Raleigh, NC -- Residents are invited to protect themselves from identity theft by shredding old documents that include personal information, at 10 different shred-a-thons across the state on Saturday.
The shred-a-thons will be held in Asheville, Apex, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Hillsborough, Raleigh and Winston-Salem.
The Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Greensboro will be holding a shredding event for Greensboro residents at 315 E. Washington Street from 8:30am-noon.
These free events are sponsored by local banks and credit unions, police departments and civic organizations and are a great opportunity for consumers to safely dispose of pre-approved credit card offers, out-of-date account statements, old bills and other records they no longer need.
More information on times and locations is available online at the NC Department of Justice website, here.
In addition to shredding, Attorney General Roy Cooper suggests 5 simple things you can do to protect yourself from identity theft:
1) Don't share private information with telemarketers or respond to phishing e-mails - only share this information if you initiate the call or visit a company's secure website.
2) Watch your mail - call 1-800-5-OPT-OUT to stop pre-approved credit card applications. Place outgoing mail in a secure mailbox such as official blue postal boxes.
3) Check your credit - check your credit report frequently to catch identity theft early. You're entitled to one free credit report check every year from each of the 3 major credit bureaus. To get your free report, go to www.annualcreditreport.com, or call 1-877-8228.
4) Keep your Social Security Number secure - memorize your number and leave your Social Security card in a safe place at home, rather than in your wallet. Give your SSN out only when necessary. Ask why your SSN is needed, who will have access to it and how it will be kept confidential.
5) Check your checks - remove private information such as your driver's license number from your checks. That way, a lost or stolen checkbook won't give a criminal anything he or she needs to steal your identity.
More information on identity theft is available at www.ncdoj.gov.
NC Attorney General's Office