(PHOENIX, AZ) September 14, 2011 – As part of its ongoing commitment to combat identity theft, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is partnering with the Shred-It company to offer a series of Shred-A-Thons throughout the Valley where members of the public can shred unneeded tax returns, financial documents and other papers with personal information for free. The event will also offer free electronics recycling of computers, cell phones, hard drives and other unwanted electronic devices.

Large document shredding trucks will be available at each location to shred up to five full file boxes and/or bags 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.

“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 partners at 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

The dates, times and locations of the upcoming Shred-A-Thons are:

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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