I'm not sure that return address labels pose a serious identity theft issue (couldn't someone get the same information from the phone book or any online search) but sticky things tend to clog up shredders.

Fireplace?

I agree In order to practice identity theft the thief would need more than your name and address. They would need a bank, visa or government documents to steal your identity. It is riskier to mail your income tax form than to throw out address labels--cut or uncut.

I started calling charities and the other places that send them and ask to be removed from the mailing list. We haven't gotten any in a few years and honestly are running low now. Still, I prefer to make my own if we run out.

I wouldn't worry about identity theft, either.

Thanks, all, for the reality check, LOL! Guess I need to relax. Brenda, calling the charities is a good idea. Will do that. I don't mind the simple stickers, but some look as if they are for kids.

I've used them in the past to put inside books that I've loaned to people. Also use them when I sign up for drawings, etc. (If I can remember that I have some in my purse! LOL) It's a lot faster to stick one of those on a slip of paper and drop it in a box than stand there and have to write everything out with people waiting in line behind you.

We all get a little paranoid from time to time. I was just shredding "private" stuff when someone pointed out that made it too easy for the identity thieves to put the pieces back together. Now I'm shredding weekly coupon circulars just to make their lives a little more difficult.

I think I posted this on another forum, but I take them and stick them on anything (paper/ads ) I would have thrown away, then put thru the shredder. They don't stick as if they were originally on the paper they came with. I agree, people can get your name and address, but people could put the stickers on ads, either requesting literatures or other products.

I found this a while back. Unfortunately, I lost the original link. After the first of the new year, I'm taking over mom and dad's bills and will be sending all the charities who send address labels the following notice in the envelope.

FUNDRAISING REDUCTION NOTICE

I am sending this note to reduce the waste and invasion of privacy caused by unwanted mail solicitations and telemarketing calls. If you would like me to consider contributing to your organization in the future, please agree to the following checked items:

___ Remove my name and address from your mailing list.

___ Do not sell, rent, exchange, or give my name or contribution history to any other organization or business without first receiving my approval.

___ Do not send me direct mail solicitations more than ___ times a year.

___ Do not telephone me to ask for money, or...

___ Phone me no more than ___ times a year, and only on the following day(s) and times:

Name and address labels from your solicitation(s) to me are enclosed.
Thank you for respecting a donor's wishes.

Janet
Not sure that would work. I have found that the people who work for charieties hang on to their mailing lists like an old dog with a bone. Being pleasant and nice does not get you removed from their lists.

After trying several times being pleasant, to get myself off of mailing lists. I finally sent back their envelopes with 0 dollars marked on them, and if there is room I also include the freebies. I also include this message. I will give to charities when I wish to not when you solicit. Any further solicitations will be thrown in the garbage and you will never get a donation from me again.

I have given to some of these charities again but the same message is included or will be if I get a soliciting letter again.

Gosh, I have no clue how long it's been since we received any of those label in the mail. I have no clue why we don't get them anymore unless it's because we our in a fairly new country neighborhood and our address can't be found by any of the online map services. Hope they never find out.
We burn most of our papers in our fireplace.

Oilpainter, I think the key to stopping it is sending back the labels.

Years ago, my parents were getting a lot of phone calls from solicitors. Mom got fed up with it, so she started telling whoever called that dad died and left her penniless. lol

She also returned mail solicitations with a note saying that dad was deceased. Of course, that was years ago before she started losing her mind. Now she thinks the solicitations are bills.

I use them around the house in place of short pieces of tape.

Just drop them in the trash if you don't want them.

>Can't just throw them in the trash because of the identify theft issue.

Er.... HOW is that an issue, exactly?

I don't think it's a issue. My name and address are readily available on the Internet, in phone books,etc. I'm not exactly hiding out in the witness protection plan.

they are great for labeling things you lend out like tools and books..that way people know to return them, if you have a parent that goes to Fla or Az for the winter..give them a set of the labels for their correspondence to you, that way they do not have to write..their writing might not be that good if they are old..same if you have military family members.

if you travel put them on all the hard things in your packing..lotions, shampoos, etc..people are less likely to steal things they have to remove labels from..

if you turn in film for developing put a label on it so if it gets lost from its carton it has the name and address on it.

place them on cd's, dvd's or video games that you lend out..then they know who they belong to.

i use them on every book that i purchase..stick it on when it comes into the house..if i give the book i remove the label or black it out with a marker or paint pen

childrens items..add the label to things that their friends might run off with or that might get lost at school..but be careful not to have address labels with their names on them where a predator might see it..like on the outside of their backpacks..

camping items, hunting items, travel items you take in the car that might get lifted or lost..camera..ipod..cell phone..wallet..keychain..

labels help items return home easily

According to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General I pulled this info from their website. Hope it helps! I have soooo many label sheets to shred it's not funny! Good Luck!

What should I shred?

In short, destroy all sensitive information including junk mail and paperwork that includes:

Account numbers
Birth dates
Passwords and PINs
Signatures
Social Security numbers
To protect your privacy, you should also consider shredding items that include:

Names
Addresses
Phone numbers
E-mail addresses

Below is a list of specific items to consider shredding for your safety and privacy:

Address labels from junk mail and magazines
ATM receipts
Bank statements
Birth certificate copies
Canceled and voided checks
Credit and charge card bills, carbon copies, summaries and receipts
Credit reports and histories
Employee pay stubs
Employment records
Expired credit and identification cards including driver�s licenses, college IDs, military IDs, employee badges, medical insurance cards, etc. (If your shredder can�t handle plastic, cut up cards with a scissors before discarding them.)
Expired passports and visas
Legal documents
Insurance documents
Investment, stock and property transactions
Luggage tags
Medical and dental records
Papers with a Social Security number
Pre-approved credit card applications
Receipts with checking account numbers
Report cards
Resum�s or curriculum vitae
Signatures (such as those found on leases, contracts, letters)
Tax forms
Transcripts
Travel itineraries
Used airline tickets
Utility bills (telephone, gas, electric, water, cable TV, Internet)

Here is a link that might be useful: The Washington State Attorney General Website

Me thinks that shredding luggage tags is perhaps going a bit overboard?

At least with my bank, the full account number isn't printed my statement, just the last 4 digits. No credit card receipt I've seen recently includes more than the last 4 digits either.

i use them to identify my books, and also use them on those forms that ask for addresses rather than writing it all out, doesn't matter if they don't fit right..I also put them on stamp order envelopes, etc..anywhere I need an address, and keep a few in my purse to give out to people when I want to give them my address but have nothing to write it down on

There are shredding scissors.
(Martha Stewart Crafts took them and re-labeled them "fringing scissors.")

Here is a link that might be useful: shreddingscissors

What about all of those sticky labels on Amazon and other shipping boxes? I remove them from the box. Takes time to use shredding scissors on them so I just put all of them in one bag after I have accumulated a lot of them and throw them away. That way my information can't be associated with anything I bought or whatever I received in the mail. A month ago, our recycle can was still on the curb, but there were boxes in it, so maybe they did not pick up yet. I decided to look at the boxes. My next-door neighbor's name and address were on the boxes as well as the vendor. I rip name and address off of all mail and shred them.