The Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Central Virginia announced in a press release it will be holding its annual “Secure Your ID/Shred Day” this Saturday, April 23rd, in Glen Allen.
The BBB encourages the community to join their free drive-thru shredding event to “safely and securely dispose of paper documents that contain sensitive and personal information,” the press release notes.
During the day, BBB volunteers will guide those participating in the event through a moving line, unload their documents, and lock them in containers to transport to International Paper’s shredding facility. The BBB will also be collecting non-perishable food and financial donations for Feed More, a food bank that collects, prepares and distributes food to those in need across 34 cities and counties in Central Virginia.
In the press release, the BBB “stresses the importance of shredding confidential documents that can leave you vulnerable to identity theft … if you don’t need it, SHRED IT.”
The free event will be held in the parking lot of BBB (100 Eastshore Dr., Glen Allen, Virginia, 23059) from 9:00 a.m. to noon. It is sponsored by the Richmond Times Dispatch and in partnership with International Paper.
Destroying documents with your personal information reduces the likelihood of becoming an identity theft victim, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC recommends shredding credit card or utility bills immediately after they’ve been paid, as well as sales receipts. The agency also advises documents such as bank statements, pay stubs, and medical bills to be held onto for at least one year before being shredded, unless there is an unresolved insurance dispute.
BBB serving Central Virginia serves Richmond, the Tri-Cities, Charlottesville, and Fredericksburg, as well as 42 surrounding counties from Fauquier to Mecklenburg and Northumberland to Amherst.
The nonprofit organization was established in 1954 to “advance responsible, honest, and ethical business practices and to promote customer confidence through self-regulation of business.” The organization lists its core services as business profiles, dispute resolution, truth in advertising, scam warnings, consumer and business education, and charity review.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network.
