The people rummaging through your garbage may look like they only want a few bottles or cans to recycle, but they might be getting a lot more cash from your trash. Those so called “dumpster divers,” are crooks that search your trash for discarded receipts and bills, brokerage statements, transaction slips, old checks – anything financial.

The credit card industry loses $1 billion or more a year to crooks, and trash is their # 1 information system. The most sophisticated divers prey on the trash of businesses, usually in the earliest morning hours. Credit unions, banks, savings and loans, car dealerships and rental agencies are favorite targets.

Once the diver has a name and credit card number obtained from a discarded receipt or bill, he or she can make charges over the telephone. They have the anonymity of hiding behind the phone, and they don’t have to sign for anything.

Papers containing any kind of financial information should be shredded into tiny bits. If you’re throwing away lots of financial information at once, dispose of half in one trash bag, half in another, then set them out as close to collection time as possible.

Contact Excel Shred today to set up a paper shredding and recycling plan for your home or office. 514 -507-2112 / 1-855-957-4733.