ONSLOW COUNTY, N.C. -- Between junk mail, bank statements and other documents, it's easy to accumulate papers that contain valuable information.

• Free Shed Event Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Jacksonville Commons Recreation Center
• North Carolina ranks 18th in country for identity theft
• Cities like Charlotte, Raleigh and Jacksonville in top 150 metropolitan areas for identity theft complaints last year.

But, not disposing of it properly could put you at risk for identity theft.

That's why Onslow County in partnership with the Local Government Federal Credit Union will be hosting a free Shred Event on Friday.

According to Attorney General Josh Stein, North Carolina ranks 18th in the country for identity theft, with cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, and Jacksonville in the top 150 metropolitan areas for identify theft complaints in 2017.

"My mom used to work in the banking industry and she saw several times the identity being stolen of their customers," said Ginny Miller, an Onslow County resident. "She has always taught me and is very big on shredding everything, it's a paper trail back to you and everything is tied."

The free Onslow County Shred Event will take place at the Jacksonville Commons Recreation Center from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

You can bring up to five boxes or bags of paper to shred.