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After a summer spent playing a long game of will-they-or-won’t-they, it seems like Canada Post won’t be striking any time soon. This on the coattails of the door-to-door delivery controversy has tested the patience of Canadians, with many of us turning to private delivery services, such as FedEx and Puralator, as an alternative method of shipping parcels. As if the Crown Corporation hadn’t enough on its plate. Despite the seemingly endless number of junk flyers finding its way into our mailboxes, physical mail is slowly going the way of the dinosaurs. As many of us turn to email, it’s easy to forget about the significance of Canada Post’s service — particularly that of which they deliver. As the government’s preferred method of communication, our mailboxes see a variety of letters containing personal identification and financial records.

Our regular readers know that these documents are a mine of information for identity thieves. Anything relating to your taxes, licences and identification, and address are exactly the data they need in order to open false accounts in your name, and they’re willing to steal it in order to get it in their hands. Just this past February, the Toronto Police uncovered what they called a fraud lab in the downtown core, in which they found stolen mail used in a large identity theft ring. Their investigation revealed financial statements, cheques, bank documents, bills, and government identification were amongst the documents stolen from local mailboxes.

Mail theft has significant consequences for its victims. Canada Post has enacted initiatives in order to prevent mail theft and its resulting identity fraud. They also have a 5-part guide on how to keep your mail safe. Amongst their directives include:

• collecting your mail every day,
• using their mail suspension when on extended holidays,
• making an official change of address when you move,
• contacting their customer service should any mail fail to arrive, and
• shredding any mail containing personal information, including contact and financial data.

Following the first four tips can ensure your mailbox isn’t the site of the next identity theft crime scene, but it’s the final step that peaks our interest. As the GTA’s premier mobile shredding service, we understand better than anyone the importance of destroying documents before we recycle them.  Mail containing names, financial statements, account numbers, health or SIN identification, insurance letters, and any other private document should never be disposed of with your regular household trash, as these bins are just as vulnerable to theft as your mailbox. It would only be a simple matter of going through your garbage on pick-up day in order to locate these documents.

Our professional services make following that final step easy. This is especially true if you are one of the thousands of business owners operating in Toronto and the GTA that receive a tremendous amount of mail. We can help save your employee’s time by eliminating these sensitive documents on your behalf using our NAID-certified mobile shredders.

Whether or not you personally send mail through the country’s postal service, mail workers will deliver important communication from the government and your bank to your home. Due to the sensitive nature of these documents, it’s important to keep a watchful eye on your mailbox. And don’t forget to shred anything you don’t wish to keep!