Victorian Public Service employees working from home have been reminded to dispose of confidential documents securely to protect themselves from identity theft.
Consumer Affairs Victoria held its annual ShredFest over the weekend (10 July), encouraging all Victorians to dispose of confidential documents securely, including utility bills; insurance information; old bank statements; credit card bills; and health records.
“An identity scam involves someone else using your identity to steal money or gain other benefits,” the Agency said.
“Scammers can access your private information through mailboxes or discarded personal documents, or via fake emails or texts prompting consumers to click a link and fill out their personal details online,” it said.
“By properly shredding such documents when you no longer need them, you reduce the risk of a scammer obtaining your personal information.”
The Agency said people could protect themselves from identity theft by putting a lock on their mailbox; destroying documents containing personal information; being cautious about requests for personal information over the phone and in person; regularly checking bank and superannuation statements; and asking bank or utility suppliers to send bills electronically.
Minister for Consumer Affairs, Melissa Horne said that with many Victorians spending most of the past financial year away from the office and working from home, shredding facilities had not been as available as they normally were.
“A new financial year passing also means Victorians will be lodging tax returns – often in hardcopy – and is a timely reminder to always destroy these private documents properly once they’re no longer required,” Ms Horne said.
She said ScamWatch figures revealed reports of identity theft almost doubled across Australia in 2020 with more than 20,000 cases reported, compared to 11,000 in 2019.
Ms Horne said Victorians reported the largest amount of financial loss due to identity scams last year, with almost 6,000 reports and losses of almost $1 million.
Further information on how people can protect themselves from identity theft and scams can be accessed on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s ScamWatch website at this PS News link.
