It’s nearly time for Salal’s FREE public Shredathon, so if you have documents to discard, bring up to two grocery bags’ of shredables to our Northgate branch on Saturday, May 14, between 10 am and 2 pm. We’ll also have a drawing for a free, in-home shredder for one lucky winner!

Why shred?

Identity theft is on the rise during this time of economic difficulty. According to Javelin Strategy & Research’s report on identity theft, in 2009,

• 11.1 million adults were the victims of identity fraud (4.8% of the US population),
• the total dollar amount of fraud committed in 2009 was $54 billion,
• the number of identity fraud victims increased by 12% over 2008,
• dealing with identity fraud cost victims an average of $373 and 21 hours, and
• quick action by vigilant and proactive fraud victims resulted in an arrest rate double that of 2008, and a tripled prosecution rate over 2008.

 Yes, identity theft is on the increase, but you can take steps to protect yourself.

Shredding personal documents is one of the best ways to thwart would-be identity thieves. While many thieves have gone high-tech, setting up fake websites, installing PIN-capturing swipe pads on ATMs, etc., one of the most popular ways of getting ahold of personal information is still the low-tech route—going through someone’s trash or recycle bin and stealing discarded mail and documents.

Salal CU partners with Shred-it Seattle to provide you a secure way of getting rid of unwanted paper. All the documents we receive are shredded onsite, then pulped and recycled.

Not sure what to shred? The Washington State Attorney General’s office has these tips on what documents to keep and for how long and what you can safely shred.

About those “edibles”

Our Shredathon is a service that Salal is happy to provide free of charge to our members and the public. This year we’re also accepting donations of nonperishable food for Northwest Harvest. Please see their website for a list of acceptable items for donation.

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