Media contact: Janet C. Hart, APR, CFEE (704) 927-8617 office
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – It’s time to clean out your desks, storage room, filing cabinets and home office of all those old files that you have been holding onto for years. Then, you can have those old documents securely shredded on Saturday during the BBB’s nationwide ‘Secure Your ID’ Day.
“Shredding personal documents is the easiest way to prevent ID theft,” said BBB President Tom Bartholomy.
The BBB will offer free shredding to individuals and small businesses on Saturday, October 20th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at two locations in Charlotte: 1) Main location - IKEA parking lot, located at 8300 IKEA Blvd. and 2) Little Rock AME Zion Church parking lot, located at 410 N. McDowell Street. Limit four large bags or boxes per car.
“Identity theft is a crime that you may not know has occurred until months after you become a victim,” Bartholomy added. “Then, it can take years to undo the damage that has been done by someone who obtained your personal information.”
While there are high-tech ways that you can have your identity stolen including phishing scams and computer viruses, the most common way it occurs is when people don't shred personal documents before throwing them away.
The BBB’s record retention guide lists how long you should keep certain types of documents and what documents should be shredded.
If you are going:
BBB Nationwide Secure Your ID Day - Free Shredding
Date: Saturday, October 20, 2012 (rain or shine)
Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
MAIN Location: IKEA Parking Lot, located at 8300 IKEA Blvd. in Charlotte.
Second Location: Little Rock AME Zion Church, located at 410 N. McDowell Street in Charlotte
Limit: Four large boxes or bags of documents per car. Boxes and bags are non-returnable.
