More than half of identity theft victims don’t know how the perpetrator got their information. And in a big chunk of those cases, the source may have been a photocopier, argues Digital Copier Security, Inc (DCSI).

Here’s the logic: Most copiers are sometimes used to scan or copy sensitive information — for example, when copies are made of new hires’ IDs and social security cards.

Most copiers have internal hard drives. And most businesses lease their copiers.

Therefore, when copiers are turned in and re-leased or sold, a lot of that sensitive info could still be stored on the drive.

In a random test, DCSI selected machines from a copier wholesaler and looked at what was written on the drives. Here’s what they found:

• consumer loan documentation
• copies of checks, driver’s licenses and employment applications
• business plans and other corporate data, and
• personal financial information.

The solution? Treat copiers as you would a laptop. Before disposing of the machine, make sure all the data is wiped.