(File Photo)

(Ellwood City, Lawrence County, Pa.) State Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Butler/Beaver/Lawrence) is offering residents the opportunity to have documents containing personal or sensitive information shredded in order to help protect them against identity theft.

The free Shredding Event will be held on Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to noon at Scott Township Fire Department, 3712 Harlansburg Road, in New Castle.

“I am pleased to be able to provide the community with a secure way to shred large amounts of personal documents and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft,” said Bernstine. “It is imperative to protect our private information and make sure it doesn’t get into the wrong hands by destroying it properly.

Residents can drop off documents that contain personal information. Common types of unwanted items that should be shredded include credit card statements or applications, bank statements, canceled checks, old income tax information, insurance and medical records, and other materials with identifying personal information like Social Security, credit card or bank account numbers. Phone books, newspapers and bound books cannot be accepted.

“The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 1.4 million identity theft claims in 2021 – more than double the number of claims from just two years ago,” said Bernstine. “Americans lose billions each year to fraudsters. Identity theft protection promises peace of mind by safeguarding your identity from criminals.”

Residents who have questions about this event may contact Bernstine’s district office at 724-752-2120.