Identity theft has been one of the fastest growing crimes of the last decade. In 2009, in the state of Missouri alone, 3,850 residents reported credit card fraud, bank fraud, loan fraud or other types of identity theft.
Identity theft is a criminal action in which someone steals your personal, identifying information with the intent to make unauthorized purchases, take out loans in your name, steal money directly from your accounts, make a large purchase such as a home or even commit a crime using your name.
One of the best ways to safeguard your personal information is to shred all documents that a criminal could use to infiltrate your accounts. These documents might include:
- Credit card statements
- Bank statements
- Outdated tax returns
- Loan papers
- Medical bills or Explanation of Benefits forms
- Pre-approved credit card offers that you receive by mail
- Utility bill payment stubs
- Applications for government aid, financial aid or other services in which you were required to give personal information
- Any documents containing your driver's license number, social security number or date of birth
On September 10th, the city of Des Peres is hosting a free, document shredding event from 10:00 a.m. until noon at The Lodge outdoor pool parking lot. Des Peres residents wishing to dispose of sensitive information safely can bring a maximum of 3 banker's boxes full of documents to be shredded. The box dimensions must not exceed 10.25" Height x 24" Width x 12.87" Depth. Banker's boxes can be purchased at St. Louis Office Max stores.
The document shredding service to help protect against identity theft will be performed by CitiShred of St. Louis. Boxes will be accepted until capacity is reached. For more information call 314-835-6150.
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