BBB Offers Free Document Shredding on April 16

March 9, 2011 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, N.C. (March 8, 2011)—Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina (bbb.org) announces today its semi-annual “Secure Your ID” Day, will take place on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Free document shredding will be offered from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Coastal Federal Credit Union, located off Wake Forest Road at 1000 St. Albans Drive, Raleigh, NC 27609. This event is jointly organized by the Council of Better Business Bureaus and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling to raise public awareness and educate Americans on the issues surrounding identity theft.

In 2010, 8.1 million Americans were victims of identity theft, according to a 2011 Javelin Strategy and Research survey. This represents a decrease of 28 percent compared to the estimated 11 million victims in 2009. Although fraud instances have decreased, the survey points out that the average out-of-pocket expense rose from $387 to $631 per incident, and consumers spent an average of 59 hours recovering from ID theft.  

“Consumers are taking the right steps to protect themselves against identity theft, but the threat is still very real,” says Toby Barfield, president and CEO of BBB serving Eastern North Carolina. “In hosting our event, we hope to offer Triangle residents a safe way to dispose of sensitive documents, educate the public on the severity of this issue and arm consumers with the right tools to protect themselves.”

Local shredding partners will provide free, on-site document shredding during the event. Individuals are encouraged to bring up to three boxes or bags of documents that have been removed from binders. BBB and other partner organizations will offer tips and resources to protect your identity. More that 21,000 pounds of documents were shredded at the October 2010 event. Additional event information is available at www.easternnc.bbb.org/secure-your-id.

About BBB serving Eastern North Carolina:
Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is a 501 (c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in Eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by BBB Accredited Business fees from more than 2,900 local businesses and professional firms. The BBB promotes integrity, consumer confidence and business ethics through business self-regulation in the local marketplace. Services provided by the BBB include, reports on companies and charitable organizations, general monitoring of advertising in the marketplace, dispute resolution services, and consumer/business education programs. All services are provided at no cost to the public, with the occasional exception of mediation and arbitration. Visit bbb.org.