PHOENIX, AZ (November 28, 2012) – Members of the public will be able to shred unneeded documents and safely destroy unused or expired prescription drugs at a free event on Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at Target, 9000 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale AZ 85250. Sponsored by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in partnership with Shred-It, this free Shred-A-Thon and Prescription Drug Take-Back is part of the County Attorney’s ongoing commitment to combat identity theft and prescription drug abuse.
The event will take place from 7:00am – 10:00am, or until the shredding trucks reach full capacity.
“Arizona ranks fourth in the nation for the number of identity theft complaints. Destroying documents with personal information is a simple and effective way to protect yourself from becoming a victim,” remarked Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “This free event also offers citizens a way to safely get rid of unneeded medicines and help prevent prescription drug abuse, which is a growing problem among young people,” he added.
The County Attorney’s Office encourages citizens to bring the following types of documents to the Shred-A-Thon (limit: five 13-gallon trash bags or five “banker’s boxes” per vehicle):
- Tax returns older than 5 years
- Statements from banks and financial institutions
- Cancelled checks
- Paycheck stubs
- Credit card applications
- Unneeded medical records and billing statements
- Any other unneeded document that contains personal information
Expired, unused or unneeded prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications will be accepted for disposal. Please note: we cannot accept used or unused inhalers or sharps.
Large document shredding trucks will be available in the Target parking lot to shred up to five full boxes or bags of documents per person at no cost. Volunteers with the County Attorney’s Office will be available to assist with unloading bags from vehicles and to provide free brochures and information on preventing identity theft.
For more information on how to protect yourself against Identity Theft, please visit the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office web site at www.maricopacountyattorney.org.
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