Indianapolis, Ind. –The Indiana based Stop & Shred Franchise System LLC is pleased to announce the opening of its newest facility to serve the security shredding needs of the Indianapolis area with confidential, documented shredding for home, and small to mid-sized businesses. The new Stop & Shred is conveniently located at 5040 East 62nd St. in Indianapolis, in the Hawthorn Plaza shopping center located at S.R. 37 (Binford Blvd.) and 62nd St. The Stop & Shred facility is owned by Chris and Brigid Shepherd who just opened the first franchise of its kind serving the Indianapolis market this October. The first Stop & Shred store was founded in Ft. Wayne, Indiana in 2004.

The new Indianapolis Stop & Shred store enables businesses to be fully compliant with federal laws for disposal of confidential documents such as HIPAA and FACTA that mandate the controlled destruction of documents. Although it is intended as a mid-to-small company walk-in solution to shredding, Stop & Shred also offers security bin placement and pick-up services for business at very competitive rates.

“Our new Stop & Shred facility offers small to mid-sized businesses, as well as the home residents of Indianapolis, a convenient and confidential way to dispose of critical documents without the contract minimums and pick-up cost of the larger, truck-based document shedders. We are providing a second-wave niche shredding solution intended for mid-to-smaller sized doctor offices and clinics, law firms, insurance agencies or any business or residence that needs to destroy confidential documents to prevent identity theft or legal liability,” stated the new Indianapolis Stop & Shred franchise owner Chris Shepherd. “People looking for a way to safely and securely dispose of accumulated files from home or office, especially if they contain sensitive or confidential information, can just bring the documents to us.”

“We provide businesses and families peace of mind. Your documents never leave your sight,” Brigid Shepherd added. “When you arrive at our store, we unload your documents and we shred them immediately. Once you bring your confidential files here to Stop & Shred, and watch them be destroyed in full view, and if needed, leave with a ‘Certificate of Destruction’ you can rest easy that your office’s security policies are met or your own identity is protected from theft,” she concluded.

Identity Theft—Continues As the Fastest Growing White Collar Crime
With Identity Theft continuing as the fastest growing white collar crime since it first came under the radar of the FBI around the year 2000, the new Stop & Shred retail shredding franchise in Indianapolis offers a new alternative for an easy and affordable way to protect privacy, prevent identity theft and comply with recent federal laws governing the disposal and destruction of sensitive and confidential information.

According to a website dedicated to the prevention and protection of identity theft, www.101-identitytheft.com that provides consumers and businesses alike resources for dealing with this fastest growing white collar crime, Indianapolis ranks highest in the state of Indiana with 870 reported victims. The city of Fort Wayne ranks second in the state with 198 reported cases with South Bend, Indiana at third with 171 reported cases.

The website www.101-identitytheft.com ranks “Identity Theft Types” in the State of Indiana as: Phone or Utility Fraud as number one with 1,198 victims or 33% of the total; Credit Card Fraud as number two with 948 victims or 26%; Bank Fraud as number three with 457 victims or 12%; Employee Related Fraud as number four with 299 victims or 8%; Government Documents or Benefits Fraud as number five with 249 victims or 7%. According to the site, a full 36% of the remainder of the rankings are based in Loan Fraud, Other, and Attempted Identity Theft categories totaling 1,303 victims in the state. These numbers are based on “reported Identity Theft” as many of the crimes, up to 22% by some estimates, are never reported. Many of the trails leading to the Identity Theft are in fact paper trails.

According to Patricia Jaeger, president of the fast-growing, Indianapolis-based Stop & Shred Franchise System, “Without proper safeguards, your personal information such as bank statements, credit card receipts, health records, utility bills, check stubs or other sensitive financial information might end up in the trash at the curb where it’s available to anyone.” Jaeger said Stop & Shred’s mission is far more important than the simple shredding of paper. “What we really shred is information, thus ensuring that sensitive information is completely destroyed and cannot be misused or stolen,” she said.

In addition to shredding documents, Stop & Shred’s commercial shredder is able to shred CDs, VCR tapes, folders, binders, credit cards, cancelled checks, microfilm and microfiche in bulk quantities. There is no need for customers to disassemble files, since the store’s powerful shredder will shred paperclips, staples, small metal clips and three-ring binders.

What happens to the shredded material? “Many customers will appreciate that Stop & Shred is an ‘environmentally green’ operation. Everything we shred is recycled for responsible, environmentally safe disposal,” Indy Owner Chris Shepherd said.

“With our new Stop & Shred location in Indy, individuals, businesses, home businesses and even not-for-profit organizations in the Indianapolis area and surrounding communities now have an easy, affordable access to shredding,” Jaeger explained, “and businesses can stay in compliance with internal security policies and federal laws such as HIPAA and FACTA that mandate the documented destruction of certain documents. We‘re here for Indianapolis!” She concluded.

For more information about the fast growing Stop & Shred Franchise, visit the company’s website at www.stopandshred.com. Customers can call the Indianapolis store at (317) 251-1167. Contact the Stop & Shred in Fort Wayne, Indiana at (260) 482-6200.