenging to get it cleaned it up and to challenge all those unauthorized charges on your card.”

Hegarty says there are important documents you do need to hang on to, so mind what you put in the “save” versus the “throw” pile.

“Anything related to your mortgage, current insurance policies, loan documents, tax returns for seven years,” he says. “Pay stubs, for those of you who still get old-fashioned paychecks, you want to hold on to them for at least a year.”

He emphasizes, don’t just chuck old documents in the trash and consider them gone. Shred them, as someone wanting to steal your I-D doesn’t have a problem rummaging through the garbage.

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, News

Featured Stories

Iowa State Patrol tactical team leader killed in Grundy Center stand-off

Finalists chosen for the state’s top burger

Paintings by Clinton woman gain a following in Europe

Iowa deadline for individual income taxpayers moved to June 1

Dialing rules changing for two area codes in Iowa

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa State adds Minnesota transfer

Cedar Rapids preparing for big return of sports events

Iowa Games returning with full slate of sports

Iowa’s Garza sweeps national awards

Iowa’s Garza claims three national awards

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC