Identity theft can happen to anyone. It occurs when someone falsely uses your name and personal information to get a loan, open a credit card, or access your financial account(s). Shredding, the process of reducing documents to small, unreadable pieces, is an easy way to decrease the chances of your personal information being stolen and used for fraudulent activity. There are many available shredding options, and today we will highlight three of them.

Purchase a personal shredding machine
Personal shredders are a great low-cost option for conveniently shredding your personal documents at home. These machines are available from most office supply stores, as well as at larger retailers like Walmart or Target. Be sure to look for one with crosscutting functionality, which will chop the paper down to confetti-size pieces.

Professional shredding companies
Another avenue you can utilize in disposing of your sensitive information is through a professional company. You can find these sorts of services at big box stores like Staples, or at businesses where you can ship items, such as UPS. You can even find a local contractor to fulfill these services as well. The cost of shredding services vary from business to business, and typically depend on the types of items you are shredding.

DCCU Shred Days
Held in the spring and fall each year, DCCU Shred Days offer you the opportunity to shred your sensitive documents while benefiting a local non-profit organization in our community. Community members are encouraged to bring their personal documents to a DCCU location, where these documents will be shredded free of charge. In exchange for this service, participants are asked to bring a food or monetary donation to benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Please click here to learn more about DCCU Shred Days, including a list of Fall 2024 Shred Days dates and locations.

Generally, you should shred any document containing a signature, account number, social security number, birth date, or personal identification number (PIN). By utilizing one of these three tools above for shredding your sensitive documents, you can have peace of mind by knowing your personal information is being disposed of securely.

This article is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.