Protect Yourself from Identity Theft with Shred Day

Identity theft is a growing problem in the United States. According to The National Council on Identity Theft Protection, it’s estimated that a new person becomes the victim of identity theft every 22 seconds and this statistic is expected to become even more dramatic in 2022. Additionally, it’s estimated that 33% of Americans will experience identity theft at some point in their lives.

The effects of identity theft can be extremely disruptive to a person’s life. Even if the problem can be resolved simply by canceling a credit card and requesting a new one, it’s never something anybody wants to deal with. In more extensive cases of identity theft, victims may have to deal with agencies like the IRS or Social Security Administration, close out bank accounts and open new ones, or be left with a damaged credit score. On top of everything else, identity theft victims also report feelings of stress, anxiety, and worry about the financial security of themselves and their family members.

Identity theft can occur in many different ways and thieves are becoming increasingly more sophisticated in their methods for stealing personal information. But one of the most common methods remains relatively simple: stealing personal information from discarded personal documents. These documents can include bank/credit card statements, pre-authorized credit card offers, tax records, utility bills, pay stubs, canceled checks, expired credit/debit cards, and other expired forms of official identification. If it contains your personal information, identity thieves want it.

One of the simplest ways to protect yourself from identity theft is to shred documents that contain sensitive personal information once they’re no longer needed rather than simply throwing them away or recycling them. Don’t have a paper shredder at home? Participate in Shred Day, hosted by US Eagle Federal Credit Union.

On Shred Day, US Eagle will be giving people a chance to stop by and bring their personal documents to be shredded and securely disposed of – free of charge. Each person is allowed to bring up to two bankers’ boxes worth of materials to shred. Acceptable shredding materials include: paper, mail, computer printouts, and documents with paper clips or staples. Items that are not accepted include: catalogs, binders/bindings, metals, plastics, and computer parts. Any boxes or containers used to bring documents to the event will not be collected and will be given back to you.

US Eagle will be hosting two Shred Day events in Albuquerque. The first event is on Saturday, October 15 from 9:00 AM to noon at their 5201 Antequera NW location. The second event is on Saturday, October 22 from 9:00 AM to noon at their 3939 Osuna Rd. location.

Shred Day is also an opportunity to give back to the community by donating to Collective Spark, a combined effort with Rio Grande Food Project and the Supportive Housing Coalition to raise $86,000 to help families in need of housing and mortgage assistance. Have questions about Shred Day? Contact US Eagle.