AARP New Mexico Offers Free Las Cruces Shredding Event

Looking to get rid of some old documents and clear out some clutter? Join AARP New Mexico and the Las Cruces AARP Chapter for a free shredding event, Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Walmart Super Store parking lot, located at 571 Walton Blvd., in Las Cruces.

Participants will be served on a first come, first served, basis until noon or the trucks are full. People are limited to two garbage bags or bankers’ boxes per car. This will be a drive-thru event.

Criminals look for personal information anywhere they can get it. While most ID theft attacks tend to be high tech -- massive hacks of banks, retail chains and other companies that stockpile consumer data -- scammers also use old school tactics like stealing mail or going through discarded documents.

One-way people can protect themselves is by shredding bank statements, tax forms, medical bills and other documents containing personal and/or financial data.

“Con artists don’t care how hard you worked. They steal billions from Americans like you every year.,” said Dave Lynch, AARP New Mexico State President. “Shredding confidential documents you no longer need is an excellent way to protect yourself, and AARP New Mexico wants to help,”

Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fielded more than 1.4 million complaints about identity theft, accounting for 1 in 4 fraud reports to the consumer-protection agency.

Other ways that people can protect themselves from ID Theft include:  

• Setting up online access to bank and credit card accounts and checking them regularly.
  
• Switching to paperless billing and financial statements, so they get less sensitive information in the mail.
  
• Checking credit reports annually through one of the three major reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Also, adding a credit freeze or alert means a new account cannot be added in someone’s name without their approval.
  

  

For more information on how to protect yourself from fraud, identity theft and scams visit www.fraudwatchnetwork.com