Attorney General's News Release

March 30, 2006

Nixon invites consumers to shred unneeded documents at St. Louis Galleria this Saturday

St. Louis, Mo. — St. Louis-area residents will have an opportunity to fight identity theft by shredding their unneeded confidential documents free of charge this Saturday (April 1). Attorney General Jay Nixon invites consumers to participate in the first Shred Day at the St. Louis Galleria in Brentwood between 9 a.m. and noon.

Nixon's office and other law enforcement agencies are sponsoring the event, which will feature a mobile truck and shredder donated by St. Louis Data Destruction. Consumers and businesses are invited to bring up to three boxes of confidential documents like check stubs, bank statements and credit card offers to be shredded for free.

"Identity thieves get some of their best material rummaging through trash cans finding old receipts and bank statements to get personal information," Nixon said. "Shredding confidential, unneeded papers is a key way consumers can protect that information."

Nixon says other identity theft prevention tips include:

• Never give out personal information like bank account, credit-card or Social Security numbers to anyone who contacts you. Only provide that date if you have initiated the contact.
• Send sensitive mail using a secure, locking drop box, rather than your curbside mailbox.
• Leave your Social Security numbers off checks and driver's licenses.
• Opt out of pre-approved credit cards offers at www.optoutprescreen.com or 1-888-5OPTOUT.
• Carry only the documents and credit cards you need. Wallet and purse theft is also a rich source of information for identity thieves.
• Keep computers protected with a firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus software.

Nixon also encourages consumers to watch out for identity theft by checking monthly bank statements, credit-card statements and their credit report, which they can do for free three times a year at www.annualcreditreport.com or 877-322-8228.

An estimated 9 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2005, costing nearly $57 billion to consumers, businesses and law enforcement. In the summer of 2005, Nixon established an ID Theft Hotline at 1-800-392-8222, which consumers can call to report being a victim or to get further information. Identity theft resources are available at the Attorney General's Web site, www.ago.mo.gov/publications/idtheft.htm.

Along with Nixon's office, sponsors of Shred Day include the Better Business Bureau, the Illinois Attorney General's Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Trade Commission. The agencies are also sponsoring a shred event on April 1 at St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights, Ill., from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Identity Theft Complaint Form, 380K

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to the Press Secretary.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818