LANSING, Mich. — LAFCU is offering free document shredding to the public at the credit union’s Shred Day, Saturday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. to noon, to help reduce identity theft.
A mobile shredding truck will be at LAFCU’s headquarters/West Lansing Branch, 106 N. Marketplace Blvd., Lansing, for on-site, secure destruction of personal documents. The paper will be recycled. Each person may drop off up to four Bankers Boxes of materials to be shred.
“If you don’t need to keep documents with personal identifying information on them, bring them to our West Lansing Branch for secure disposal,” said Alyssa Troub, marketing and communications specialist. “It’s best practice to securely destroy them to prevent identity theft.”
Troub noted that during the pandemic, reports of identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission from Michigan residents and businesses increased about 80 percent, and the numbers are not decreasing. Reports for the first six months of 2022 are on track to double the 20,559 reports for 2021.
The biannual LAFCU Shred Day event was initially created for members, but because no one is safe from identity theft and because the financial health of the community is important to LAFCU, the public is invited and encouraged to take advantage of this free service.
Recommended materials are documents that have identifying information about financial, medical and Social Security accounts, driver’s licenses and passports. Examples are receipts, address labels, bills, insurance claims, tax forms, and checking, savings and loan statements.
Troub said, “Last spring, we were able to shred and recycle 8,420 pounds of paper, which equals to saving approximately 70 trees.”
Chartered in 1936, LAFCU is a not-for-profit financial cooperative open for membership to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Michigan and to businesses and other entities located in Michigan. The credit union serves 72,000 members and holds over $950 million in assets. It was named a Best Credit Union to Work For in 2020. LAFCU offers a comprehensive range of financial products and services as well as an expanding complement of financial technology solutions. Members enjoy benefits such as low fees, low interest rates on loans, high yields on savings, discounts, knowledgeable employees and nationwide access to fee-free ATMs. A recipient of the national Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award for credit unions, LAFCU enriches the communities it serves by supporting many organizations and causes. To learn more about LAFCU, call 800.748.0228 or visit www.lafcu.com.