To help consumers protect their identity and safely dispose of additional financial and personal documents they acquire during tax season, the Automobile Club of Southern California and Experian’s ProtectMyID® are hosting a free Shred-a-Thon on Saturday, May 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Angel Stadium.
Those attending the event can enter the Shred-a-Thon either from State College Boulevard or Orangewood Avenue.
Auto Club members and the public are invited to bring up to 5 banker boxes or 5 paper grocery bags filled with junk mail and personal papers, that may contain names, birth dates, and account numbers, to the stadium for free, secure on-site shredding in Cintas document-shredding trucks. They also are invited to bring old computers, monitors, cameras, cell phones, and microwave ovens to recycle in another truck courtesy of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Plastic bags and binders, folders, computer disks, laminated paper, or other non-paper materials should be removed prior to attending the Shred-a-Thon. Shredded material will be recycled. Items that may dispense hazardous fumes, liquids, or gases cannot be accepted for e-waste.
“After tax time, many consumers like to clean out their files and dispose of tax returns and related information that is more than seven years old,” said John Straser, the Auto Club’s Financial Services program manager. “This year’s Shred-A-Thon is an ideal opportunity for people to dispose of those documents securely.”
Guests also will receive identity theft information from Experian’s ProtectMyID®, which provides an identity theft benefit to Auto Club members.
Increasing numbers of data breaches involving retailers and online commercial sites make it vital for consumers to be alerted immediately once it is suspected their ID has been stolen, Straser said. “Immediate action to stop further fraudulent charges is crucial to minimizing the damage,” he added. “ProtectMyID is one of the Auto Club’s most popular benefits because it provides an instant alert when fraud is detected, along with dedicated support from a ProtectMyID fraud resolution agent to help straighten out the ID theft issues.”
ProtectMyID® Deluxe, an enhanced ID monitoring benefit to members, offers the following important consumer services at a 60 percent discount of $8.95 per month:
- Daily monitoring and email alerts on all three of your credit reports: Experian®, Transunion® and Equifax®
- $1 million in identity theft insurance
- ChildSecureSM: Helps protect minor children from identity theft by closely monitoring enrolled children's credit information, and alerting you if someone applies for credit or opens credit accounts using your children's personal information.
- Change of address notification: Monitors national change of address databases to verify if your address has been changed.
- Internet scan: Conducts confidential, daily scans on illegal websites and chat rooms searching for signs that your identity is exposed.
Additionally, free lost wallet assistance is available to AAA members who enroll in either ProtectMyID® Deluxe or the ProtectMyID® Essential benefit (available free to members). This feature allows members to securely store all their debit and medical card information in one place. If your wallet is lost or stolen, one call to ProtectMyID will automatically cancel the cards and get new ones issued to you.
ProtectMyID®, part of Experian®, is a leading full-service provider of identity theft detection, protection and fraud resolution. It offers comprehensive identity theft protection products supported by experienced identity theft resolution professionals who deliver personal attention that customers can rely on.