St. Mary’s Bank launches its second annual Shredtember focus. Throughout September, the nation’s first credit union will promote the importance of document shredding in the reduction of identity theft and teach members and the public how to identify and avoid scams.
 
Threats from mail, e-mail, and phone scams to debit and credit card fraud keep coming, and they affect millions of Americans each year. PC repair scams where the fraudster gains remote access to your PC and ultimately your online banking are also on the rise. What can you do to protect yourself?
 
“The first step to reducing your risk of identity theft and falling victim to scams is to learn the risks that are out there,” states Shirley Bhutto, Senior Vice President/Director of Enterprise Risk Management & Compliance at St. Mary’s Bank. “Once you know how to identify scams and respond, you can take action to protect yourself and your family from the havoc these threats can cause.”


Speaker Shirley Bhutto—Senior Vice President, Director of Enterprise Risk Management & Compliance for St. Mary’s Bank—teaches how to identify and avoid scams and help prevent identity theft.
 
To guide you through the latest threats and account scams, Bhutto leads the credit union’s Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Scams seminar on Saturday, September 29, at St. Mary’s Bank’s Education Center in Manchester. With 18 years of risk management experience, Bhutto explains the tactics hackers and scammers use to gain access to your private information and provides steps you can take to keep your identity and accounts safe.
 
As Bhutto discusses, document shredding is one of the easiest ways to protect your private information. Seminar attendees are invited to bring personal documents—up to one copy paper box or paper grocery bag (12" x 17") per person—to the class to be accepted for shredding. And all attendees will be entered to win a personal cross-cut shredder.
 
During Shredtember, St. Mary’s Bank will also give away personal shredders through in-branch and social media drawings.
 
Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Scams meets Saturday, September 29, from 10:00–11:00 a.m. at the St. Mary’s Bank Education Center at 48 Perimeter Road in Manchester. This seminar is free and open to the public. Attendees can bring their documents for shredding from 9:00–10:00 a.m. Seating is limited, so register today.
 
Your identity and personal information are just that—yours. Join St. Mary’s Bank for Shredtember and learn how to keep them safe.

Resources
Fraud Prevention
Financial Education at St. Mary's Bank