Some modern security innovations purport to make consumers virtually immune from identity theft. Yet this sort of crime often happens on a rather crude level, given that thieves often rummage through trash to find poorly shredded documents that contain personal information. Enterprising crooks can still get the information they need to commit fraud since some people are simply too lax and complacent when it comes to proper document destruction.

Action Fraud, the main agency against identity theft in the UK, highly suggests that people make use of efficient paper shredders (machines or services) first before they throw away important documents. Special mention goes to documents that contain sensitive details like account numbers or mailing addresses. Poorly disposed bills are often what thieves need to take over an existing bank account.

Choosing the right paper shredder is thus an important consideration whenever one has documents that need to be destroyed. Strip-cut shredders can reduce documents into fine strips (hence the name) and can take on huge volumes in one go, making it a popular choice for offices. Cross-cut shredders turn papers into confetti (which are harder to piece together than strips), though they can only handle a lower volume of documents.




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