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identity theft protection
Identity thieves often start with paper. Bring your old statements, bills, and expired cards to a BBB shred event and watch them get destroyed for free.
step one
Local BBBs host these events at different times of year. Set your location once and this list stays accurate.
what to bring
Treat your personal information like the valuable thing it is. If a document ties your name to an account, a balance, or an ID number, it belongs in the shredder.
Shred these
Anything with an account number, a balance, or a government ID number.
Bank & credit card statements
Pre-approved credit card offers &applications
Insurance forms & claim paperwork
Investment & retirement statements
Medical records & billing statements
Utility & phone bills
Pay stubs & tax records
Cut these up instead
Plastic and hardware jam most shredders. Handle these yourself.
Expired credit & debit cards, cutting through the account numbers
Expired driver's licenses & ID cards
Old checkbooks & deposit slips
Prescription labels on empty bottles
Before you go
Most events follow the same pattern. Check your local listing for details, since limits and hours vary.
Step 1
Box up your documents
Leave staples and paper clips in. Remove binder clips, plastic sleeves, and hanging folders.
Step 2
Drive up and stay in your car
Volunteers unload for you at most locations. Bring no more than the box limit listed for your event.
Step 3
Watch it get destroyed
A certified shredding partner destroys everything on site, so nothing leaves in readable form.
no event nearby
Step 1
Buy a cross-cut shredder
Strip-cut shredders leave re-constructable strips. Cross-cut or micro-cut models do not.
Step 2
Use a staffed shredding service
Many office supply and mailing stores shred by the pound. Ask whether deconstruction happens on site.
Step 3
Go paperless where you can
Electronic statements remove the document before a thief can take it. Then secure the account with a strong password.
before you shred
Worthless securities and bad debt
Longer window applies if you claimed a loss on either.
Property and employment tax records
Hold property records until the period of limitations runs out for the year you dispose of it.
Early destruction
CRA permission is required to destroy records before the retention period ends.
Corporate records
Some records tied to dissolution or share transactions have their own windows.
keep going
Paper is one channel. Most identity theft attempts now arrive by phone, text, or email.
bbb tool
Look up a scam near you
See what people in your area are reporting before you answer the call.
guide
Scam Prevention Guide
How to spot the tactics scammers use, and what to do if you already responded.
tips
Protect your child's identity
Children are targets because nobody checks their credit for years.
tips
Identity theft on campus
Shared mail, shared rooms, and thin credit histories make students easy marks.
tips
If your card is compromised
What to do first, and how the callers offering to help are often the scam.
BBB tool
Report what happened to you
Your report warns your neighbors and feeds BBB fraud research.
Report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Your report helps your neighbors recognize the same approach, and it feeds the research BBB uses to warn the public.
