ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The AARP held a free shredding event in Albany on Wednesday. With spring cleaning underway and tax season behind us, the event was meant to give people the chance to safely get rid of personal financial records and other sensitive documents.

Officials said improper disposal could put your information at risk.

“It’s really about preventing identity theft,” AARP New York Assoc. State Dir. for Community Engagement Robyn Haberman said. “If you’re throwing away documents that have your name, your social security number, your birthday, your address, throwing it right in the garbage, somebody might find it and use that information to scam you out of money or steal your identity.”

Event organizers said they’ve seen documents from more than 30 years ago at previous events.