BBB and Coastal Credit Union Host Complimentary Paper Shredding and Electronic
To help Triangle residents protect their identity and prevent fraud, Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina and Coastal Credit Union will be hosting ‘Secure Your ID’ Day on Saturday, Oct. 26. With a new victim of identity theft every two seconds, this bi-annual event gives locals the opportunity to safely dispose of confidential information. To date, more than 561,100 lbs. of sensitive documents and over 144,010 lbs. of electronics have been shredded and recycled by Triangle residents.
With the assistance of Shred-It and GEEP, locals can securely discard up to three boxes or bags per person for complimentary paper shredding as well as up to five electronics for collection and secure destruction. This includes computers, cell phones and tablets that may contain personal information, as well as TVs, printers, fax machines, DVD/CD players, microwaves and any other electronics under 18 inches.
“A frightening statistic that most don’t realize is that one in 15 people in the United States can be a victim of identity fraud, which is more than twice the global average,” said Mallory Wojciechowski, president, and CEO of BBB serving Eastern North Carolina. “And while it may not always be at the forefront of everyone’s minds, a few simple steps can go a long way to protect their identity. We’re thankful that through our partnership with Coastal Credit Union, we can allow Triangle residents to breathe a small sigh of relief knowing their personal documents and electronics are securely destroyed.”
The event will be open to the public at the Coastal Credit Union’s headquarters off Wake Forest Road in Raleigh (1000 St. Albans Drive) from 8 to 11:30 a.m., or until trucks are full. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, Coastal Credit Union has been a long-time partner for the ‘Secure Your ID’ Day event as part of the organization’s commitment to providing members affordable, convenient and professional services.
“We’ve worked with BBB serving Eastern North Carolina for many years and each time we realize how necessary this event is to the community,” said Coastal spokesman Joe Mecca. “With 33% of U.S. adults having experienced identity theft, ‘Secure Your ID’ Day brings to light how important it is to take precaution to keep your personal information safe. It’s also one of the reasons we began offering ID theft recovery services as a no-cost benefit to all of our members. We know the risks are out there, and we’re prepared to help… but, the best first step is working with great partners like BBB to help the public prevent it.”
During the event, attendees stay in their vehicles and drive through lanes to watch as volunteers move papers to be shredded and stack electronics to be properly destroyed or recycled, all from the comfort of their car.
About BBB serving Eastern North Carolina:
Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by BBB Accredited Business fees from nearly 4,000 local businesses and professional firms. BBB promotes integrity, consumer confidence and business ethics through business self-regulation in the local marketplace. Services provided by BBB include reports on companies and charitable organizations, general monitoring of advertising in the marketplace, consumer/business education programs and dispute resolution services. All services are provided at no cost to the public, with the occasional exception of mediation and arbitration. Visit bbb.org.
About Coastal Credit Union:
Coastal Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned, financial cooperative, offering a full range of financial products and services. Coastal was chartered on August 31, 1967 with the mission of fostering the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.” Today, with $3.3 billion in assets, Coastal serves 268,000 members from 1,700 business partners and is among the leading financial institutions in North Carolina. Coastal operates 23 branches in central North Carolina and serves members in all 50 states through a network of 5,000 shared branches, 80,000 surcharge-free ATMs, mobile banking featuring mobile check deposit, and a robust offering of online services at www.COASTAL24.com. For more Coastal news, visit our online pressroom.