Complete Shredding Solutions

Shredding Horror Story: Stolen Identities

Bobby listened as John explained that his company’s system had been hacked and that a ton of client information was stolen.  He stayed silent as John told him that their accounts were almost wiped out and endlessly apologized that this had happened. Bobby felt waves of emotion— anger, frustration, sadness — rush through him, but he couldn’t form words to express his reaction.

“John, I’ll — wow — I’ll call you back,” you finally managed to say. Hung up the phone and stared at the floor in disbelief. His wife, Julie, walked into the kitchen and noticed him standing there.

“Hey, babe. Who was on the phone?” She shuffled through some mail on the counter.

“That was John from XYZ.”

“Oh, what’d he say?”

“He told me the company got hacked.”

Julie stopped going through the mail and looked up, eyes wide. “What do you mean ‘hacked’?”

“Someone got into their system and stole a lot of money from a bunch of accounts — including ours.”

Julie felt her heart pounding in her chest. “How did they do that? How much did they take? I mean, did they —”

“We’ve got a couple thousand dollars left in the account.” The words burned as they came out of his mouth.  

“A couple thousand?! We had 20 years of saving in that account — Our retirement, the kids’ college funds. How -” Julie started sobbing into her hands. The thought of their entire life savings being stolen was too much to handle. Bobby hugged her, still unable to fathom what was happening. “How did this happen?”

“John said the people probably got our information off of our statements and stole our identities to withdraw the money.”

“But how? Don’t they shred that stuff? There isn’t a way to see that kind of information if the statements were shredded, right?”

Something clicked in Bobby’s head. “You right. They probably didn’t shred them. They lost our money because they didn’t protect our information the right way.” He walked back over to the phone.

“What’re you doing?” Julie asked through tears.

“I’m calling John back.” Bobby finally knew how to feel about the situation. He felt furious.

To hear what happens next in our shredding horror story, be sure to follow Complete Shredding Solutions on Facebook and Twitter.

Complete Shredding Solutions offers safe and secure paper shredding services, so you can sleep soundly knowing your personal information is safe. For more information or to schedule paper shredding services on Long Island, in NYC, and New Jersey, call us at 516-442-1624.

More Blogs

Searching In File Cabinet

Factors Influencing the Price of Hard Drive Shredding Services

In today’s data-driven world, protecting sensitive information is essential for both businesses and individuals. A secure hard drive destruction process ensures that confidential data never falls into the wrong hands. However, many people wonder why the cost of professional shredding services varies so widely. Understanding the key factors that affect pricing can help you save money while maintaining top-tier data security. Whether you’re managing corporate servers or personal devices, partnering with a trusted hard drive shredding service in Tampa provides peace of mind and compliance with strict data protection standards. Differences in equipment, certifications, and handling protocols can all influence cost. Evaluating these factors helps organizations make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes. Let’s explore the main elements that impact the pricing of professional hard drive destruction. Type and Quantity of Hard Drives The type and number of hard drives you need to destroy are major pricing factors. Server-grade drives, laptops, and external drives each require different handling and equipment. Large quantities often qualify for bulk processing discounts. Smaller or specialized drives may need extra care and specialized tools. Mixed storage types can increase the time and effort needed for complete destruction. On-Site vs. Off-Site Shredding Where the destruction occurs also affects pricing. On-site hard drive shredding offers immediate verification of destruction and maximum security, while off-site shredding handles bulk jobs more efficiently at a central facility. On-site shredding requires mobile units, trained personnel, and may include setup fees. Off-site shredding reduces per-unit costs but can include transportation fees or longer turnaround times. Businesses handling highly sensitive data often choose on-site shredding to maintain full control. Choosing between these two options depends on your security priorities, budget, and operational needs—and it can significantly influence the overall cost of a hard drive shredding service in Tampa. Level of Security and Certification Certified shredding providers, such as those with NAID AAA certification, often charge higher rates—but this premium ensures full compliance with federal and state data protection regulations. Providers offering a Certificate of Destruction add legal assurance and accountability.   Added layers of protection, like locked containers and secure transport, can increase costs.   Companies managing HIPAA-protected medical data or financial records typically require these enhanced security standards.   Frequency and Service Model The frequency of your shredding service directly affects pricing. One-time purges usually cost more per unit due to setup and logistics, while recurring service contracts reduce overall costs. Regular shredding plans help companies allocate resources efficiently.   Continuous contracts simplify chain-of-custody documentation.   Frequent shredding reduces storage risks and prevents data buildup.   Additional Factors Affecting Pricing Other elements influencing cost include transportation distance, mixed materials, and environmental disposal requirements. Custom reporting, extra security measures, or special chain-of-custody requests may also increase total costs. Integrating these services ensures compliance and sustainability—making the investment worthwhile. Choose a Trusted Hard Drive Shredding Service in Tampa Selecting a professional provider involves more than comparing prices. Working with a reputable hard drive shredding service in Tampa, such as Complete Shredding Solutions, guarantees efficient, secure, and environmentally responsible destruction. Our certified team provides on-site and off-site options tailored to your data security needs. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover why we’re one of Tampa’s top choices for professional hard drive shredding and data destruction.

