identity theft

[Jonathan]

TIP OF THE MONTH:
Go paperless. Paying your bills and receiving your financial information online could mean more than just saving money on postage. Recent studies show that identity theft is more likely to occur offline through paper documents than online.

[Jonathan]

we actually are paperless, thanks to amber.

[George]

I'd disagree with the conclusion. I suspect the statistic is driven by financial papers thrown out whole rather than shredded. I doubt any significant amount of identity theft is driven by having hard copies of your financial records at home.

I generally oppose paperless statements anyway. Most companies don't guarantee the availability or retention of your records. Discover's online statements only seem to go back one year, for instance. I'm not sure what the financial statute of limitations is, but it's a good bit longer than one year.

Last year, Maryland accused me of failing to file a Maryland income tax return for the year 1999, and insisted that I pay them unless I could produce documentation proving I wasn't a resident. Luckily I still had a couple pay stubs from my summer job in Georgia. If that company had ben paperless, I'd have been SOL, and Maryland would have fined me for tax evasion.

[skanks]

The vulnerability of paper isn't having paper documents at home, the vulnerability is somebody rifing through your mailbox before you get a chance to bring your mail inside. If you have a secure mailbox, this mitigates the concern substantially.

[quantus]

I love my secure mailbox.

[Dave]

I love identity theft.

[bob]

I love my secure mailbox.

I live next door to a pimp. Do you think anybody around here is going to expect good things to show up in someone's mail?

[Jonathan]

Well, to be perfectly honest, only the bills are electronic. Tax and investment info is still hardcopy.