The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) is providing one-day document destruction events for residentially-generated paper, such as medical forms, bank statements, personal files, retired tax forms, etc.  This event is open to any resident that lives in a SWANCC-member town – ID’s will be checked.  No materials from businesses, schools or institutions will be accepted.

You can sign up for SWANCC's Elist and be reminded by email of this event and other SWANCC special collection events. Click on the community's name for a flyer with details.

The events will run from 9:00 am to 11:00 am and there is no cost to attend. Paper clips and staples do not need to be removed, but please remove binders. Also, please have your ID ready, as SWANCC Staff will be checking each vehicle. Workers will help take paper out of vehicles and place in toters. The documents will then be loaded into a shredding truck on site. The paper will be cross-shredded, baled, and recycled. Residents from a SWANCC member community may participate in events in any community.

No business or institutional waste will be accepted.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, it is estimated that 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft last year, prompting the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) in Washington to issue new warnings about safekeeping financial information.

Here are some tips from Accurate Document Destruction Company, a division of Groot Recycling and Waste Services:

• Shred all personal documents before throwing them away.
  

• Do not carry your Social Security card with you.
  

• Make sure your credit cards are arriving on time. If not, it could mean someone has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.
  

• Only do Internet business with established, reputable companies.
  

• Never give personal information over the phone, the Internet or through the mail unless you know with whom you are dealing.
  

• Be cautious about where you leave personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates or employ outside help.
  

• Get a police report if your wallet is stolen or lost.
  

• Do not put sensitive outgoing mail, such as a credit card application, in an outside mailbox.
  

• Check your credit report at least once a year.

If you become a victim:

• Call the Federal Trade Commission hotline: 877-IDTHEFT.
  

• Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit reporting bureaus--Equifax, Experian and Trans Union--and place a fraud alert on your file.
  

• Notify all companies where you have accounts--banks, credit card issuers, utilities.
  

• File a police report.