Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union To Hold 1st Annual Shred Fest

Sept. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- TICONDEROGA, NY - The Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union (TFCU) will host their 1st annual Shred Fest, as announced by Greg Johnson, TFCU President & CEO.  Shred Fest, a free paper-shredding event to increase public awareness of identity theft prevention, will be held October 18th and 19th as part of their annual Credit Union Week celebration.  Community members can shred personal documents at their nearest TFCU office during event hours.

Documents will be shredded on site in a mobile shredder.  Paper, folders, envelopes, paper bound by staples, paperclips and spiral binding can be shredded, however, documents bound with metal binder clips cannot.   The TFCU asks participants to bring a non-perishable food item for donation to the local food pantries, in exchange for the free service.  The first five participants at each location will receive a free TFCU baseball cap.  All of the shredded paper generated by Shred Fest will be recycled.

“Identity theft can destroy your credit and your good name,” said Greg Johnson. “But through a few simple precautions, members can stand up to identity thieves and avoid becoming a victim.”

In 2008, the state of New York reported more than 22,000 identity theft complaints.  Shredding documents that contain personal identifying information before throwing them away is one of the most important ways consumers can prevent identity theft.

Shred Fest is part of TFCU’s campaign to raise awareness about identity theft prevention.  The campaign also includes distribution of informational brochures on how to better guard against identify theft and an opportunity for TFCU members to sign-up for electronic statements (E-Statements), offered through the credit union's secure online banking system.  

The public is invited to bring mail and other superfluous documents that contain personal identifying information to be shredded and securely disposed of including:

   * Bank statements that are at least one year old and do not contain tax-related information
   * Pay stubs (only after you have received your Form W-2)
   * Credit card applications
   * Documents that contain Social Security Numbers, account numbers, password/PIN information, birth dates, private contact information and signatures.
   * Prescription bottles that include your birth date and/or address

Free shredding will be offered at the following 3 TFCU office locations during event hours:

TICONDEROGA OFFICE (1178 NYS Route 9N):
Monday October 18th Hours: 11:00AM – 1:00PM

PORT HENRY BRANCH (43 Meacham Street):
Tuesday October 19th Hours: 9:00 - 11:00AM

ELIZABETHTOWN BRANCH (7519 Court Street):
Tuesday October 19th Hours: 11:30AM - 1:30PM


IT’S YOUR IDENTITY…PROTECT IT! FOLLOW THESE TIPS:

•   Shred first, trash last. Never throw out papers with sensitive information until you’ve shredded them. This includes prescreened credit card offers, receipts, canceled checks, credit union statements, expired charge cards, doctors’ bills, prescription bottles and insurance documents.  Anything with an account number can be used in identity theft.

•   Be careful when you receive suspicious telephone and e-mail offers. Never give personal information over the phone and never click on unfamiliar e-mail links.

•   Check your financial statements regularly to make sure there is no unexplained activity.   Notify the institution immediately if you discover any erroneous or suspicious transactions on your statements.

•   Register for E-Statements to prevent a paper trail for thieves.  An unlocked mailbox provides easy access to your personal information.  Often, identity thieves will change the address of a bill so that it will take you longer to figure out the scam.

•   Safeguard your computer using anti-virus and firewall software.

•   Check your credit report for unusual activity. Request your free annual credit report online at http://www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

•   Opt out of mail solicitations. Register your address at http://www.optoutprescreen.com or call toll-free 1-888-567-8688.

ALREADY AN IDENTITY THEFT VICTIM? TAKE ACTION QUICKLY:

Report it. Report identity theft to your local police department and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.ftc.gov or call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline toll-free at (877) ID-THEFT (438-4338) Keep copies of the report and the complaint.

For more identity theft prevention tips, or to register for E-Statement(s), visit http://www.tfcunow.com or call (518) 585-6725.  

Established in 1954, Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union has been serving the financial needs of its members for 56 years.  It currently operates through conveniently located offices at 1178 NYS Route 9N in Ticonderoga, NY, 43 Meacham Street in Port Henry, NY, 7519 Court Street in Elizabethtown, NY and can be found online at www.tfcunow.com.

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If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call Kate Thompson at 518-585-6725 or email Kate at kthompson@ticonderogafederal.com