Your BBB Offers Free Shredding At Secure Your ID Day On Saturday

DAYTON, OHIO, April 14, 2009 - Bring your confidential documents to your Better Business Bureau’s…

This unique BBB event is brought to you by the National Association For Information Destruction, Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Glawe Awning & Tents, Dayton Business Journal and WHIO-TV. Your BBB invites you to protect your assets from identity theft by bringing up to three boxes/bags of confidential paperwork (credit card statements, old checks, IRS tax returns, etc.) and we’ll shred them free courtesy of Confidential Material Destruction, Inc., who’ll also take all shredded material to a local recycling facility. Documents to be shredded should be removed from binders, but staples, paper clips, CDs and floppy discs are okay to be shredded. Your BBB staff will also be on hand to offer tips on identity-theft protection. McGruff the Crime Dog will make appearances at the top of each hour thanks to Miami Valley Crime Prevention Association.

According to a 2008 Javelin Strategy and Research study, 56 percent of identity theft occurs through direct contact with the victim’s information, including lost or stolen wallets and stealing directly from mailboxes, trashcans or from inside homes or businesses. During 2008, the same report states 8.1 million Americans were victimized by identity theft, resulting in $45 billion loss.

"Our goal is to empower people to protect themselves from ID theft," said John North, BBB President & CEO. "It’s important to realize eliminating access to our personal information is vital. By coordinating this event with BBBs nationwide, we’re sending a strong message to identity thieves."

At your BBB’s first Secure Your ID Day last fall, locally our goal was to have 200 cars drop off 10,000 pounds of material to be shredded in our effort to reduce identity theft in the Miami Valley and stress the importance of shredding confidential documents before disgarding them. We exceeded both goals - despite Hurricane Ike blowing through our community the weekend before - with 257 cars dropping of 12,955 pounds of material, which is nearly six and a half tons of information to be shredded. Overall, the fall initiative involved BBBs in 30 states and two provinces and saw consumers and business owners deliver more than 710,000 pounds (355 tons) of material for safe, responsible destruction, making BBB Secure Your ID Day the largest single day event of its kind ever held.

Contact your BBB for more information on Secure Your ID Day. Visit www.bbb.org or call (937) 222-5825 or (800) 776-5301.

Your BBB is an unbiased nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB Accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. Your BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability Reports^TM and charity BBB Wise Giving Reports^TM and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, your BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 125 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than three million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about your BBB.

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