4/10/08

Free shredding event combats identity theft  

Sponsored by:

Area residents are invited to safely dispose of sensitive personal documents at a free community shredding event Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Marysville City Hall parking lot.

Identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the United States. The state Attorney General’s office reported that Washington State ranks eighth in the nation for incidences of ID theft. The average victim will spend 750 hours and $1,000 to repair damage caused by the crime.

Data Base, a Kirkland-based information protection and destruction company, will provide a mobile on-site truck that obliterates documents beyond recognition. In addition to shredding the paper, the process degrades the integrity of inks used in documents, making it impossible to recreate them.

Experts suggest shredding all outdated sensitive documents, including junk mail and paperwork, that includes account numbers, addresses, birth dates, e-mail addresses, names, passwords and PINs, phone numbers, signatures and Social Security numbers. Visit the Attorney General’s Web site at www.atg.wa.gov for specific tips.

Residents may bring up to six boxes of personal documents per person for free shredding. Business documents will not be accepted. Participants must remain with their boxes until the contents are loaded in the shredding bin to prevent theft.

The Safe and Secure document disposal event is sponsored by the City of Marysville, HomeStreet Bank and North County Outlook. HomeStreet Bank will conduct drawings throughout the day to give away nine personal shredders and will provide bottled water to participants.

For additional information, contact Doug Buell, Community Information Officer, at (360) 363-8086 or Marilyn Boe at HomeStreet Bank, (360) 651-0308.