‘Shred Fest 2016’ Helps Hartford-Area Consumers Avoid Risk of Identity Theft

Local Event one of Dozens Scheduled Nationwide to Provide Secure Document Destruction

Hartford – As part of its ongoing efforts to help consumers avoid falling victim to identity theft, AARP Connecticut is joining with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, the City of Hartford and EnviroShred to sponsor “ Shred Fest 2016” – an event to provide free shredding of personal financial documents and other sensitive records.

The Shred Fest will be held on Sunday, April 24, in the parking lot at the corner of Capital Avenue and Oak Street. Shredding service begins at 1 p.m.,

and will continue until 5 p.m., or until the on-site EnviroShred shredding service trucks reach full capacity. Limit is up to 2 grocery bags/banker's boxes to be safely and securely shredded* at no cost. AARP membership is not required.

The Hartford event is one of dozens of Shred Fest 2016 events scheduled for communities nationwide, during Money Smart Week^® April 23-30, with support from the AARP Fraud Watch Network and the AARP Foundation .

"We're pleased to be partnering again with AARP to host this shred event,” said Commissioner Jonathan Harris, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. “Too many people fall victim to identity theft simply because they haven't had the opportunity to dispose of personal documents from tax season in a secure way. That's why we wanted to provide this resource for families so that they can shred their documents with trusted organizations in a way that they know is safe. We look forward to seeing our partners at AARP and community members in Hartford on April 24th."

In 2015, Connecticut residents registered 8,078 complaints about identity theft with the Federal Trade Commission.

“Identity thieves routinely search through dumpsters and trash cans for confidential information, which causes millions of dollars in financial fraud losses each year,” said Nora Duncan, AARP Connecticut state director. “Our Shred Fest 2016 event will allow consumers to discard this paperwork in a safe and secure manner.”

To avoid having your sensitive information compromised, security experts recommend shredding of the following types of materials:

• Old documents:  Papers that carry your Social Security number, birth date, signature, account numbers, passwords or PIN numbers.
• Banking:  Canceled or unused checks. Shred deposit slips and ATM and credit card receipts, once you receive your monthly statements.
• Credit Cards: Preapproved credit card applications and incentive/gift checks from credit card companies.
• Medical: unneeded medical bills.
• Investments: Investment account statements.
• Obsolete ID cards: Expired driver’s licenses, medical insurance cards and passports.

Shred Fest 2016 events are being held in at least 37 states next week. Residents of other communities who wish to take advantage of a Shred Fest event may refer to online schedule .

And for those consumers who use a home shredder, experts also recommend the use of a micro-cut model. Tests have shown that the scraps of paper from a straight or cross-cut shredder can be reassembled by identity thieves.  With a micro-cut shredder, the paper is rendered into impossible-to-reassemble debris.

More information on how to keep yourself safe from identity theft fraud, and alerts regarding other types of scams, is available from the Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/FraudWatchNetwork.

In addition, AARP CT is hosting a telephone town hall on Wednesday, April 20, at 7 p.m. ET to inform and educate consumers on protecting themselves from consumer fraud. The call will focus on providing tips on securing personal and financial documents, as well as finding help if you have become of victim of identity theft, fraud or financial exploitation. Special guests will include representatives from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Federal Trade Commission and CT Department of Consumer Protection.

About EnviroShred
EnviroShred provides the highest standard in security for disposal of your confidential information. Enviroshred is a social enterprise owned by Easterseals Capital Region & Eastern CT and provides secure document and media destruction for companies throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island since 2008. EnviroShred sets the platinum standard in the document destruction industry with a "no compromise" approach. EnviroShred supports Easterseals’ mission of helping individuals with disabilities to ultimately become independent and self‑sufficient directly employing our clients. This connection will support companies that strive to be good corporate citizens as well as protect and destroy their documents to the industry leader with the most rigorous procedures available today.  www.enviroshredct.com