# Removing address from mail before discarding **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 11, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040 "2023-01-11T16:00:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/1 "2023-01-11T16:00:07Z")
Do you routinely remove your name and address from items you receive in the mail prior to discarding them? I do this for things like credit card offers, medical correspondence and other things that might be considered personal, exploitable or sensitive, but not for things like generic junk mail, advertising, magazines, etc. I know people who remove any trace of identifying info from everything they discard, and they seem to think I’m reckless for not following suit. What say ye? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/2 "2023-01-11T16:09:36Z")
I don’t do that since I don’t think anyone is going through my trash looking for my name and address. They can find that quite easily on the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/3 "2023-01-11T16:31:31Z")
I remove them, because I have heard of identity thefts based on crooks simply going through communal paper trash bins, and it takes a only a second, but I don’t consider anyone who doesn’t reckless. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/4 "2023-01-11T16:34:11Z")
I don’t think my address is much of a secret. However anything with a form like a credit card offer I tear in half. Otherwise no, it just goes into recycling where it has a seemingly 8.35% chance of actually being recycled. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/5 "2023-01-11T16:37:46Z")
Advertisements and other junk mail get straight into the recycling bin, but everything official, from banks, insurance companies and local or federal authorities that I don’t keep and file pass the shredder before going into the trash. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/6 "2023-01-11T16:52:17Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > I have heard of identity thefts based on crooks simply going through communal paper trash bins I’ve often wondered about those stories, I mostly remember seeing them on commercials for identity-theft protection. Having a community recycling or trash bin probably does raise the risk some, it’s true. I only destroy credit applications and things like that, which I don’t seem to get any more, I think I put myself on some list so they don’t get sent to me. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/7 "2023-01-11T16:57:40Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Advertisements and other junk mail get straight into the recycling bin, but everything official, from banks, insurance companies and local or federal authorities that I don’t keep and file pass the shredder before going into the trash. This is good practice, but you do it because the documents contain private data other than your address, right? Your address is freely accessible to anyone who wants it. There’s no need for someone to go through your garbage to get your address, and there’s not much benefit to them in having it without other private data. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/8 "2023-01-11T17:04:24Z")
I take zero precautions with my discarded mail. The one exception is those checks the credit card company sends me to access “cash” from my account. I rip those up. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/9 "2023-01-11T17:05:46Z")
It’s common enough or at least advertisement driven paranoia enough that there are special stamps/rollers to obscure your data. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/10 "2023-01-11T17:08:08Z")
Same here. Just rip in half, put in recycling. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/11 "2023-01-11T17:10:27Z")
Only for items with additional personal info like billing statements. I’ve seen people black out the address on magazines that they bring to work to leave in a waiting room and would probably do that - but not for magazines that go into the trash. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/12 "2023-01-11T17:21:19Z")
All of that stuff goes in the burn barrel. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/13 "2023-01-11T17:43:55Z")
I have a very good shredder, which makes tiny little pieces out of anything I put into it. Routine junk mail (which often includes pre-addressed name and address information inside) goes right in the shredder. I also rip the address labels off magazine and catalogs and shred those too. The worst things are the address labels charities often send. Some I use, but for those I can’t, I just tear them up and put them in the trash, because you can’t run those through a shredder without gumming up the works. I don’t know if any of those stories about people rifling through trash bags to get peoples’ addresses are true, but if you really want to be safe, a shredder is the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/14 "2023-01-11T17:57:32Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > All of that stuff goes in the burn barrel. I’m a fire enthusiast as well. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/15 "2023-01-11T18:16:23Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > This is good practice, but you do it because the documents contain private data other than your address, right? Yes, this is right. There’s a street sign where I live, a plate on the house with the number and my name is written on my doorbell, so my address is public knowledge and I don’t care about anybody just reading it. On top of that, countless off- and online companies have my address, and I’m sure some were shady enough to sell my data to data collectors. I still haven’t heard about a way to commit identity theft by only knowing an address. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/16 "2023-01-11T18:21:09Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > There’s a street sign where I live, a plate on the house with the number and my name is written on my doorbell, so my address is public knowledge and I don’t care about anybody just reading it And if you write a check, you’re giving someone your name, address, and bank account number. Sometimes drivers license info as well. (not sure if they still do that, but it used to be common) In our county, I can look at a parcel map and know the owners of every property (and what they paid for the house and how much they pay in property taxes each year) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/17 "2023-01-11T18:24:48Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > And if you write a check, you’re giving someone your name, address, and bank account number. Sometimes drivers license info as well. (not sure if they still do that, but it used to be common) That’s a difference: in Germany, nobody really works with checks anymore, maybe except for business transfers, but not in private matters. I’ve never written a check in my life (I’m 54). ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/18 "2023-01-11T18:32:57Z")
Our house (about 30 separate flats) has a common paper bin for all, I usually only rip the paper in two and throw it all in there. Sometimes I rip it twice. FWIW: I have never written a check in my life either and I am 58. Don’t remember when I last saw one, probably in my father’s hand, over 30 yr ago. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/19 "2023-01-11T18:41:05Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > FWIW: I have never written a check in my life either and I am 58. Don’t remember when I last saw one, probably in my father’s hand, over 30 yr ago. As I said, I’ve never written a check, but I once, only once, received one. My diploma thesis was a software project I did with a co-student and friend for a printer company. The work was useful for them, and they gave both of us a check for DM 5000 after the project was successfully completed, though they owed us nothing. That was a nice surprise, and the gratification by an unexpected 5 grand check is a moment I’ll never forget. 😆 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040/20 "2023-01-11T18:51:37Z")
I’m down to about a half dozen checks a year. I attend two cons a year and prepay next year’s with a check made out on the last day of the con. One of the salukis’ has frozen semen stored with a company that has no e-payment set up, and my membership in the [Southwest Paleontological Society](http://swpaleosociety.com/) was renewed a couple weeks ago with a check. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-address-from-mail-before-discarding/978040.md?page=2)