Office of the Attorney General
Attorney General Conway Announces Free Shred Days In Louisville and Lexington

In an ongoing effort to crack down on consumer identity theft across the state, Attorney General Jack Conway, the Better Business Bureau and Iron Mountain Shredding Company today announced that residents will be able to shred up to two large boxes or 50 pounds of documents for free in Lexington and Louisville.

The Lexington event will take place on Friday, May 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lowe’s, 2300 Grey Lag Way. The Louisville event is Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Office of the Attorney General on the University of Louisville’s Shelby Campus, 8911 Shelbyville Road. A mobile shred truck operated by Iron Mountain will be available at both locations.

“Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America,” General Conway said. “I am pleased that we can offer this service at no cost to consumers. I encourage citizens to take advantage of this opportunity by dropping off any documents that contain bank account numbers, social security numbers, birth dates, or pin numbers. These items will be shredded on site – keeping the information from falling into the hands of criminals who want to steal your money or your identity.”

Citizens may also shred old tax returns. The Attorney General recommends individuals contact their tax preparer or attorney to determine how long they should retain tax-return information, old pay stubs or receipts.

“Shredding documents that contain sensitive information is an important tactic in the fight against identity theft, and we are excited to have this opportunity to help the public safely dispose of documents so they don’t fall victim to an identity thief,” said Neil Kingery, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central and Eastern Kentucky.

“We are happy to help in the fight against identity theft because the BBB receives calls from people every day concerned that their identity has been stolen,” said Better Business Bureau of Louisville president & CEO, Charlie Mattingly. “While ID theft has been associated with the growth of new technology, one of the most common techniques used by thieves continues to be rummaging through dumpsters and trash looking for personal information."

In 2007, more than 8.5 million Americans were the victims of identity theft, costing consumers about $45 billion.

“We’re happy to join Attorney General Conway and the Better Business Bureau in offering shredding for the residents of our community,” said Allan Congrave, an area vice president for Iron Mountain. “Like the businesses we serve, more and more consumers understand the stakes associated with keeping information safe and having a disciplined approach to destroying personally identifiable documents.”

Identity Theft Tips

• Do not keep Social-Security card in wallet or purse
• Do not put bills or checks in home mailbox for pickup
• Check credit reports, bank statements and credit-card statements often for irregularities
• Shred all documents with personal information
• Never give personal information to someone on the phone, internet or email claiming to be your bank.
• Do not store credit-card number on shopping websites

Victims of identity theft may obtain a tool kit from the Office of the Attorney General to assist in repairing credit, filing police reports and preparing sworn affidavits. The tool kit is available at www.ag.ky.gov/idtheft to by calling the Office of the Attorney General’s Identity Theft Hotline at 1-800-804-7556.