PROVIDENCE – Free Shred-a-Thons are being held in various communities this week to help discourage identity theft.
Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin said the Office of the Attorney General is partnering with Doc Shredding Corp., a National Information Destruction Association-certified information destruction contractor.
There is a two “banker box” or two large shopping bag limit on what can be brought to each Shred-a-Thon. Items that can be shredded include paper, envelopes – any paper that may include personal identifying information (papers can have staples or small binder clips). Old bills, old credit card statements, old bank statements, credit card offers – anything that is no longer needed, but should not be thrown in the trash – will be accepted.
Doc Shredding Corp. will have securely locked trucks at the events.
Consumers can load their documents on the truck and receive a “certificate of destruction” from Doc Shredding, which certifies that all documents collected will be handled and destroyed with the highest degree of security. Materials are transported back to Doc Shredding Corp.’s secure facility, shredded to a fine confetti, then baled on a large plant-based shredder. This offers the same level of security and confidentiality as mobile shredding. Shredded documents are then recycled, keeping tons of material out of Rhode Island landfills, according to the attorney general’s office.
Here are dates and times of the Shred-a-thons, which also can be found at www.riag.ri.gov:
Wednesday, May 4
- 9 to 11 a.m., Johnston Senior Center, 1291 Hartford Ave., Johnston
- 12 to 2 p.m., Cranston Senior Center, 1070 Cranston St., Cranston
Thursday, May 5
- 9 to 11 a.m., Walgreens, 1 Eddie Dowling Highway, North Smithfield
- 1 to 3 p.m., Middletown Police Department, 123 Valley Road, Middletown
Friday, May 6
- 9 to 11 a.m., East Providence Senior Center, 610 Waterman Ave., East Providence
- 12 to 2 p.m., Pilgrim Senior Center, 27 Pilgrim Parkway, Warwick
Saturday, May 7
- 9 to 11 a.m., Pawtucket City Hall Parking Lot, 137 Roosevelt Ave., Pawtucket
According to information from Kilmartin, approximately 16.6 million people nationwide experience identity theft annually. While data breaches at major retailers make headlines, many scam artists use much more low-tech methods to gain access to personal information – such as digging through trash. One of the easiest ways to prevent identity theft is by shredding documents that contain personal information, such as bank statements, investment statements, bills and credit card offers, Kilmartin said.
Those who attend a Shred-a-Thon also are asked to bring a nonperishable food item to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
