I will be the first to admit that I have never thought twice about throwing any and all pre-approved credit card solicitations into the trash. David Rhoads, Vice President of SureShred, a Diamond Certified company, warns against being so careless. He says that identity thieves can easily take these offers from the garbage, change the return address, sign it and get a credit card in your name.

This can be just the beginning of your troubles. Once you put something in the trash, it is considered public property and anyone can sift through it. Besides pre-approved credit card ads, you should also destroy credit card and bank statements, driver's license renewal forms, hospital bills, old tax returns, and anything that has your social security number on it.

Chris Bjorklund  (117 Posts)

Widely known as the Savvy Consumer, Chris Bjorklund has worked as a consumer advocate for more than 35 years. Her unique perspective on consumer issues and trends comes from her work in both the private and public sectors, as well as in the media and nonprofit world.