The Better Business Bureau and its national partner the National Association of Information Destruction invite consumers and businesses to BBB “Secure Your ID” Day October 17, 2009 at Valley View Mall. If you don’t need it, dispose of it… responsibly. Residents and small businesses are encouraged to attend this free community service and take a key step in identity protection by shredding and properly disposing of their sensitive documents.
“Shredding sensitive paper documents is an important step, but it doesn’t end there,” said Julie Wheeler, BBB President. “We are trying to help consumers educate themselves in order to be protected from identity theft.”
BBB Secure Your ID Day Details
Who: BBB Serving Western Virginia with national partner the National Association for Information Destruction and local partners WSLS News Channel 10, Cox Business, and CINTAS Document Management
What: Free, drive through document shredding
When: Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 8:00 am to 11:00 am
Where: Valley View Mall Parking Lot (Behind Sears & Belk)
Bring up to three boxes or bags of documents to be shredded. Documents to be shredded should be removed from binders. No cardboard accepted.
Recognizing the need for nationwide grassroots consumer education outreach to prevent identity theft, the BBB is partnering with the National Foundation of Credit Counseling (NFCC) in launching the 2nd annual National Protect Your Identity Week (PYIW) October 17 – 24, 2009.
Identity theft claimed more than 10 million victims in 2008, a 22 percent increase over 2007. According to a report from Javelin Strategy and Research, low-tech methods for stealing personal information are still the most popular for identity thieves. Of the cases where consumers knew how their identity was compromised, stolen wallets and physical documents accounted for 43 percent of all identity theft, while online methods accounted for only 11 percent.
“In spite of doing everything right, consumers nonetheless can find themselves victimized and forced to spend time and money restoring their good name and good credit,” said Wheeler. “By providing free document shredding as part of Protect Your Identity week, BBB continues to help communities guard against identity theft.”
If you are interested in more information regarding BBB’s Secure Your ID Day contact BBB at
(540)342-3455 or online at www.bbb.org.
BBB 31 West Campbell Ave., Roanoke, Virginia 24011-1301