NYS Consumer Protection Board Announces A FREE PUBLIC SHREDDING DAY In The Hudson Valley To Help Consumers Prevent Identity Theft

Contact: Deborah Sturm Rausch 518.473.9472\|518.474.2896	For Immediate Release: November 10, 2008

NYS Consumer Protection Board Announces A FREE PUBLIC SHREDDING DAY In The Hudson Valley To Help Consumers Prevent Identity Theft

Fishkill, NY… The New York State Consumer Protection Board (CPB) today announced that they are sponsoring a free public Shredding Day on Thursday, November 13, 2008, from 8:30 A.M. until 12:30 P.M. at the Hudson Valley Town Center on Westage Business Center Drive at the intersection of Route 9 and Interstate 84 in Fishkill, New York.

“Document shredding has become an essential weapon in the fight against identity theft,” said CPB Chairperson and Executive Director Mindy A. Bockstein, “We are pleased to offer this service to residents of the Hudson Valley. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), approximately 10 million Americans become victims of identity theft each year, and that number continues to grow. We must be our own best advocates, and take the necessary steps to protect ourselves.”

The Hudson Valley Shredding Day is open to the public and is co-sponsored by HV Shred, Inc., also based in Fishkill. Consumers are invited to bring personal documents including paper, CDs, DVDs, credit cards and floppy disks with a limit of two file boxes per person to be shredded.

The CPB’s Hudson Valley Shredding Day is the fourth in a series, and falls on the heels of Identity Theft Awareness Week in the Empire State, as declared by Governor David A. Paterson. Shredding is a reliable way of safely and properly disposing of documents containing personally identifiable information that, if discarded improperly, could be a conduit to identity theft.

One common method used by identity thieves to obtain identity information is dumpster diving, which is the process of looking through trash for private information that can be harvested and used to steal someone’s identity. Scammers go through trash to obtain copies of checks, credit card or bank statements, medical records or other documents and then use the information to steal people’s identity, victimize individuals and fraudulently secure services.

“Dumpster diving is real but thieves can be left empty-handed if documents are shredded before they are thrown away,” continued Bockstein. “With this Shredding Day, the CPB is affording people who may not have a shredder at home with the means to do just that.”

More than 19,000 identity theft complaints were filed with the FTC by New Yorkers in 2007. New York State is 6th per capita in identity theft complaints, and About.com estimates that “upwards of 80 percent or more households do not take the necessary steps to prevent dumpster diving.” The US Supreme Court in its 1998 case, California vs. Greenwood, stated, "Society would not accept as reasonable (a) claim to an expectation of privacy in trash left for collection in an area accessible to the public." That basically means, in most places, if you throw something in the trash, it becomes available to the public.

HV Shred, Inc. was founded in 2007 and provides secured on-site mobile document shredding service for commercial and residential clients throughout the Greater Hudson Valley Region including Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, and Columbia Counties. HV Shred securely shreds confidential materials at offices, storage facility, or home to safeguard your identity and your reputation. In addition, they recycle all shredded paper.

Judith Papo, President of HV Shred said, “As lifelong residents of the Hudson Valley, we are thrilled to have this opportunity to extend our shredding service to our neighbors. Our goal is to keep all our neighbors safe from identity theft.”

Further information for consumers and businesses on how to prevent and respond to identity theft, including the recently released public service announcement (PSA) featuring Amani Toomer, is available on the CPB’s website at www.nysconsumer.gov.

The CPB, established in 1970 by the New York State Legislature, is the State's top consumer watchdog and think tank. The CPB's core mission is to protect New Yorkers by publicizing unscrupulous and questionable business practices and product recalls; conducting investigations and hearings; enforcing the Do Not Call law; researching issues; developing legislation; creating consumer education programs and materials; responding to individual marketplace complaints by securing voluntary agreements; and, representing the interests of consumers before the Public Service Commission and other State and federal agencies.

To file a consumer complaint with the NYS Consumer Protection Board (CPB), call our toll-free hotline at 800-697-1220 or visit CPB’s website at www.nysconsumer.gov. In addition to the online complaint form, the website is home to important consumer safety information.