Secure Document Destruction – Times Have Really Changed

Do you remember the story about the panhandler in San Francisco that earned over $100,000 annually? Each morning he would drive his Porsche into the city, change into his bum clothes and go to work begging. Then at the end of each day he would drive back to his beautiful home in the suburbs. Its not an urban myth, because it's all true.

Believe it or Not it's True

Now heres another one for you. Believe it or not there are people that make a good living digging through dumpsters for personal information. What type of personal information and how is it used? Believe it or not, information as basic as a name and a matching social security number is valuable.

They Need Your Name and Social Security Number

In fact, in every large city where desperate illegal immigrants gather in the hopes of finding day labor, you will find names and matching social security numbers being sold and traded. Why? It's quite simple. With a name and matching social security number an undocumented worker can get a legitimate and better paying job that requires that a W-4 tax form be filled out.

It's Time to Pay Your Income Taxes!!??

Will they pay taxes? Absolutely not! Because they would never be able to retrieve a dime, so they inevitably check the box for tax exempt. Of course, after a year of this the IRS eventually sends a notice that they want their tax money that they are due and guess who they send the notice to? Thats right! The person who the name and social security number belong to.

The Cheaper Alternative

This is why it is imperative that you take a good look at how you dispose of your documents and bear in mind that times have really changed. In fact, if you think that a simple lock on your dumpster is enough, you may be only fooling yourself. Stop and ask yourself, which is cheaper, paying someones income taxes for a year, or secure document destruction?

By: Kurt Fursteshire

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Written by Kurt Fursteshire. Get all the best details on confidential document destruction and on site shredding services