Community Shred event set for April 23

(From the City of Joplin)

Many people may have personal papers no longer needed and cluttering their house, but fear of identity theft prevents people from trashing or recycling these sensitive documents. The Joplin Recycling Center, located at 1310 West A Street, can help. On Saturday, April 23---in celebration of Earth Day---the Center will host a community shredding event, in which large amounts of paper can be shredded quickly at no cost to residents. Sponsored by the Joplin Recycling Division and the Joplin Police Department, this opportunity is only available between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the document shredding company, Midwest Fibre Sales, will have their mobile shred truck at the Center.

Midwest Fibre Sales’ shredding division is a secure service provider operating out of a limited public access facility in Springfield, Missouri. The company is fully compliant with industry standards and regulations, and all shredded paper will be recycled.

Captain Bob Higginbotham reminds residents, “Identity thieves can turn your trash into cash, regardless if it is printed or electronic.” Identity theft resulting from items stolen from the trash or curbside recycling bins is the easiest type of crime to prevent. By completely shredding documents, receipts, address labels, or pieces of paper with identifying information like account numbers, you can stop identity theft. But simply ripping an item a few times by hand is not sufficient! Identity thieves will spend hours putting ripped documents back together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Types of items identity thieves seek include:

• Expired credit and debit cards

• Credit and debit card receipts

• Unused credit card checks

• Credit card statements

• Canceled checks

• Investment account statements

• Pension account statements

• Paycheck stubs

• Wage and earnings statements

• Phone and utility bills

• Retail invoices and statements

• Tax returns and statements

• Medical bills

• Insurance claim information

• Checking and savings account statements

• Pre-approved credit card offers and applications

• Insurance policy information (auto, health, life)

• Expired identification documents (driver’s licenses and passports)

Even return addresses on envelopes indicate where you bank; who your doctor is; where your investments are held; who your mortgage is maintained by and provide other similar information that provides a blueprint of your life.

If residents fear they have been a victim of identity theft, they should contact their local law enforcement agency.

Mary Anne Phillips, Recycling Coordinator said, “We are happy to bring this event to the community in celebration of Earth Day, but for those who cannot attend, the Recycling Center has a free self-serve high-capacity shredding machine available to patrons all year.”

The Center is open Tuesday and Thursday from Noon to 6 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.