“This is a great opportunity to do some spring cleaning and gather up all of your old personal and financial information and dispose of it safely, says Staff Sgt. Dan Service with the EPS Economic Crimes Section. “The best way to protect yourself from identity theft is to be aware and security conscious, and shred your documents instead of putting them into the trash.”
Thieves are looking for anything with your name, address, date of birth or social insurance number on it. Once they steal your identity they can commit fraud using your good name. By offering the free shredding service, police and crime prevention groups hope to raise awareness and increase reporting of identity theft.
“Identity theft is hard to track because some people feel embarrassed about it and they don't let anyone know they’ve been a victim,” says AMA Crime Prevention Coordinator Wendy Mah. “We know it costs Canadians billions of dollars each year but if the crime doesn't get reported, those fraudsters end up finding more and more victims.”
Annual AMA shredding events have helped nearly 20,000 local residents safely dispose of sensitive personal or financial information. Typically 24 tonnes of personal documents are safely disposed of at each AMA shredding event. The events are free of charge to the public, but the AMA encourages participants to bring donations to the Edmonton Food Bank.
- Free AMA Confidential Shredding Event
Saturday, April 11, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
AMA South Centre, 10310 - 39A Avenue, Edmonton
Drive-thru service, you do not have to leave your vehicle.
Limited to personal shredding only.
Items that can be shredded include: credit card slips, cancelled cheques, receipts, outdated tax returns, banking and investment statements, bills, non-solicited credit card applications, diskettes. Additional information on upcoming shredding events is available through the AMA.
Identity theft and fraud awareness resources are available through Service Alberta, the Competition Bureau, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, and the Edmonton Police Service.
If you are the victim of identity theft, please report it to the Edmonton Police Service at 780-423-4567or #377 from a mobile phone, and contact the Canadian Identity Theft Support Centre for further assistance. Anonymous information about frauds and other economic crimes can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm.