In 2015, the St. Louis metropolitan area was ranked top in the nation for identity theft complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission. While the number of ID theft reports are not as high as they were that year, there’s still a need for consumers to safeguard personal information in as many ways possible.
Better Business Bureau’s “Shred Day” offers one easy way to safely dispose of outdated, sensitive materials. This year’s Shred Day is Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Drury Plaza Hotel in Cape Girardeau.
Officials recommend shredding documents that contain financial information, account numbers, PINs, birth dates, or Social Security numbers. This includes expired ID cards, legal documents, credit card and bank statements, and canceled checks.
In addition to shredding your unneeded documents, BBB has 10 steps you can take to protect your identity: Shred statements and applications you get in the mail that you don’t want to keep. Cut up expired credit and debit cards. Protect your Social Security number, all account numbers and passwords. Secure your personal documents at home. Minimize personal information printed on checks. Monitor bank and credit card accounts for unauthorized transactions. Pay attention to billing cycles. Don’t create obvious passwords. If you conduct business online, use your own computer and a secure Internet connection. Finally, never use email to communicate sensitive personal information.
