End unwanted junk mail now

(SPM Wire) It's something we all get nearly every day. Junk mail is a nuisance for many consumers who receive daily postcards, flyers, specially-marked envelopes and pre-approved credit card offers.

Not only does junk mail weigh down our garbage cans and harm the environment, it also presents an opportunity for ID thieves to steal personal information. However, as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) explains, there are several steps consumers can take to reduce the amount of unwanted mail and the possibility of identity theft.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw out more than four million tons of junk mail every year and what is one man's garbage is an ID thief's gold mine. A Javelin Strategy and Research survey theft estimates that 8.1 million Americans became victims of ID theft in 2007; with nearly half a million cases of ID theft occurring as the result of stolen mail.

"Many people view junk mail simply as a daily nuisance, but if credit card offers and catalogs are heading to the trash can in tact, that unwanted mail can become a much more sinister problem," said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. "Preventing ID theft perpetrated through the mail requires the two-step approach of reducing the amount of junk mail received, as well as shredding any sensitive materials, such as credit card offers."

BBB recommends consumers always shred important documents and take the following steps to reduce the amount of junk mail they receive:

• Direct Mail Offers: Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is a trade group with 5,200 member companies that use telephone, mail and the Internet to pitch their products directly to consumers. To stop receiving mailings from DMA members, consumers can go to dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailing. DMA regularly updates its list, but companies it notifies to remove names from their mailing lists may take as much as six months to stop solicitations.

• Catalogs: Consumers' mailboxes often can be overrun with catalogs - even if they've never shopped with the company before. This is likely because the consumer has, at some point, made a catalog or online purchase with a company that handed over contact information to Abacus, an alliance of catalogue and publishing companies. To stop individual catalogues, consumers can contact the specific company in question. To stop mass mailings, consumers can e-mail optout@abacusus. com, or write to Abacus, Inc., P.O. Box 1478, Broomfield, Colorado 80038.

• 'Resident' and 'Occupant' Mailings: Consumers can remove their address from "resident" and "occupant" mailings that offer various goods and services, by contacting Valassis - formerly known as ADVO - by phoning 888-241-6760, or through an online form at: advo. com/consumersupport.html. Consumers also can send a written request to ADVO, Inc. Customer Assistance, P.O. Box 249, Windsor, Connecticut 06095.

• Solicitations Sent to Children: If a child under age 13 is being mailed advertisements or credit card offers, it could be a sign that identity theft has occurred.

Parents should contact the three major credit reporting bureaus and inform them of the situation (Equifax: 1-800- 525-6285; Experian: 1-888-397- 3742).