BayCoast Bank to host free community shred day event on Saturday, October 5th

SWANSEA, MA – Do you have old bills, bank statements or other sensitive documents piling up in your home? They may not only create clutter, but could potentially become a security risk, should they fall into the wrong hands. 

Have your documents safely and securely destroyed at BayCoast Bank’s Free Community Shred Day, happening on Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 9:00 am to noon.

The public is invited to the event, which will be held rain or shine at the BayCoast Bank branch located at 554 Wilbur Avenue (Route 103) in Swansea, Massachusetts. Simply bring up to two boxes of documents to be shredded and the mobile on-site shred truck will immediately destroy your personal information. If you need help with your boxes, volunteers will be available to assist you.

Shredding your personal documents can help prevent you from becoming a victim of identity theft, which is a serious crime affecting millions of Americans every year, as a growing number of thieves attempt to steal sensitive information to commit fraud. To protect yourself, you may want to consider having common household documents properly destroyed. These documents may include tax records, old bills and bank statements, credit card statements, and canceled checks.

“According to the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC), more than one million complaints were received last year alone regarding identity theft,” said John McMahon, Senior Vice President, Community Engagement for BayCoast Bank. “Having your identity stolen can not only damage your credit status but cost you time and money to restore your good name. We all need to be vigilant. To help protect yourself, we invite our South Coast community to participate in this Free Shred Day Event on October 5th. We hope to see you there!”

With October designated as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, experts say now is a perfect time to consider strategies to safeguard your identity, as criminals, including cybercriminals, are less likely to target shredded documents to commit fraud.