HERNDON, Va. – Noting that for the past 15 years identity theft has topped the FTC’s list of consumer complaints, Northwest Federal Credit Union took a step to fight cybercrime with its annual Shred Day. Held at the Herndon Branch, Shred Day provided members with a safe way to dispose of papers containing sensitive information.
“Identity thieves are skilled at piecing together information and using it to gain access to financial assets,” said President/CEO Chris MacDonald. “Most people know to be careful about disclosing their Social Security, credit card or bank account numbers. But, nowadays, medical records, personal letters and family pictures can also be used to the thieves’ advantage and it’s just as important to safeguard this information.”
Northwest Federal encouraged members to bring up to three boxes of paper, which were then shredded at no charge. During the three-hour event, trucks with mobile shredding equipment shredded all documents onsite, allowing members to feel confident their documents were destroyed.
In all, 611 members participated in the event, safely disposing of 15,400 pounds of paper.