Identity Theft and Exchanging Documents with Our Clients

Our firm has always been able to encrypt and send documents with a high degree of security using our Adobe software and at the client's end, software which allows a user to open an encrypted password protected document. For incoming documents, however, in past years we have had to resort to several methods to protect the personal information such as having clients email documents with their Social Security numbers "blacked-out." However, this has proved awkward over time. 

As a result of this threat to the integrity of our clients' personal information we initiated the use of Smartvault, a bank level encryption client portal to securely exchange documents. 

We fear, however, that clients will not attempt to use SmartVault because they believe it is too complicated, or because they do not see themselves as computer-literate. If you are of this opinion, we urge you to try Smartvault. It is simple to use. After registration with a username and password you need only use the upload and browse buttons to securely upload documents to us. Instead of directly sending any documents to clients, we will be instead sending secure links.

If you absolutely, positively cannot use this modern and secure technology, then fax the information to us. We do not want you to do this but intercepting faxes is just not a common occurrence even in this age of technically advanced hacking.Fax services are available from any FedEx office, UPS Store or private mailbox store. The serious downside to faxing is the very poor resolution quality and the expense, so please have the store you go to use the highest resolution possible.

We are advising you not to mail or email documents. It is not secure! You do so at your own risk!

Also, do not use third party services such as Dropbox or Google Drive. We have been advised by our security experts these services are far from being secure, in addition to which we will not expose our network to their use. If you attempt to send documents using one of these services we will not accept them.

   FedEx and UPS are also problematic. Our office is rarely staffed. So because there is no one to receive (or sign for) documents, these services have been know to just drop off document packages outside the office. If you send documents using one of these services and require a signature, it may never reach us and will be sent back to you. We do have alternate addresses we can give you to send physical documents. Unlike our office location these addresses are secure. If you need to do this contact Lynn at lynn@timkelly.com and she will provide the necessary information. Regardless, never use a signature required delivery to these alternative addresses.