In a concerted effort to thwart identity theft, Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union (MMFCU) is staging a complimentary Community Shred Day in their Fergus Falls Office on June 13, from 3-4 pm. MMFCU urges the public to take advantage of this event and safeguard their personal information.
Identity theft is a growing concern, with the unauthorized use of social security numbers, financial account numbers, and credit card data being prime targets. The free shredding event, made possible by a collaboration with Paper Storm Document Shredding, offers a secure way to dispose of potentially sensitive paperwork.
Residents are invited to bring up to three boxes of documents to the shredding event at 1820 West Lincoln Avenue, Fergus Falls. Irrespective of the weather, MMFCU staff will be ready to assist attendees in this endeavor.
MMFCU is not only facilitating the physical destruction of potentially compromising information but is also advising the public on other methods to safeguard their identity. Recommendations include not responding to unexpected texts or emails, not sharing personal information unless necessary, routinely monitoring financial accounts, and annually reviewing credit reports.
Further, the MMFCU urges individuals to minimize the amount of personal data they carry around by removing unnecessary items like social security cards and infrequently used credit cards from their wallets. Maintaining a secure list of all financial and credit card account numbers, preferably in a safe deposit box, is another suggested practice.
Another safety measure strongly advocated by the MMFCU is the strengthening of passwords. The bank advises using long phrases or sentences that include numbers, lowercase and uppercase letters, and special characters. Using different passwords for different accounts and avoiding personal information in these passwords is also recommended.
In a statement, MMFCU added, “If you suspect that you are a victim of identity theft or any type of fraud, contact MMFCU and the local authorities right away. We are here to help.”
This free shredding event underlines MMFCU’s ongoing commitment to assist the community in protecting themselves against the rising threat of identity theft. As such, the public is encouraged to take part and make use of this valuable opportunity to safeguard their personal information.