Is your file cabinet overflowing with old credit card slips and financial statements? Do you have mountains of personal papers waiting to be gotten rid of, but are concerned about identity theft? On Saturday, May 10, the community will have an opportunity to clean out their personal files as Consumers National Bank offers free secure shredding services in the Minerva branch parking lot from 9 a.m. to noon. This is being held in conjunction with Minerva's clean-up day, also scheduled for that day.The public is invited to bring its invoices, bank statements, cancelled checks, credit card receipts, financial statements, correspondence, tax returns, medical records, insurance records, micro media, claims and litigation records for shredding.
"We are pleased to be able to offer this service and believe that it displays our commitment to the safety and security of our customers and neighbors," said Kimberly Weiss, Minerva Branch manager. "We are happy to offer our communities the ability to properly discard unwanted documents that could possibly contain personal information. As a bank, we have a vested interest in the ability of our customers and our community to feel safe and secure, out of the grasp of identity theft whenever possible," said Paul Hugenberg, chief information officer of Consumers National Bank.
A Cintas mobile document shredding truck will be stationed in the CNB parking lot. The truck's consoles are filled, then emptied into its mobile shredding truck via its "lift and tip" feeding system. The process is quick, easy, and safe. Cintas shredders meet all regulatory and safety requirements. After the material is placed in the mobile shredding truck, it is shredded into tiny unreadable particles. The truck will hold 9,000 pounds of shredded material.
Particles from the shredder are gathered and shipped off for recycling. Staples, rubber bands, folders, paper clips, etc. do not need to be removed before shredding occurs. Some commonly shredded items include: invoices, bank statements, canceled checks, credit card receipts, financial statements, correspondence, tax returns, medical records, insurance records, micro media, claims and litigation records, CDs, back-up disks and hard drives.
While Consumers is not imposing any limitations, people are asked to be considerate in the volume brought to be shredded, allowing for many customers and neighbors to take advantage of this service. Community shredding dates are also being planned for Saturday, May 17, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Salem CNB office at 141 S. Ellsworth Ave. in Salem; and Saturday, May 31, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Carrollton CNB office located at 1017 Canton Road NW, Carrollton.
CNB offers customers Personal Identity Protection and Payment Card Protection through its Bonus Banking Benefits program, available to all personal checking accounts that the bank offers. The Personal Identity Protection service offers tips to prevent and resolve identity theft incidents and provides for reimbursement, as eligible, up to $1,000 in direct costs associated with recovering the customer's identity. Payment Card Protection is a registration service for credit, debit, or ATM cards. By simply calling the 24-hour toll-free number, all card issuers are notified. Other Bonus Banking benefits include free checks, travel accidental-death insurance, emergency travel-assistance services, local and national dining savings, local and online shopping discounts, local services discounts, and other travel, hotel, and recreation discounts.
Identity theft occurs when someone appropriates your personal information, without your knowledge, to commit fraud or theft. By shredding personal and confidential information, the likelihood of a criminal overtaking one's identity decreases. The less material for someone shifting through the garbage looking for private information, means fewer chances of trouble. CNB encourages residents to take advantage of this opportunity for free, secure document shredding.