(Newswire Today) —  Raleigh, NC, United States, 2008-09-25 - The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Eastern North Carolina shredded more than 13 tons of sensitive documents during its “Secure Your ID” Day events in Raleigh on Sept. 20.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Eastern North Carolina announced today that more than 13 tons of documents were shredded on Sept. 20 as part of its “Secure Your ID” Day events at Raleigh’s Ridgewood Shopping Center and Falls River Town Center. The free events provided consumers a safe means of destroying documents containing personal information.

“People took an important first step in protecting their identity by disposing of personal documents,” said Beverly Baskin, president and CEO of BBB of Eastern North Carolina. “It was great to see so many people come out. We thank all who participated.”

The events had a combined 540 cars in attendance. People dropped off an array of documents that included: check books, bank statements, school records, utility bills, credit card receipts, and register receipts, among others. Documents destroyed dated as far back as 1969.

“I used to be a partner in a small business and have several years worth of paperwork from the company,” said shred participant Lisa Schaut, owner of Schaut Creative Accounting. “I wasn’t sure who could shred such a quantity, and the BBB event gave me a secure way to dispose of these sensitive documents.”

Participants were encouraged to bring up to three bags or boxes of documents to be shredded, and BBB distributed information on how to further protect consumers from identity theft.

About BBB of Eastern North Carolina
The Better Business Bureau of Eastern North Carolina is a 501 (c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in Eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by BBB Accredited Business fees from more than 3,200 local business and professional firms. The BBB promotes integrity, consumer confidence and business ethics through business self-regulation in the local marketplace. Services provided by the BBB include, reports on companies and charitable organizations, general monitoring of advertising in the marketplace, dispute resolution services, and consumer/business education programs. All services are provided at no cost to the public, with the occasional exception of mediation and arbitration.

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