OK Attorney General Edmondson, AARP sponsor Consumer Protection Day

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Feb 8, 2006 by Janice Francis-Smith

Eight tons of paperwork was shredded at the Oklahoma State Capitol Tuesday, the state's second annual Consumer Protection Day. The event was sponsored by Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson's office and AARP Oklahoma.

Shred It, an Oklahoma City-based document shredding company, provided its services free of charge for the event. Shredding sensitive documents that are no longer needed is one of the best ways to prevent identify theft, said Edmondson.

Once your personal information is stolen, it can take years to repair the damage to your credit, Edmondson said. Prevention is the best medicine. Our goal is to raise awareness, so we can stop the fraud before it starts.

Last year, more than 255,000 consumers had their identity stolen, reported the Federal Trade Commission. Edmondson recommended using a secure Web site for financial transactions over the Internet and leaving your Social Security card and unnecessary credit cards out of your wallet, among other suggestions.