(PHOENIX, AZ) December 6, 2011 – As part of its ongoing commitment to combat identity theft, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is partnering with the Scottsdale Police Department, Salt River Police Department and the Shred-It company to offer a free Shred-A-Thon on Wednesday, December 14th, 2011 at the Pavilions Shopping Center, 9000 E. Indian Bend Road in Scottsdale. Members of the public will be able to safely destroy up to five boxes of unneeded tax returns, financial documents and other papers with personal information at no cost. The event will also offer free electronics recycling of computers, cell phones, hard drives and other unwanted electronic devices.
The event will take place from 7:00am – 11:00am, or until the shredding and recycling trucks reach full capacity.
“My office is committed to protecting the community from identity theft, which can undermine a person’s financial security and lead to a host of other crimes,” remarked Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “One of the most effective ways citizens can safeguard themselves against identity thieves is by destroying documents with personal and sensitive information. With our Scottsdale and Salt River law enforcement partners and Shred-It, we can help you do this – and the best part is, it’s free,” he added.
Among the documents citizens are encouraged to bring to the Shred-A-Thon are:
- Tax returns older than 5 years
- Statements from banks and financial institutions
- Cancelled checks
- Paycheck stubs
- Credit card applications
- Unneeded medical records and billing statements
Large document shredding trucks will be available at each location to shred up to five full file boxes of documents per person at no cost. Volunteers with the County Attorney’s Office will be available to assist with unloading boxes from vehicles and to provide free brochures and information on preventing identity theft.
For more information on how to protect yourself against Identity Theft, please visit the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office website at www.maricopacountyattorney.org.
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