Gates, Kingsley & Gates Praiswater Mortuary Hosts “Community Shred Day” to Help Combat Identity Theft

Identity theft is the nation's fastest-growing crime, claiming almost 10 million victims per year—especially senior citizens, according to FBI statistics.  To address this growing epidemic and help community members properly dispose of personal, confidential documents that might be used in identify theft, Gates, Kingsley & Gates Praiswater Mortuary, a local Dignity Memorial® provider, is hosting a free Community Shred Day, Saturday, March 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

“Working closely with seniors and caretakers, we have experienced the chaos and emotional stress that identity theft brings not only to seniors, but to every victim of this crime.  Community Shred Day is an important step in helping residents protect themselves,” said Courtney Lynch, manager of Gates, Kingsley & Gates Praiswater Mortuary.  This effort underscores our commitment to partnering with businesses to bring services to the community, which enhances the safety and security of our neighbors.”

During the event, individuals may bring up to four boxes of paper documents to be shredded at no charge.  Staples and paper clips may be left on the documents, but binders, CDs, DVDs or other media will not be accepted.  The shredding services will be provided by Shred Source, the leading, confidential on-site shredding service firm in California.  Community Shred Day will be held at Gates, Kingsley & Gates Praiswater, 6909 Canoga Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91303.  For more information or questions, call 818-348-3354.

In addition to shredding documents that contain personal information at the Community Shred Day, Gates, Kingsley & Gates Praiswater recommends these steps that can help prevent identity theft:

•        Keep personal and identifying information locked in a safe, away from visitors and contractors or caregivers.  Bank, credit cards and Medicare statements, as well as other personal documents, offer a wealth of identifying information. 

•        Have mail delivered to a post office box instead of a home address.  If it’s not possible to pick mail up from a mailbox, make arrangements with the post office to have mail delivered directly to the door. 

•        Always take outgoing mail to the post office or to a mailbox rather than letting it sit in an outside mailbox.

•        Opt out of direct mail credit offers by calling the Federal Trade Commission’s OPTOUT line at: 1-888-567-8688.  These solicitations contain personal information that identity thieves look for in trash cans.

•        Don’t carry social security cards in a purse or wallet.  Memorize the number and keep the card locked in a safe or safe deposit box.

•        Have paper checks delivered to a post office box or to the issuing financial institution.

•        Don’t include your home phone number, social security number, driver’s license number, or date of birth on your checks.

•        When ordering checks, use only your first and middle initials with your last name, but sign the bank signature card and checks with your full name.  This will alert the bank to any suspicious activity.

•        Ask the bank to change an ATM debit card to an ATM-only card.  These require a pin number and can only be used to withdraw money from the ATM machine, and then only with the correct pin number.

•        When paying credit card bills by check, write only the last four digits of the account number on the check memo line.

•        Don’t sign the back of credit and debit cards.  Instead, write “PHOTO I.D. REQUIRED FOR USE” in the signature space.  When a merchant takes the card to verify it, they should request your ID before completing the transaction.

About Gates, Kingsley & Gates Praiswater

Gates, Kingsley and Gates Praiswater Mortuary, FD 1066, Canoga Park, Calif., is a proud Dignity Memorial provider in Canoga Park. The Dignity Memorial network of more than 1,800 funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers is North America’s most trusted resource for funeral and memorialization services. Dignity Memorial providers offer an unmatched combination of products and locations serving families with care, integrity, respect and service excellence. For more information, call (818) 348-3354 or visit http://www.gateskingsleygates.com.