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ITD to join in document shredding event at Headquarters

What should you do with five-year old bank and credit card statements and tax return documents? Reports from your stock broker? Correspondence with your attorney?

Shred it. Even if you don’t have an industrial-strength shredder, you can safely and securely dispose of personal records at a free event April 18 in the ITD Headquarters parking lot. The community-shredding event will run from 10 a.m. to noon at 3311 W. State St. in Boise.

Last year, 8.1 million Americans became victims of ID theft, resulting in the loss of $45 billion, according to a 2008 report from Javelin Strategy and Research.

The report notes that most (56 percent) of identity theft occurs when the thief has direct contact with the victim’s personal information, through a stolen or lost wallet, rifling through a personal mailbox or trashcan, or even lifting documents from inside a home or business. The Better Business Bureau encourages consumers to protect their identities by shredding sensitive documents that are no longer needed.

Consumers and businesses can bring up to three boxes or bags of old checks, bank statements, junk mail, old documents, records files, etc. and watch them be shredded.

Shredding of sensitive information is one way to protect yourself and business from identity theft. The BBB’s Web site has additional information about prevention of identity theft at www.bbb.org .

Since 2005, the BBB has hosted eight shredding events, disposing of 115,000 pounds of personal information for 2,400 households around southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon.

Cintas and Western Records Destruction offer their services free to the community to help prevent identity theft.

Other sponsors bringing the event to your community are: Idahy Federal Credit Union, site sponsor Idaho Transportation Department, and the Better Business Bureau.

Anyone who would like to volunteer for the event, or who needs additional information, contact Beve Bryant at the BBB, 947-2107 or bbryant@boise.bbb.org.

Come by on April 18 and shred those pounds!