Another Reason YOUR small business should be shredding your documents
If you own a small business, or even a mid-size business. Don’t take confidential information lightly. This is becoming a serious issue, and to throw this information into the garbage, or put it in the backyard with the rest of your trash is asking for a serious legal matter you don’t want.
Identity Theft is the number one crime. Understanding that, I have included an article from the Hamilton Spectator where names, VISA information was left for anyone to get access to it.
You can use an online shredding service (Ship2Shred) easily to send those 1 box, 3 boxes to be shredded with confidence . You can shred them with a personal shredder if you have hours of time, and the cost to replace the shredder ($39.99 – $60 each time). You can now shred your boxes of documents for only $29.99! Done. Includes a Certificate of Destruction when it’s complete.
JENNI DUNNING
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 28, 2010)
Residents are fuming after a cardboard box overflowing with personal information, including credit card numbers, was found outside a Hamilton cemetery yesterday.
The discarded box, about the size of a milk crate, held dozens of photocopied burial contracts and Visa receipts, as recent as this month.
“In this day and age of privacy, I’m utterly astounded,” said Paul Atkinson, whose address and phone number were listed on one of the cemetery contracts found.
“I would think (the cemetery’s) highly liable for their inability to remain confidential in these dealings.”
His information was in the box near a railway next to piles of broken tree branches and stinky garbage at the back of Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries’ headquarters on York Boulevard.
The city sent a crew to pick up the papers after being notified by The Spectator.
“This is a serious matter.
“We treat all personal information with the utmost confidentiality,” wrote city spokesperson Mike Kirkopoulos in an e-mail.
The city plans to contact all staff who may have had access to the information and who were at the site where it was found, he wrote.
“The city will take any and all appropriate action to determine how this occurred.”
He said it’s common practice for the city to dispose all information in a “confidential, responsible and secure manner.”
The papers list information for several of the Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries’ 67 locations, including in Dundas, Hamilton and Stoney Creek.
Atkinson, executor of the estate for his aunt and uncle, who were lifelong Hamiltonians, said he is concerned a leak of personal information could lead to bigger problems.
“We’re dealing with deceased people. Their identities could be stolen,” he said. “As an executor, I could be incurring all kinds of legal bills to get away from charges that are fraudulent.”
No matter who left the box there, he said the act is “unforgivable.”
A CP rail worker discovered the box while waiting for a train to arrive yesterday morning. He alerted The Spectator about the papers and covered the box with a large sheet of plywood.
“I was just strolling about when I saw this pile of paperwork,” said the worker, who declined to give his last name. “I thought about phoning those people (on the contracts) right then and there, but that would just kind of alarm them.”
He said he stops there about twice a day for work, but yesterday was the first time he had seen any personal information lying around.
Mary Murphy, of Hamilton, said she’s now worried someone’s trying to steal from her after learning her contacts were among those found.
“You hear so much about people stealing other people’s identities. I find it rather frightening,” she said.
“Who’s the creepy person who put it there … and why?”
Gail Randell, of Stoney Creek, went to the cemetery just weeks ago with her daughter and friend to sign contracts.
She said she plans to phone the cemetery today to find out how her papers ended up there.
“Why are they throwing them out in the garbage?
“That’s pretty irresponsible,” she said.
905-526-3368
