Office of the Attorney General to Hold Shred–A–Thon

BALTIMORE, MD (December 11, 2007) – Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today announced that his office will hold its first Shred-A-Thon on Saturday, December 15, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, 1400 West Cold Spring Lane. Baltimore area residents are encouraged to bring no longer needed sensitive documents for FREE shredding. Each family is limited to two standard sized plastic grocery bags. Arrive early! Shredding will be done on a first-come, first-served basis.

Attorney General Gansler partnered with AARP and local shredding company Torn2Shredz to provide free shredding to Baltimore area residents as a great opportunity to help keep sensitive information out of the hands of crooks. Identity theft occurs when someone uses personal information without permission to commit fraud or other crimes. “Dumpster diving,” or rifling through trash cans for personal information is a common tactic used by identity thieves. Safely and securely shredding sensitive documents helps prevent identity thieves from obtaining personal information.

“Thieves looking to steal someone’s identity will not hesitate to rifle through the trash to search for credit card or bank statements, checks, and bills,” said Attorney General Gansler. “Once you have become a victim of identity theft, the process of restoring your credit and identity can be long and frustrating. By developing good personal protection habits like shredding sensitive documents, we can significantly reduce the number of people who become victims of identity theft every year.”
“At the turn of the year, we have the opportunity to set aside important papers and keepsakes in a safe place,” said AARP Maryland State Director Joseph DeMattos, Jr. “On the other hand, in this information age, we should be sure to destroy any information that could be used to steal our good name or identity.”

Destroy all sensitive information including junk mail and paperwork that includes:

• Account numbers Birth dates
• Passwords and PINs Signatures
• Social Security numbers

What should be shredded? While many documents should be kept in a safe place until they are no longer needed, once you decide it can be thrown out, shred it. These types of documents include:

• ATM receipts
• Bank statements
• Canceled and voided checks
• Credit and charge card bills, carbon copies, summaries and receipts
• Employee pay stubs
• Expired credit and identification cards
• Medical and dental records
• Pre-approved credit card applications
• Tax forms
• Utility bills

ABOUT TORN2SHREDZ:
Torn2Shredz was established by Steve Rose in February, 2005 as a Mt. Airy-based business to help protect businesses and consumers against the dramatic increase in the number of cases of identity theft. Torn2Shredz began as a mobile based shredding business destroying confidential documents and media at their customers’ place of business or residence in Maryland and surrounding states. Their state-of-the-art shredding trucks provide secure, on-site document destruction. Torn2Shredz is committed to being a good business partner with the community. The company has participated in charity events for the 2007 Labor Day fire victims in downtown Mt. Airy and organized a free shred event with donations given to local charities to assist the fire victims. In September, 2007, Torn2Shredz began offering an economical residential drop-off service for small amounts of paper at their facility in Mt. Airy. For more information and details on the drop-off shredding service and directions to their facility, visit www.torn2shredz.com.

ABOUT AARP:
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP produces AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, a monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, a bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, a quarterly newsletter for 50 + educators; and its website, www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Click here for a printable flyer describing the event.