Join Us for Shred Day: Fight Back Against Fraud

Join Us for Shred Day: Fight Back Against Fraud

Join Us for Shred Day: Fight Back Against Fraud

According to the most recent findings from the American Bureau of Justice Statistics, cases of identity theft have continued to increase across the United States during the last five years. Let’s reduce our risk and shred those personal documents. The best way to protect your identity is through proper document destruction by taking advantage of a reliable shredding service.

Wapping Community Church is hosting its first annual community shredding event in collaboration with the friendly document destruction experts at FileShred. There is a $10 fee for each full bankers box of documents and a $20 fee for anything larger. Bring as many boxes as you’d like and help us fight back against fraud!

What can I shred?

If you’re little anxious about shredding personal documents that makes total sense. It’s intimidating knowing that you could possibly destroy paperwork you actually needed. To make it easier we’ve listed the various types of information that hackers and criminals look for when attempting to commit fraud or identity theft. If you have personal documents that don’t fall under any of these categories then shredding it the best way to dispose of them.

  • Bank statements and pay stubs should be kept for a year
  • Receipts and tax records (keep these around for seven years)
  • Medical bills and records (hold onto these for at least a year after you pay, in case of disputes)
  • Home sale, purchase, or improvement papers (keep these for at least six years after the sale)
  • Warranty documents and receipts (keep them long as you own the product)

Best Practices

Aside from shredding any unneeded personal documents, there are other steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from the threat of fraud and identity theft. Consider securing your computer, and keep all personal documents locked up in a safe, and avoid phishing and malware scams. There are so many routes that hackers and criminals can take to steal your personal information that it’s important you educate yourself and stay informed.

The IRS has a page dedicated to the tips and tricks that can help prevent fraud and keep you and your identity safe. Some of the tips they share are:

  • Don’t carry your Social Security card with you or with other personal documents.
  • Don’t give out your personal information over social media.
  • Keep all old tax records locked up or encrypted if electronic.
  • Shred all personal documents before trashing.
  • Stay alert and pay attention to ever-changing scams and IRS Impersonators.

Report IRS-impersonation telephone calls at www.tigta.gov.

It’s also a smart idea to create an “In Case of Emergency” kit that includes physical copies of your most important personal documents, which would be anything related to state or federal matters, including certifications, licenses, or deeds.

Join us at the Wapping Community Church’s Shred Day Event and fight back against fraud on Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Happy Shredding!