In fact, a new study by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) indicates that identity theft is still running rampant. "National and State Trends in Fraud & Identity Theft," released in January by the FTC in cooperation with its Consumer Sentinel database and Identity Theft Clearinghouse, shows reported incidents of identity theft jumped to nearly 215,000 in 2003, up from slightly more than 160,000 the year before, based on FTC complaint data.

As a percentage of FTC complaints, identity theft continues to grow, rising to 42 percent of total complaints last year, up from 40 percent in 2002.

In releasing these numbers, the FTC notes, "Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years - and their hard-earned money - cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, be refused loans, education, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit."

DUN'S REVIEW estimates corporate espionage costs U.S. businesses over $7 billion yearly!

THE 1974 FEDERAL PRIVACY ACT was established to ensure that government agencies protect the privacy of individuals and businesses with regard to information held by them and holds these agencies liable if any information is released without authorization.

OUTDATED OR INACTIVE COMPANY FILES can also become damaging. Shredding this information protects you and your company against potential lawsuits.

DUE TO PAPER RECYCLING LAWS many companies are finding it desirable to recycle their general office paper and sensitive information.

With LANDMARK INDUSTRIES, you will be getting the benefit of confidential shredding AND paper recycling that will comply with all laws and dictates.

In fact, if your company maintains any of the following, you need Landmark Industries:

Medical/Patient Records Films, X-Rays etc. Financial and Tax Records Account Numbers Signatures Company Correspondence Personnel Records Employment Applications Payroll Records Cancelled Checks Invoices Price Lists Bids, Quotes or Proposals Competitor Information Bank Statements Legal Records Computer Printouts

Hard Drives, Disks, Floppies Plastic Credit Cards and ID Cards Video and Audio Tapes, CDs, DVDs Magnetic Media Lottery Tickets Maps and Blueprints New Product Proposals Inventory Lists Confidential Memos Customer/Client Lists Outdated Business Records Information on Competitors Advertising Misprints Obsolete Inventory Trademark Items Excess, Discontinued or Defective Products

But whatever your needs, from weekly activity to yearly cleanouts, Landmark Industries is here to help with free estimates and security audits, and an absolute guarantee to meet your needs.

COST EFFECTIVE

If you are currently doing your own shredding, Landmark Industries may save you more than $2,000 per year in wages alone. And, if you're thinking of purchasing a standard office shredder, it may very well be inadequate for your needs, especially with all the new laws governing the types of sensitive materials, products, and documents that need shredding.

Hiring our professionals means:

• No employee wages to pay
• No shredder to purchase and maintain
• No wasted time feeding sheet after sheet into noisy, dusty shredders.
• No need to remove staples, binders or paper clips
• No separating colors or paper grades
• No special bags or supplies to buy.
• No disposal of shredded material.
• No dirt, dust or cleanup.
• No loss of confidentiality.

THE 1974 FEDERAL PRIVACY ACT was established to ensure that government agencies protect the privacy of individuals and businesses with regard to information held by them and holds these agencies liable if any information is released without authorization.

Now, in order to be in compliance with the most recent legislation in California, businesses are required to take all reasonable steps to destroy, or arrange for the destruction of personal information no longer to be retained, by shredding, erasing or otherwise modifying personal and sensitive information in those records so as to make them unreadable. In fact, the law permits civil actions and punitive damages for companies not in compliance.

In addition, the recently passed Sarbanes-Oxley legislation dealing with accounting reform and investor protection should also be reviewed if it applies to your business. For the 66-page pdf document describing this legislation, click here.

HIPAA regulations, which apply to health care service plans and "contractors" such as medical groups, independent practice associations, or "medical service organizations," have established strict financial penalties for the improper disposal of medical records or any other "individually identifiable" medical information, whether in written or electronic form. They also require that any third party waste disposal service ensures in writing that waste is shredded or disposed of in a manner that precludes identifying anyone to whom that information applies.

Landmark Industries provides a written Certificate of Destruction that includes the date, time, and amount of sensitive/confidential material and documents that were shredded. The Certificate is a legal document that certifies that your records were destroyed.

By doing our business well, we protect your business against liability.