A team from La Capitol Federal Credit Union joined forces with the Better Business Bureau and community partners to curb the rising toll of losses from identity theft. The goal was to shred the paper trail of personal information before criminals can steal that sensitive data.
Shred Fest 2024, held Saturday, April 20, 2024, served more than 600 households in a drive-through operation based at the Airline Highway headquarters of the Baton Rouge Police Department. “We were told if the weather cooperated, we should expect 400 vehicles,” La Capitol Chief Operations Officer Mark Matthews said. “Better Business Bureau CEO Carmen Million told me after the event we had 672 vehicles come through. What a great way to give back to our community and protect our members.”
The event provided more than fraud protection. Shred Fest gave residents a place to recycle and dispose of e-waste like computers, monitors, and hard drives as well as serving as a mobile food drive for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. Participants could shred documents, drop off electronics for recycling, and alleviate hunger without leaving the comfort of their cars.
The FBI reported that in 2021 about 23.9 million people – or 9 percent of U.S. residents age 16 or older – had been victims of identity theft during a 12-month period. For 76 percent of those identity-theft victims, the misuse of only one type of existing account, such as a credit card or bank account, was involved.
Matthews serves on the Board of the Better Business Bureau and is mindful of the credit union’s role in providing safe financial growth and educating and protecting members from the hazards of a lost or stolen identity. “Businesses are bound by law to take necessary steps to protect critical information,” he said. “Secure shredding is the perfect solution for ongoing, verified destruction of sensitive paper documents. It's secure, convenient, and environmentally-friendly.”
Volunteers from La Cap worked with the police department to guide participants through the Shred Fest drive-through, unloaded bags and boxes, helped fill containers for shredding, and provided consumers with printed education packets on identity theft.