You already know that identity theft can have devastating ramifications, but what can you do to protect yourself? Routinely destroying your sensitive documents is a great start to preventing identity theft and fraud. And, shredding these sensitive documents is the single-best way you can prevent identity theft, the fastest growing crime in the United States, with more than 13 million victims annually. In an effort to help keep our customers and our community safe, Adirondack Trust Company will give you the opportunity to safely and quickly destroy any sensitive documents—up to two boxes—for free. Your documents will be immediately destroyed, before your eyes, by 3N Document Destruction, Inc., the same people who do all the shredding for Adirondack Trust. Once all documents are destroyed, 3N’s truck will return to its own secure warehouse, where they will dump out the shredded paper, bale it with other shredded papers, and ship it to a paper mill, where it is then hydro-pulped and recycled. If you’re wondering what you should shred, a good rule of thumb is to destroy anything with

• A signature (e.g., receipts)
• An account number (e.g., bank statements, cleared checks, old credit or debit cards)
• A Social Security Number (e.g., old taxes or passport applications)
• Medical or legal information (e.g., insurance claims or medical bills)
• Credit offers (e.g., those pesky junk-mail promotions)

At this event, we will accept up to two boxes of your sensitive papers* (white or color), carbon paper, file folders, old checkbooks, old credit or debit cards, plastic ID cards, staples, and paper clips. Please do not bring non-sensitive documents like newspapers and magazines or plastic bags, as they tend to fill the shred truck quicker. We also will not accept the following items:

• Paper: telephone books, hardcover books
• Trash: food waste, bottles, glass, cans, inks, dyes, paints
• Metals: three-ring binders, lever-arch binders, hanging folders, large bulldog clips, license plates
• Plastics: plastic bags and packing materials, computer discs, CDs, DVDs, backup tapes, video tapes, transparencies, ID badges, driver’s licenses, microfiche, microfilm, x-rays
• HAZMAT: biochemical waste, needles, toxic substances, flammables, explosives
• Electronics: computer, printer, television, tablets, phones, and photocopier parts