Shelby Shred Day aims to prevent identity theft
By Frank DeFrank
Macomb Daily Staff Writer

We've all been warned about identity theft. Shelby Township police are taking the warnings a step further.

On Jan. 15, the township will turn the parking lot at the municipal building into a shredding center when the police department joins the Shelby Township Community Foundation to hold Community Shred Day.

The event is designed to encourage residents and business owners to bring old receipts, statements and canceled checks to be shredded professionally. Scheduled hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"We all have boxes of stuff," said Sgt. Ken Cazabon, crime prevention officer for the Shelby Township police. "How do you get rid of it?"

While business owners are welcome to participate, police requested that they limit themselves to no more than two boxes of documents to be shredded.

Absolute Shreds of Auburn Hills will provide the shredding equipment and recycle the destroyed documents.

As part of his crime prevention duties, Cazabon noticed an increasing number of residents reporting identity theft.

"We take at least one report every day at the front desk," he said. "People in Shelby don't think it happens here. It happens everywhere."

One of the ways identity thieves ply their trade is by rummaging through trash for discarded personal information. A common practice for thieves is to find credit card applications in trash and open accounts in the name of the person to whom the offer was addressed.

While victims aren't responsible for the charges, Cazabon said, "By the time you get it straightened out ... it can take three years to get it off your credit report."

Cazabon got the idea for Community Shred Day from a national news broadcast, and the Community Foundation came up with a grant to make it happen.

"I thought it would be ideal here," Cazabon said.

The event is the latest effort by Cazabon and police to educate residents about identity theft. The sergeant has recorded a public service program on the subject that's airing on Shelby Cable's Channel 5, and Cazabon is available to make presentations to community groups.

"A lot of (identity theft is committed) on the Internet, a lot of it is on the telephone," Cazabon said.

The crime prevention officer offered a few tips to avoid becoming a victim of identify theft:

* Don't give out personal information on the telephone or the Internet. If you buy items online, try calling the company and ordering over the telephone instead.

* If you must give information on the telephone, residents should initiate the call. "If they tell you it's your doctor's office, hang up and call your doctor's office," Cazabon said.

* Buy a home shredder (they're not expensive) and shred all credit card applications and other "junk mail."

* Don't put outgoing mail in your mailbox. That red flag tells ID thieves, "come and get it."

* If you have your wallet or purse stolen, cancel all credit cards immediately