The Coastal Bank is partnering with Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Savannah (CCCS)  to host a special Protect Your Identity event Oct. 17 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Protect Your Identity event will take place at The Coastal Bank’s Stephenson Avenue office, located at 412 Stephenson Ave. This event, which is free and open to the public, is being held in conjunction with National Protect Your Identity Week.

A mobile ShredEx document shredding truck will be on-site to shred personal papers. Attendees can also bring old cell phones to be recycled through the 911 Cell Phone Bank. Cell phones will be recycled and wiped clean of any personal data.

The Coastal Bank will offer demonstrations of IronKey Trusted Access, a secure browsing solution that prevents identity theft, payment fraud and online banking account takeover. Refreshments will be available on-site.

“The number one way that identity theft happens is by people going through the mail or the trash and getting their hands on valuable personal information, from credit card numbers to social security numbers,” said Richard Reeve, financial educator at CCCS. “Shredding documents is a critical step in preventing or reducing identity theft.”

In 2010, an estimated 8.1 million Americans were victimized by identity theft, according to a report by Javelin Strategy & Research, resulting in losses exceeding $37 billion.

“Through IronKey and other proactive security measures, we help our customers reduce the incidence of identity theft,” said Jeremy Summerell, branch manager at The Coastal Bank’s Stephenson Avenue office. “We invite the public to attend this event, shred their documents, recycle their old cell phones and learn more about how they can protect themselves from identity theft.”