ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - During the month of November, WSLS 10 is working to help keep your identity safe with Shred-A-Thon events.
The response has been enormous. A clear sign people in Southwest Virginia are concerned about identity theft.
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In early Nov., 300 people came out to Rocky Mount where we shredded more than 10,000 pounds, or five tons of paper. At the next stop in Christiansburg, WSLS 10 and Kodiak Shredding took care of more than 20,000 pounds of paper. And at the most recent Shred-A-Thon event in Vinton, amounts surpassed both of those combined, with a record 25 tons of paper shredded, or 50,000 pounds.
If what's happened so far is any indication, the most documents are yet to be shredded at the next and final Shred-A-Thon event at Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke Monday, Nov. 24, 2014.
"I think it's an excellent idea for people who have limited resources but need to get rid of a lot of confidential papers," says Charles Equi, a local CPA in Roanoke and owner of Johnson, Equi & Co., P.L.C. He says it's important to shred your documents regularly. "For instance, a three-year document like a utility bill, if it was personal and you know you've paid it, you can go ahead and shred those after three years."
Here are a few things you need to know to keep your identity protected:
- Look at your statements and make sure nothing is on it you don't recognize.
- Use a credit card over a debit card when you can.
- Make sure if checking your phone in public, no one can see your personal information on it.
- Make sure your paper records are shredded on a regular basis.
Moral of the story: Don't be scared of identity thieves. Just be safe. The thousands of pounds of paper from Shred-A-Thons are trucked to Kodiak Shredding's secure facility in Lynchburg, where they can be shredded down to as thin as almost dust.