Shred Those Papers on Saturday

State Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-153, will host a free community paper-shredding event Saturday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to noon in the parking lot in the corner of Brentwood and Old York roads. The event is meant to help curb identity theft.

Residents of the 153^rd Legislative District are encouraged to bring credit card applications, canceled checks, old financial documents and any other unneeded papers.

The documents will be shredded onsite by Shred One Security, and all of the shredded paper will be recycled.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, 2010 marked the 11th year in a row that identity theft was the number one consumer complaint category. Nineteen percent of consumer complaints nationwide relate to identity theft.

“Identity theft not only presents a threat to a person’s financial background, but also opens the door to criminal activity that can be traced backed to the innocent victim, not to mention the undue stress and catastrophic effects it can have for families and senior citizens,” Dean said.

Here are some common warning signs your identity has been stolen:

• Your credit report shows unknown accounts.
• You are denied credit, or offered less favorable credit terms, for no reason.
• You receive an actual credit card you did not apply for.
• You fail to receive bills or other mail (a missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over an account and changed the billing address to cover his or her tracks or obtain additional personal information).

Identity theft also occurs online at an alarming rate. For more information on how to keep your identity safe while online, please visit onguardonline.gov. 

For more information on the event or identity theft, contact Dean’s office at 215-517-6800.

--

Information courtesy of State Rep. Madeleine Dean's office.