How to protect your information from documentation theft

HOUSTON – With all the business of everyday life, keeping track of your personal documents can be an afterthought. From a filing cabinet in a back closet to the attic of your parent’s house, it’s easy to find a “hidden” spot for all your paperwork and stick with it.

However, those reliable spots might not be as safe as you think.

Tuesday, KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun covered an investigation into a Houston resident who had thousands of his personal documents stolen from his parents’ home. Now the thieves have stolen his parents’ life insurance policies and are using his identity.

• READ THE ORIGINAL COVERAGE: Houston man shares horror stories of identity theft

Unfortunately, events like this are far from rare, and personal documents are some of the most valuable assets you have.

Here’s some information that could keep your valuable data out of the reach of catalog crooks.

Documents to protect

Here’s a bare-bones list of documents you should make sure you have track of:

• Driver’s licenses and passports
• Credit and debit cards
• Birth certificates and social security cards
• Vaccination and medical records
• Banking information
• Marriage records and child custody documents
• Insurance records and policy numbers
• Home and vehicle titles
• Citizenship papers

Regardless of your lifestyle, it’s important to keep your personal records, such as your passport, birth certificate and social security card, organized and handy. With that said, it can be difficult to keep these documents easily accessible and out of the reach of thieves.

Striking the balance between accessibility and protection can be difficult, so here’s a few tips to help you find a comfortable medium.

Storage tips

• While it can be tempting to stuff everything in one filing cabinet, that thin metal box provides little protection from a housefire or a flood and would be an easy target for a burglar. Stay within your budget but try to invest in an element-proof safe with a robust combination lock.
• Go digital where you can. Some documents can be converted to digital files that can be stored on encrypted thumb drives.
• Diversify your hiding spots! The worst thing you can do is leave all of your valuable and private information in one place.
• Invest in a safe deposit box. For the papers that you won’t always need in your day-to-day life, a safe deposit box at your local bank can be a great option. It’s the most protected space money can buy! One note though: your loved ones may have trouble gaining access to it if something happens to you, so make sure you don’t store the only copy of your will here.
• When you discard sensitive documents, make sure they are destroyed completely! Crumpling up a piece of paper or slicing a card in half won’t always keep these items from the reach of a thief, so consider investing in a paper and card shredder.

For more information, check out the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC).