Got Documents? Be a Fraud Fighter and Shred

It’s always a good time to shred personal documents. Throwing away your old bank statements, canceled checks or pay stubs while they’re still intact can leave you vulnerable to identity theft.

Last year 14.4 million Americans were victims of identity fraud. To protect your personal information, shred your sensitive documents before throwing them away.

No shredder at home? No problem. AARP New Hampshire and People’s United Bank are hosting a shred-a-thon in Manchester, from 9 a.m. to noon, on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 1750 Elm St.

The event is free and open to the public, so bring your personal documents and dispose of them responsibly. There is a maximum of three boxes or bags per person. No newspapers or magazines will be accepted, only other paper items. Also, be sure to remove plastic and any paper clips from documents before shredding.

Shred-a-thons are just one of the many fraud protection activities AARP New Hampshire sponsors. To host a free Fraud Watch Network presentation in your community, email nh@aarp.org.

To learn more about protecting yourself from identity theft or to sign up for text alerts on scams near you, visit aarp.org/fraud.

—Owen Stidman