Walter Schurko empties his personal documents to be shredded during a previous year's free shred event. (TED GRANT / CHRISD.CA FILE)
Identity theft is a serious issue for many Canadians, and to help curb that problem, CAA is holding its annual free shred event on Saturday.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Manitobans can bring their personal documents to two service centres to be safely shredded. Tax returns, bills, receipts and any other private documents will be shredded at the CAA service centres at 501 St. Anne’s Road and 305-18th Street in Brandon.
“Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing fraud-related crimes in North America,” said CAA Manitoba spokesperson Liz Peters. “In Canada in 2011, more than 17,000 people fell victim to identity theft, totaling more than 13 million dollars in personal losses.”
Tips to help protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft include carrying only essential credit cards, never putting your account information on the outside of an envelope, and never carrying your Social Security card unless you need it.
