Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union in Ada Hosting Free Shred Day on Friday
Ada, MN — Don’t let those documents with your personal information on them get in the hands of the wrong people. Instead, shred them! Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union in Ada is assisting the public with their shredding needs during their Free Shred Day this Friday, June 24th from 2-3pm. Carrie Dobmeyer, Assistant Branch Manager, invites anyone in the community who like to properly dispose of their documents to stop by their location at 104 3rd Ave West and have up to three boxes shredded at no cost.
Dobmeyer adds that just simply throwing away documents with personal information is not enough to protect your security and by not properly shredding them you are leaving yourself vulnerable to identity fraud.
Mid Minnesota also recommends these additional ways to protect your identity:
- Set-up a “junk” email address for mailings or ordering products online to reduce the odds of your friends getting spam or malicious emails should your email get breeched.
- Monitor your bank statements and credit card statements regularly.
- Review your credit report (at a minimum) once a year at: www.annualcreditreport.com
- Shred all financial information such as: bank statements, credit card receipts, pre-approved credit applications, etc.
- Have payments directly deposited into your account (ie. Social Security)
- Empty your wallet of extras. Remove your social security card and credit cards you do not use often. Carry your birth certificate and passport only when necessary.
- Keep an emergency list of all your financial account numbers and credit card accounts in a safe location, such as a safe deposit box at MMFCU.
- Strengthen your passwords: minimum of 8 characters; use numbers, lowercase letters, uppercase letters and special characters, pick themes and phrases; don’t use names or phrases about yourself; and use different passwords for everything.
If you suspect that you are victim of identity theft or any type of fraud contact your bank and the local authorities right away.