Due to the overwhelming success of its annual Identity Theft Protection and Shredding events in April, Community West Bank will sponsor a second set of events in October.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Community West Bank has hosted the events throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Free, secure document shredding will be available courtesy of ShredRite at the following locations:

» 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 5 at Santa Maria branch office, 2615 S. Miller St.

» 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 6 at Goleta branch office, 5827 Hollister Ave. (next to the sheriff’s old town Goleta office)

» 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 7 at Westlake Village branch office, 951 Westlake Blvd.

» 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 9 at Ventura branch office, 1463 S. Victoria Ave. ( in the Victoria Village shopping center)

“We served record numbers of attendees at our events in April,” said Lynda Nahra, Community West Bank’s president and CEO. “It just shows how aware our community has become about protecting themselves from identity theft. We are pleased to be able to offer this free service for a second time this year.”

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department is a co-sponsor of the Goleta event. Participants will have the opportunity to pick up information provided by department personnel, who will be in attendance to explain measures that should be taken to protect from identity theft and fraud.

“According to the Federal Trade Commission, which receives and compiles identity theft data, identity theft has affected millions of victims in the United States. The affected victims range from the very young to senior citizens with loss and recovery costs mounting to staggering levels. While some victims of identity theft quickly resolve the problems, others spend hundreds of dollars and a great deal of time repairing damage to their credit record and most importantly, their good name, said Pamela Relyea, a crime prevention specialist with the sheriff’s department. “In addition to monetary losses, victims may lose out on job opportunities, be denied loans for education, housing or the purchase of an automobile. Some face prosecution for crimes they did not commit.

“Prevention and precaution is a first step. Identity theft is a complex issue that requires a multilevel approach, including awareness education, thorough investigation and prosecution, and assistance in the recovery of its victims.”

— Lynnette Coverly is the vice president of marketing for Community West Bank.