Technology Credit Union's eWaste and Shred Day Is a Huge Success!

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - October 21, 2009) - Tech CU held its first eWaste and Shred Day on Friday, October 9, helping hundreds to protect themselves against identity theft by safely shredding sensitive documents and recycling electronic waste for free. Since 2007, the credit union has held a Shred Day twice a year, offering free shredding for confidential documents. This year, Tech CU added eWaste pickup through the company Green Mouse.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tech CU's headquarters on North First Street bustled with traffic as people pulled in with trucks and even vans full of items. The credit union's truck shredded more than 25 tons (5,000 pounds) of documents and collected nearly 30 tons (5,840 pounds) of electronic waste for recycling, including old television monitors, desktop and laptop computers, printers, keyboards, fax machines, cell phones, cabling wire and UPS batteries.

David Alcaraz, a member at Tech CU, was among those who took advantage of the free service. "No other credit union that I know of has a shred day like this," he said. "Thanks."

"We had a steady stream of people coming through all morning," said Michelle Greear, AVP of Training at Tech CU and one of the organizers of the event. "I think it shows that folks are really concerned about identity theft and want to take action to protect themselves."

Dumpster diving (or trash mining) is among the most common techniques thieves use to get personal and financial information from their victims. Properly disposing of paper documents and/or electronic waste that could carry sensitive information is one of the most effective ways to protect against identity theft.

"It's just a great service and benefit that we use each time the credit union offers it," said Veronica Perry, another Tech CU member.

Greear says that recycling eWaste is the environmentally responsible thing to do, but that people need to realize it also helps to protect against identity theft. Criminals can tap into an old hard drive or laptop and if not properly erased and destroyed, can access the personal information stored there quite easily, and use it to commit fraud.

"People shouldn't just throw their old electronics into the trash," she explained. "Unfortunately, most don't know where to recycle these things, which is why we started doing this event. I think the fact that we kept almost 30 tons of waste from going into the landfill is wonderful."

To offer member's further protection against identity theft, Tech CU has launched an identity theft protection plan in partnership with LifeLock that members can purchase for a discounted price. With LifeLock's $1 Million Service Guarantee, if an individual becomes a victim of identity theft, LifeLock will spend up to $1 million on lawyers, investigators, and consultants to restore their name and credit and recover the direct losses that resulted from the identity theft. More information can be found on Tech CU's web site at www.techcu.com/lifelock.

ABOUT TECHNOLOGY CREDIT UNION

Technology Credit Union is a full-service, financial institution serving individuals who work, live, go to school or regularly worship in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, San Mateo and San Francisco counties. Tech CU was started in 1960 and is now among the top 1 percent of the nation's largest credit unions. It is recognized as one of the best managed and strongest financial institutions in the country, as indicated by Tech CU's 5-star rating from Bauer Financial, the nation's largest independent rating service for banks and credit unions. With more than 78,000 members, over $1 billion in assets and 10 full-service branches around the Bay Area, Tech CU is a leader in the credit union industry. For more information, visit www.techcu.com.

Contact Information: Contact Information: Tawnya Lancaster Public Relations Phone: 408-205-1618 tlancaster@lancaster-group.com