You Are Reducing Your Carbon Footprint across Orlando and Daytona, FL 

All Shred Pros customers across Daytona, Orlando, and the surrounding Central Florida Region are participating in a green initiative program.

Our planet's natural resources are important, and the preservation of those natural resources is even more important both for today and for future generations!

Shred Pros recycles 100% of all paper material collected.

The average American uses 650 pounds of paper each year - 100 million tons of wood could be saved each year if ALL the paper was recycled.

Recycling one ton (2,000 pounds) of paper saves 17 trees, two barrels of crude oil (enough to run the average car 1,260 miles), 4,100 kilowatts of energy (enough power for the average home for 6 months), 7,000 gallons of water, 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space and 60 pounds of pollution.

The 17 trees saved by recycling 2,000 pounds of paper can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air each year.

If all our newspapers were recycled, we could save about 250 MILLION trees each year! If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we could save about 25 million trees.

Identity Theft

Identity theft is when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge, especially to commit fraud or other crimes. This crime can cost the victim time and money, destroying their credit and ruining their good name. Most ID theft crimes are committed using information stolen from a single improperly handled document. Proper document shredding is an essential step in preventing identity theft. Identity thieves use a variety of methods:

Dumpster Diving: They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.

Skimming: Thieves steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.

Phishing: They pretend to be financial institutions, companies, or government agencies, and send emails or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.

Hacking: Thieves hack into your email or other online accounts, or into a company's database to access its records.

Stealing: They steal wallets and purses, bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks, and tax info. Thieves can also steal personnel records or bribe employees with access to sensitive information.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

HIPAA is a federal law requiring healthcare organizations to “maintain reasonable and appropriate technical and physical safeguards to prevent intentional or unintentional use or disclosure of protected health information.” That includes patient logs, insurance, billing, medical records, and other personally identifiable health information. Learn more about HIPAA today.

Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA)

Businesses and individuals must take appropriate document shredding and destruction measures to dispose of sensitive information from consumer reports. Any business or individual who uses a consumer report for a business purpose has to follow the Disposal Rule. This covers:

• Consumer reporting companies
• Lenders
• Insurers
• Employers
• Landlords
• Government Agencies
• Mortgage Brokers
• Car Dealers
• Attorneys
• Private Investigators
• Debt Collectors
• Individuals Pulling Reports on Home Employees Like Nannies or Contractors
• Entities That Maintain Information in Consumer Reports

The Fair Credit Reporting Act defines the term consumer report to include information obtained from a consumer reporting company that is used--or expected to be used--in establishing a consumer’s eligibility. Examples are credit reports, reports relating to employment background, check-writing history, insurance claims, tenant history, or medical history. Such documents should be kept in security bins before destroying sensitive information. The Rule requires reasonable disposal practices to prevent unauthorized access or use. This means establishing policies to:

• Burn, Pulverize, or Shred Papers
• Destroy or Erase Electronic Files or Media
• Hire a Document Destruction Contractor

Learn more at: 

https://www.ftc.gov/privacy

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/privacy-and-security/gramm-leach-bliley-act

Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) Act

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act protects the privacy of consumer information held by financial institutions and requires them to provide privacy notices that explain sharing practices. The act also lets consumers limit some sharing and applies to almost any business providing financial products or services. “Financial Institutions” covers:

Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act

The SOX Act enhances corporate responsibility and financial reporting, as well as combating fraud. SOX is administered by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the organization that protects investors and maintains the integrity of financial markets.

SOX applies to public companies in the US, as well as those based elsewhere that are traded on US stock exchanges. SOX also calls for document shredding in interrelated businesses and industries. Learn more at Identity Theft Clearinghouse.

Red Flag Rules

The heart of the Red Flag regulation is the policies and procedures that creditors and financial institutions must develop to control identity theft. Financial institutions include any “State or National bank, a State or Federal savings and loan association, a mutual savings bank, a State or Federal credit union, or any other person that directly or indirectly, holds a transaction account (as defined in section 19(b) of the Federal Reserve Act) belonging to a consumer.”

A creditor, in turn, is defined to include “lenders such as banks, finance companies, automobile dealers, mortgage brokers, utility companies, and telecommunications companies.” Any person(s), entity, creditor, or financial institution that provides or arranges for a provision of goods or services on a deferred-payment basis should assume that the Red Flag regulations apply. Learn more: https://www.ftc.gov/redflagsrule

The Patriot Act and Document Shredding

The USA Patriot Act expanded law enforcement’s ability to conduct surveillance and capture information during investigations. It applies to all companies that do business in the United States and may also affect those elsewhere. Learn more:

United States Department of Justice

The Economic Espionage Act of 1996

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, U.S. Department of Education

Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, Theft Clearinghouse

Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, Federal Reserve Board

Identity Protection Tips

Use document destruction to destroy personal information on discarded items. Protect your Social Security number; don't carry your card in your wallet. Give the number only if necessary and always ask to use another identifier. Don't give out personal information unless you know exactly who you’re dealing with or when using public Wi-Fi.

Never click on links in unsolicited emails. Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software, and keep them up-to-date. When you use peer-to-peer file sharing, check the settings to ensure you're not sharing sensitive files. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for information or ask our team about hard drive destruction.

Don't use an obvious password like your birthday, your mother's maiden name, or your Social Security number. Keep your personal information in a secure place.

The law requires Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to give you a free copy of your credit report every 12 months upon request. Visit https://www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 to order it.

How to Handle Fraud

There are important steps to take if you feel that your confidential information has been compromised.

First, place a fraud alert on your credit reports and review them carefully. The alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures before they open new accounts in your name or make changes to your existing accounts. The 3 companies have toll-free numbers for placing a 90-day alert; calling one is sufficient:

Placing a fraud alert entitles you to free copies of your reports. Look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts you can't explain.

Contact the security or fraud departments of each company where an account was opened or charged without your clearance. Follow up in writing, with copies of any relevant supporting documents. Use the ID Theft Affidavit to support your written statement. Ask for verification that the disputed account has been dealt with and the fraudulent debts discharged. Keep copies of documents and records of your conversations about the theft in special security bins or cupboards.

File a police report to help you correct your report and deal with creditors who may want proof of the crime. Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission. Your report helps law enforcement officials across the country.