It is generally safe to throw away generic advertising mail (junk mail), but any mail containing personally identifiable information should be securely shredded to prevent identity theft. Throwing away mail addressed to someone else (especially if it is first-class mail) is a federal offense in the US.
đź’Ś Under federal law, it's considered a felony offense known as obstruction of correspondence. This means that if you destroy, hide, or even open mail that's not intended for you, you could face serious consequences, including up to five years in federal prison.
Don't toss the junk mail in the trash bin; shred it. Given merely your name, address, and a credit offer, someone could take out a line of credit in your name and spend money, leaving you on the hook.
The DOJ points to stolen mail and items found in the trash or recycling as the main culprits for the majority of identity theft, and it recommends document shredding as a way to safely dispose of sensitive information.
True junk mail shouldn't have any personal information other than your name and address. Throw it in with your paper recycling. As for old documents that may have compromising information, shred them. You can buy a perfectly serviceable diamond cut shredder for under $100.
If you have not opened the mailpiece, you may mark it "Return to Sender," and the United States Postal Service will return it with no additional charge to you. If you open the mailpiece and do not like what you find, you may throw it away. If you open the mailpiece and like what you find, you may keep it for free.
How To Get Less Mail From Marketers. To decide what types of mail you do and don't want from marketers, register at the Association of National Advertisers' (ANA) website DMAchoice.org and choose what catalogs, magazine offers, and other mail you want to get. DMAchoice will stop most, but not all, promotional mail.
Why You Can't Just Throw it Away. It's tempting to toss junk mail, but post addressed to previous occupants—especially anything that looks official or personal—needs to be handled properly. Under the Postal Services Act 2000, it is a criminal offence to open mail not addressed to you.
The short answer is "yes." Opening or destroying mail that is addressed to someone else is a crime called "Obstruction of Correspondence." It is a serious felony that could lead to prison time.
How to Destroy Paper Documents without a Shredder: 6 Effective Alternatives
Letters, flyers and numerous other items come to you printed on regular old paper. It is fine to place it in your recycling bin; your recycling service provider will get it to a paper recycling company, which will reduce it to pulp and use it to make new paper.
Soak Documents in Water
Submerge your documents in water until they are pulpy and easy to destroy. You could do this by filling a plastic bag or trash can with water, or putting papers in the bathtub. You can add a biodegradable soap to help break down the paper fibers faster.
Customers are invited to bring up to three file-container sized boxes of documents for shredding free of charge. Please observe the three box limitation to ensure all consumers can take advantage of this service.
Junk mail contains just enough information for an ID thief to steal your identity, information like your name and address–and other items even provide more personal information like an offer to increase your credit limit or loan offers with your current mortgage information and more.
Report suspected mail losses to Postal Inspectors by calling 877-876-2455 or at www.uspis.gov.
Under federal law, it's a crime to intentionally open or destroy mail not addressed to you. Even if it was delivered to your home, you're not allowed to open it unless you have permission from the recipient. If you've accidentally opened someone else's mail, don't worry that's not illegal.
Stealing, destroying, defacing, or interfering with the delivery of mail is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison or a $10,000 fine. To avoid potential legal troubles, here's what not to do with mail that isn't yours. Throw It Away. Tossing someone else's mail into the trash is tantamount to stealing it.
If the mailpiece is delivered to the correct location but the recipient on the mailpiece does not reside at the address: Write "Not at this address" on mailpiece. Don't erase or mark over the address. Provide the mailpiece to your mailperson or drop into a Collection Box receptacle.
If someone has intentionally thrown away your belongings without your permission, you may have grounds to sue them for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
To opt out for five years: Go to optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688). The phone number and website are operated by the major credit bureaus. To opt out permanently: Go to optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) to start the process.
Disposing of confidential paperwork in a domestic bin or recycling bin can increase that risk. To guarantee data is safe, for paper and other materials, we recommend using an accredited service provider. With an accredited provider, you'll receive a Certificate of Destruction.
Four Steps to Stop Mail Addressed to a Deceased Person
You can legally reduce most junk mail by registering with services like DMAchoice to opt-out of marketing lists and using optoutprescreen.com for credit offers, but you can't completely stop all unsolicited mail (like political mail or local retailer ads) because the USPS must deliver properly addressed, paid-for mail, though you can mark it "Return to Sender, Remove from List" to signal senders.Â
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