HONOLULU – Hawaii’s BBB and its partners, Access Information Management, Pro-Filed Confidential Destruction Services and Shred-it, invite the Oahu community to BBB “Secure Your ID” Day Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at various locations across the island.
Individuals and small businesses are encouraged to attend the event and take a key step in identity protection by shredding and properly disposing of their sensitive paper documents, CDs and floppy disks. BBB staff will also be on-site to provide advice and tips for identity theft protection.
“Properly destroying documents that carry information you don’t want getting into the hands of crooks is an important first step to fighting identity theft, but it doesn’t end there,” said Dwight Kealoha, chief executive officer of Hawaii’s BBB. “That’s why BBB experts and volunteers from Bank of Hawaii will also be on hand offering important advice and simple steps everyone can take to prevent ID theft in their daily lives, both online and off.”
In 2008, there were 711 identity theft complaints from Hawaii residents—a 21 percent increase from the year before. Last year alone, 8.1 million Americans became victims of ID theft, resulting in the loss of $45 billion, according to a 2008 report from Javelin Strategy and Research. The report notes that the majority (56 percent) of ID theft occurs when the thief has direct contact with the victim’s personal information, through a stolen or lost wallet, rifling through a personal mailbox or trashcan, or even lifting documents from inside a home or business.
“Identity theft is largely a crime of access,” added Kealoha. “Our goal here is to make the information less accessible and empower people to be their own first line of defense against identity theft.”
BBB Secure Your ID Day locations:
- McKinley High School
1039 S. King St., Honolulu
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Mililani High School
95-1200 Meheula Pkwy, Mililani Town
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Castle High School Auditorium Parking Area
45-386 Kaneohe Bay Dr., Kaneohe
Bring up to three boxes or bags of documents, CDs and floppy disks to be shredded and take home the tips and resources you need to help protect yourself. Paper documents should be removed from binders, but staples and paper clips can be shredded.
At last year's BBB Secure Your ID Day event in Hawaii, more than 870 vehicles delivered almost 2,000 boxes or bags of material for shredding—totaling more than 23.8 tons of documents shredded for free. Visit Hawaii's BBB Secure Your ID Day Web page for more information on the event and identity theft prevention measures for consumers and businesses.
BBB Secure Your ID Day is nationally sponsored by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and its national partners, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and the National Association for Information Destruction.
About Hawaii’s BBB
Established in 1945, Hawaii’s Better Business Bureau® (BBB) is the local authority on trust in the marketplace. BBB is an unbiased, nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Only businesses and charities that meet and adhere to BBB standards can receive BBB accreditation. Hawaii’s BBB provides objective advice, free business and charity reports, and educational resources on topics affecting marketplace trust. BBB also offers fair and timely dispute resolution programs for consumers and businesses. BBB resources are available online at www.bbb.org.
About NAID
The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) is the nonprofit trade organization of the secure destruction industry. With over 1,200 member locations, NAID members provide secure destruction services to business and government across North America. www.naidonline.org.
About NFCC
Founded in 1951, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), Inc., promotes the national agenda for financially responsible behavior and builds capacity for its Members to deliver the highest quality financial education and counseling services. The NFCC is the nations largest and longest serving national nonprofit credit counseling network, with more than 100 Member agencies and nearly 850 offices in communities throughout the country. Each year, NFCC Members assist more than 3.2 million consumers, helping many to drive down their debt and take control of their finances.