If you’re living in the United States, identity fraud is something of a very real risk that you face. As a matter of fact, there are millions upon millions of victims over the course of just one single year. As of the year of 2017, for example, more than 16.5 million people suffered from identity fraud. Unfortunately, this is not a trend that has been seen to die down in the years that have followed since.

Fortunately, though identity fraud is quite prevalent, there are ways that you can keep yourself from falling victim to it. For one thing, being aware and on top of your bank account and credit cards is something that can be largely beneficial. After all, it has been found that very nearly one quarter of all identity fraud victims only actually ever find out about their victimhood by accident, meaning that likely a good deal of time has elapsed, time in which more and more damage has been done. But if you can stay on top of things, you are likely to catch any incident of identity fraud all the earlier, something that will most certainly benefit you in the long run.

In addition to this, knowing how identity theft occurs is something that will benefit you in the long run as well. For instance, being careful on various online platforms is something that is certainly an absolute must, as many people now use the internet on a regular – daily – basis. In fact, the internet has become somewhat synonymous with modern life in many ways. But though internet usage and widespread internet access has certainly benefited us in many different ways, it is also critical that we take precautions as more internet users means more instances of identity fraud – or at least the larger potential for identity fraud to occur.

Fortunately, more and more people are understanding what this safe internet usage should look like. The data that has been gathered on the subject more than supports this claim, showing that at least half of all Americans will stop themselves from entering in personal information to sites where they feel the security is suspect. There is no doubt that having such caution has saved a good deal of people from becoming victims of identity fraud.

But though identity fraud as a result of internet usage is something that is becoming more and more commonplace, the most common form of identity fraud comes from improperly disposed paper documents, something that happens on the personal level as well as by businesses and office spaces throughout the country. In fact, it has even been found that nearly one third of all people have stated that they do not always properly dispose of their documents, something that could all too easily set them up for identity fraud down the line – or even in the present, as the case may be.

Fortunately, there are again steps that can be taken to effectively prevent or at least reduce one’s risk for this kind of identity fraud. High capacity paper shredders can make the overall risk of identity fraud all the lower, as these high capacity paper shredders make it impossible for documents with personal information to be used for nefarious purposes. As paper usage is common in office spaces throughout the country, these high capacity paper shredders are likely to be in high demand – just as high capacity paper shredders should be. But while high capacity paper shredders certainly might be ideal in offices, high capacity paper shredders certainly might be a bit much for the typical home environment.

Fortunately, alternatives to high capacity paper shredders and other such level 6 shredders exist. For instance, secure paper shredder can be found in much smaller sizes. A small secure paper shredder can be perfect for home use in a way that a commercial paper shredder might not be. Secure paper shredding, after all, can take place even when using the smallest of paper shredders, something that should certainly not be discounted by any means. At the end of the day, any paper shredding is certainly far better than none at all, to say the very least on the subject at hand.