Read More
Recurring shredding services by Complete Shredding Solutions

Signs That It’s Time to Shred Your Office Documents

Identity theft has been a major concern for businesses. Hence, safeguarding personal and official information is crucial. However, businesses often overlook the importance of properly disposing of official documents. These expose sensitive information about the business and the employees, leading to identity thefts and a rising number of cyber crimes. That’s why shredding documents is a potentially vital process that every business should adopt.  Commercial paper shredding is the process of destroying sensitive information and preventing unwanted exposure of the information. For shredding in Oceanside, contact companies offering the services.  When is the time to shred office documents?    While moving offices  Relocating to a new office is a situation that provokes businesses to discard a lot of unwanted things. Among them, heaps and piles of official documents will be the first ones that you need to discard. What should you do with the documents? Shred old documents to prevent the leaking of sensitive information. One-time shredding service can reduce the volume of outdated documents. With shredding, you can dispose of the documents securely.  While clearing out the storage  While regular cleaning of office storage can help avoid clutter, this is generally not followed by offices. Are you stuck with heaps of documents and files? While clearing out the storage, shred the documents to reduce the clutter. Especially the outdated records, paid invoices, and old contracts need to be shredded to manage the document storage.  While protecting personal information  Businesses are obligated to maintain the highest security standards, especially for their employees, stakeholders, and customers. Customers and clients trust companies that provide a commitment to protecting their personal information. Get professional help and shred all personal documents and hard disks to protect the personal information of stakeholders.  While making policy updates  Organisations handling financial, health, and educational records must adhere to the strict policies and regulations that are designed to protect the interests of the customer’s data. If these organisations need to make policy updates, they have to discard the old policies and information. With professional shredding services, these organisations can keep the sensitive information safe by shredding it. In this way, the organisations comply with the relevant regulations.  While managing documents  Implementing a routine document management and shredding process is a critical requirement for every business, as it helps in securing the environment. With regular shredding, the business can easily dispose of unwanted documents and prevent clutter accumulation. This practice also reduces the risks of data breaches.  Are you looking for a routine and a safer data shredding service? Contact Complete Shredding Solutions. We specialize in providing a variety of shredding services designed to meet the needs of both businesses and individuals. In today’s digital age, the protection of sensitive information is more important than ever. We maintain a secure and professional environment to ensure the safe destruction of your confidential documents. Check out our services to find a perfect solution to all your shredding needs.

Read More
shredded paper

How to Prepare Your Documents for Safe Shredding: Checklist for Businesses in 2025

Even in today’s digital-first world, paper documents still pile up quite fast. A lot of businesses still rely on a lot of printed paperwork in some way or another, ranging from contracts to client records, tax files and more. That’s why secure disposal of such paperwork remains a critical step in protecting your business from data breaches and other legal implications. If your business is planning to use professional paper shredding in Oceanside, then you need to know how to prepare your documents properly. A clear process does not just help you to stay compliant. It also helps you stay organized and save time when the shred truck arrives. So, let us now know how to prepare your business documents for safe and effective shredding. Know What to Shred and What to Keep The first thing to start with is reviewing the documents that you can let go of. It can include anything like old tax returns past the retention limit, duplicate client files, or outdated employee records. You must also carefully sort and keep all the essential items like legal contracts, IRS-required forms, and active financials. The best way to go is to create a checklist that outlines what should be stored and what must be shredded. Remove Any Obstructions from Paper Stacks Before you hand off the documents for shredding, you should also remember to remove items like rubber bands, binder clips, and plastic covers. These can jam the shredders or even slow the process. Generally, most shredding services can handle staples and paper clips, but larger items may cause issues during the shredding process. You must also sort your files into clean and stackable batches. It will help speed up the process. Check for Any Compliance Requirements Some documents fall under federal data protection laws like HIPAA, GLBA, or FACTA. Shredding the wrong files, or even skipping key records, can lead to hefty fines and legal complications. If you run a business that handles any type of medical, financial, or personal data, you must be extra cautious. That is why you must also train your staff on what types of documents require secure destruction. Integrating paper shredding into your compliance protocols can help in audit readiness and minimize legal risks. Plan Regular Shredding Cycles Do not wait for files to overflow before calling for help. You must set a recurring schedule for document purging. Some businesses prefer quarterly cycles, while others do annual cleanups after tax season. Reliable shredding companies in Oceanside offer flexible service plans based on your volume. Choose a Certified Shredding Provider You must always work with a NAID AAA-certified provider. It ensures that your documents receive the highest level of protection. Certified professionals follow strict chain-of-custody protocols and offer certificates of destruction after every job. Safe shredding starts with smart preparation. Whether you’re organizing a purge day or setting up regular pickups, proper planning makes all the difference. If you’re looking for trusted paper shredding in Oceanside, reach out to Complete Shredding Solutions. As one of the top-rated shredding companies, we provide secure, certified, and customized services for your business.

Read More

Request A Quote

CLICK HERE if you have less than 10 boxes or 300lbs of material to shred.
For larger jobs, please fill out the form below.