September 15, 2008

Shred-it Charlotte and CMPD to Hold Free Community Shredding Event at SuperTarget at RiverGate – Sept. 20

CHARLOTTE – Shred-it Charlotte (www.shredit.com), in partnership with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), Target, Childress Klein Properties and the Mecklenburg County Consumer Fraud Task Force, will be offering a free community shredding event in conjunction with the Better Business Bureau's (BBB) nationwide "Secure Your ID Day" on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (rain or shine) in the SuperTarget parking lot at RiverGate (www.shoprivergate.com) located at 12830 Walker Branch Drive in Charlotte (corner of NC 49 and Hwy 160). Materials to be shredded should be limited to three banker boxes per vehicle. 

CMPD officers, Shred-it employees, and members of the Mecklenburg County Consumer Fraud Task Force will be on hand at SuperTarget to accept personal documents that people want destroyed in Shred-it's secure on-site mobile shredders as well as distributing identity theft brochures and answering questions from the public.

There will also be a coinciding "Secure Your ID Day" event in Asheville. Shred-it is teaming up with the Better Business Bureau Serving Asheville and Western North Carolina to host a free community shredding and identity theft awareness event on Saturday, September 20 from 10:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m. at the Executive Park's College Street parking lot. Materials to be shredded should be limited to three banker boxes or 50 pounds per vehicle. Visit www.asheville.bbb.org for more information.

"Identity theft continues to be one of the fastest growing crimes with nearly 25 million Americans experiencing consumer fraud each year, so it is extremely important that people take proactive measures to help protect their identities," said Brook Hobgood, a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist, and general manager of Shred-it Charlotte. "We appreciate the efforts of all of our partners to provide this invaluable service to the community and urge the public to take part in this event to help shred consumer fraud."

About the Mecklenburg County Consumer Fraud Task Force
The Mecklenburg County Consumer Fraud Task Force (www.consumertaskforce.org/) works to assist in: the prevention of consumer fraud by providing education and information within the Mecklenburg County community; reporting of consumer fraud cases by offering victims

PRIMARY CONTACT:
Brook Hobgood, CITRMS
General Manager
Shred-it Charlotte
704-424-5997

For more information, contact Shred-it Charlotte at 704-424-5997 (www.shredit.com/charlotte), e-mail the CMPD Fraud Unit at fraudmail@cmpd.org, or visit the Better Business Bureau website at www.charlottte.bbb.org.