Golden to host ‘Shred Fest’ outside his district offices

Destroying documents helps protect against ID thieves

April 3, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

State Sen. Marty Golden is urging residents to bring as many documents as they wish to his shredding events later this month. Eagle file photo by Paula Katinas

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One of the best ways to protect yourself against thieves looking to steal your identity is to make sure they can’t get their hands on sensitive documents containing your personal information, according to state Sen. Marty Golden.

Destroying documents is a good way to stop identity thieves in their tracks, Golden (R-C-Bay Ridge-southwest Brooklyn) said.

The lawmaker is offering a helping hand to constituents looking to get rid of old bills, bank statements, letters, and other pieces of paper containing names, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers and bank account numbers.

Golden will host two free shredding events at both of his district offices later this month.

A shredding truck will be parked outside Golden’s office at 7408 Fifth Ave. in Bay Ridge on Saturday, April 25, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A truck will be parked outside Golden’s satellite office at 3604 Quentin Road in Marine Park on Sunday, April 26, from 11:00 a.m. to
1:00 p.m.

Golden said that residents should free feel to bring as many personal documents as they wish to shred.

“We all have a pile of papers in our home that we hope to one day get a chance to shred. This is a great opportunity to stop by my office and get rid of those forms, bank statements, receipts and more in a safe way,” Golden said. “Shred those papers to make sure you have taken every precaution against the crime of identity theft.”

A study conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research found that 12.7 million people in the U.S. were the victims of identity theft in 2014. The ID fraudsters stole a total of $16 billion from their victims, according to the study, which was released on March 2.

“Consumers, financial institutions and retailers are all taking aggressive steps, yet we must remain vigilant. The criminals will continue to find new ways to commit fraud, so taking advantage of available technology and services to protect against, detect and resolve identity fraud is a must for all individuals and corporations,” Al Pascual, director of fraud and security for Javelin Strategy & Research and co-author of the study, said in a statement.

Identity theft is the most commonly reported consumer fraud complaint, Golden said. To arm residents with useful information, Golden has published an identity protection brochure that he has made available at his district offices.

Golden has also sponsored legislation that would require credit card companies to issue New York State residents cards with smart chip technology. The smart chip is harder for identity thieves to crack, he said.

For more information on the free shredding events, contact Golden’s Bay Ridge office at 718- 238-6044 or email [email protected].