Better Business Bureau (BBB) and its national partners, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and the National Association for Information Destruction, and local partners Cintas Document Management and Consumer Credit Counseling Service invite the Southwest Missouri Community to BBB “Secure Your ID” Day Saturday, October 17, 2009.
The event will be held at the BBB parking lot at 430 S. Glenstone Ave in Springfield. Residents and small businesses are encouraged to attend the event and take a key step in identity protection by shredding and properly disposing of their sensitive paper documents as well as CDs and floppy discs. BBB staff will also be on-site to provide expert advice and tips for identity theft protection.
“Properly destroying documents that carry information you don’t want getting into the hands of crooks is an important first step to fighting identity theft, but it doesn’t end there,” said Judy Mills, president and CEO of BBB of Southwest Missouri. “That’s why BBB experts will also be on hand offering important advice and simple steps everyone can take to prevent ID theft in their daily lives, both online and off.”
Last year alone, 8.1 million Americans became victims of ID theft, resulting in the loss of $45 billion, according to a 2008 report from Javelin Strategy and Research. The report notes that the majority (56 percent) of ID theft occurs when the thief has direct contact with the victim’s personal information, through a stolen or lost wallet, rifling through a personal mailbox or trashcan, or even lifting documents from inside a home or business.
BBB Secure Your ID Day Details
Who: Better Business Bureau Serving Southwest Missouri with national partners the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and the National Association for Information Destruction and local partners Cintas Document Management and Consumer Credit Counseling Service.
What: Free on-the-spot document shredding and tips and resources for protecting your identity.
When: Saturday, October 17, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: BBB parking lot at 430 S. Glenstone Ave in Springfield.
Bring up to three boxes or bags of documents to be shredded and take home the tips and resources you need to help protect yourself. Documents to be shredded should be removed from binders, but staples, paper clips, CDs and floppy discs are okay to be shredded.
As the result of two nationwide Secure Your ID Days in 2008 alone, BBB helped individuals and small businesses at more than 83 sites across the country shred 1.2 million pounds of sensitive documents—all for free. For more information on BBB “Secure Your ID Day” and identity theft prevention measures for both consumers and businesses, visit: www.bbb.org.
“Identity theft is largely a crime of access,” said Mills. “Our goal here is to make the information less accessible and empower people to be their own first line of defense against identity theft. With community-based BBBs across North America collaborating simultaneously, we’ll have a tremendous coast-to-coast presence that will reach a lot of people and, hopefully, prevent a lot of theft.”
About BBB
BBB is an unbiased non-profit 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. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability ReportsTM and charity BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To
further promote trust, 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 3 million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about BBB.
About NAID
The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) is the nonprofit trade organization of the secure destruction industry. With over 1,200 member locations, NAID members provide secure destruction services to business and government across North America.
www.naidonline.org.
About NFCC
Founded in 1951, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), Inc., promotes the national agenda for financially responsible behavior and builds capacity for its Members to deliver the highest quality financial education and counseling services. The NFCC is the nations largest and longest serving national nonprofit credit counseling network, with more than 100 Member agencies and nearly 850 offices in communities throughout the country. Each year, NFCC Members assist more than 3.2 million consumers, helping many to drive down their debt and take control of their finances.