Avoid Breaking the Law by Using Paper Shredder
Identity theft is no longer something which affects an unfortunate group of people. It could happen to anyone at any time. Shredding all of your personal documents has become compulsory by law and should you fail to do this, you will be faced with stiff penalties and hefty fines. In 2005 the disposal rule (which became part of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, FACTA) took effect. This law refers to the safe disposal of personal and private documents. This article discusses some of the issues which surround shredding laws and how they will affect individuals. The FACTA ruling essentially states that if you are disposing of personal information belonging to anyone, it must be destroyed in a safe way in order to prevent unauthorized use and criminal activity. If you are irresponsible when discarding this information, you will be breaking the law and therefore liable for heavy fines. It is not always in an office where you come across this. For example, you may decide that you need a babysitter. When you have hired one, you will have her name, phone number, and social security number. You must ensure that this information is destroyed safely because with that information alone, her identity can be stolen. It is not safe enough to simply put things out in the trash anymore. If you did not comply with this law and your employee’s identity got stolen as a result, you would be responsible for up to $1000 in damages. If you run a company and more than one employee has been affected; you will be responsible for each individually fine of up to $1000. If a group of employees are involved, they are entitled to form a class action suit against you. These can be enormous fines of up to $2,500 per incident. Taking the simple steps to ensure that documents are all shredded and disposed of responsibly would see you comply with this law and therefore not be liable for any such fines.
If you are looking to purchase a shredder, it is important that you take a number of factors into consideration such as cost, where it is for and size. If it is for an office, you may want to buy one which offers the latest in shredding technology as many of the latest shredders have seen a massive improvement in shredding quality and shredders such as cross cutters or confetti cutters offer the ultimate in safe disposal. If you are on a budget, you will find a selection of shredders in places such as Wal Mart which will do the job, especially if it is for a shredder at home. One of the most popular makes, Fellowes, can be bought there. The Fellowes Powershred series boasts 10 different models offering the confetti or cross cut shredder style of cuts. These machines come highly recommended. There are also many other excellent brands at very good prices. By complying with the laws surrounding the disposal of documents, you will not be liable for any fines and you can protect yourself and your employees. Having a good shredder will make this possible.
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There are other ways to get rid of personal documents such as burning or pulverizing them, but these are not always practical and
therefore shredding has become the easiest and most practical way of disposing of sensitive information.
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