A new report from the Federal Trade Commission ranks the state of Georgia second in the country for complaints of identity theft. With such a dramatic increase in the number of instances, it has become imperative for Georgia businesses and residents to shred confidential documents before trashing.

For the fifth year in a row, HeritageBank of the South and ShredEX are partnering to bring a FREE shred day for southwest Georgia. Bring all confidential documents such as last year’s tax records to be shredded and recycled. The 2012 Community Shred-A-Thon is FREE to the public and will be held Saturday, April 14th from 9AM to 12PM in the parking lot of HeritageBank’s main office located at 721 North Westover Boulevard.

According to HeritageBank Marketing Director, Mary Beth Hobby, “This will be the fifth time we’ve partnered with ShredEx for our annual free shred day. At our last event, we shred more than 10,500 lbs of paper. Such an overwhelming response from the community shows individuals are truly concerned with keeping their identity safe. This event offers a much needed service in our area.”

In addition to the Albany event, HeritageBank of the South is hosting two additional Shred-A-Thons in Valdosta and Statesboro on the same Saturday. This will be the second year for Statesboro market and the first year in the Valdosta community.