PHOENIX, AZ (March 7, 2012) – Members of the public will be able to shred documents, recycle electronic devices and turn in unneeded prescription drugs at a free event on Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 in front of Marketplace At Central Plaza, 115 E. Dunlap Avenue in Phoenix.
As part of its ongoing commitment to combat identity theft, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is partnering with Shred-It to allow people to safely destroy up to five bags of unneeded tax returns, financial documents and other papers with personal information at no cost. Unwanted electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, hard drives, will also be accepted for recycling. In addition, the event offers free disposal and destruction of unneeded or expired prescription medications to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
The event will take place from 3:00pm – 7:00pm, or until the shredding and recycling trucks reach full capacity.
“One of the most effective ways people can avoid becoming victims of identity theft is by destroying documents with personal and sensitive information and getting rid of electronic devices that may also contain personal data. With our partners at Shred-It, my office can offer this service for free and help protect citizens from this crime,” remarked Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “We can also reduce the risk of prescription drug abuse by offering citizens a safe and convenient way to dispose of medications they no longer need,” 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.
###