COLUMBIA, S.C. — With December marking Identity Theft Awareness Month, the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) is urging residents to take steps to safeguard their personal information. The agency says identity theft continues to be a costly problem in the state, with 608 consumers reporting losses totaling $2,399,852 since January 1, 2025.
To help South Carolinians protect themselves, SCDCA is offering a series of free educational webinars throughout December, along with a holiday shred event and donation drive held in partnership with Harvest Hope and Shred360.
The free shred event will take place December 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the SCDCA parking lot at 293 Greystone Blvd., Columbia. The drive-through setup allows attendees to remain in their vehicles while staff collect donations and documents for on-site shredding. Each vehicle is limited to three boxes or bags of documents. Binder clips, paper clips, staples, rubber bands, and even CDs/DVDs do not need to be removed before shredding…