Underbelly: The Trash Risk

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” This cliché statement has worked its way into the arsenal of American lingo, but in today’s world of information sharing, leading to growing risks, vulnerabilities and identity thefts, the new statement may be, “One man’s trash is another man’s identity.”

Think about all the things Loudoun residents dispose of. Receipts, envelopes, bills, neglected credit card requests – just a small sample of all the things that can be found in your trash. This same trash becomes open to the public once you place it on the curb twice a week. Trash that can lead to information; information that can lead to malice; malice that can lead to an empty bank account and a stolen identity.

Loudoun officials are acutely aware of the dangers involving residential trash. Loudoun County Sheriff Department Deputy James Spurlock holds safety meetings in communities to inform them of pressing dangers – one such being the items found in trash.

“Many people are unaware and don’t make the connection,” Spurlock said. “People get comfortable. Then they make mistakes. That’s what criminals [thrive] on.”

Technically, it’s perfectly legal to go through someone’s trash once it’s taken to the curb, as ruled numerous times by the courts, but it is still noted as suspicious activity.

“These ‘dumpster divers’ haven’t committed a crime,” Spurlock said. “But they are being checked because of suspicion, and if caught with four or five bags of trash, they need a really good explanation.”

In a story published on msnbc.com in October of 2008, author Jim Stickley revealed how he was hired by companies to reveal their security flaws. His book, "The Truth About Identity Theft," depicts how vulnerable people really are.

In one story regarding a certain company, Stickley described how he used company members’ trash to reveal everything from personal banking, to hacking their computers via the Internet – eventually he was even able to snag company security codes and other confidential material.

“Through the years, I have been amazed at the things you can find in the trash,” Stickley stated on the msnbc.com story. “There is big business for identity thieves in personal garbage.”

According to Stickley, the best way to avoid identity theft is simply to shred everything.

“If you are throwing away any paper that contains personal information, shred it first,” Stickley stated. “Shredders come in a few different types, but I highly recommend that you spend a little extra to make sure that it does cross-cut shredding and can shred CDs and credit cards.”

Spurlock also agrees that shredding is the best way to go – including shredding anything that has a company name or logo, as well as your own name. He also strongly recommends bagging it at night, but not taking the trash out till morning, as most ‘dumpster divers’ operate at night.

The trash risk that residents unknowingly take each time they wheel the can to the curb goes beyond identity theft. Flash back to Christmas morning. The new toys, computers and televisions all opened. What comes next? You guessed it – the boxes go to the curb, and thieves may be passing by taking a gander at your goods.

“Right after Christmas is the worst,” Spurlock said. “People don’t think about what they are advertising to burglars.”

To avoid revealing to everyone exactly what you have in your house of value, Spurlock recommends cutting down boxes and flipping them inside out, as well as putting them down in your trashcan. While still accessible, potential burglars can’t just drive by and see everything you have to ‘offer.’

“It’s often not convenient for people to take these steps,” Spurlock said. “Putting trash out in the morning, shredding, and cutting boxes [seems like a hassle],” but in today’s world, extra steps may be necessary to protect your identity, your belongings and potentially even your life.