Ever since Wilbert Ho became a victim of identity theft two years ago, he has been working to raise awareness about the problem.

Ho, 79, will be on hand to volunteer tomorrow when the AARP sponsors a free shredding event for the general public.

Proper disposal of private documents is one of the best ways to prevent identity theft, said Bruce Bottorff, associate state director of AARP Hawai'i.

"We're all vulnerable and we need to be vigilant," Bottorff said.

Shred-it, a professional document destruction company, will handle the free mobile shredding tomorrow in Honolulu as well as Kapolei, and Bottorff urges everyone to take advantage of the service.

Bottorff said his organization is happy to sponsor the event again to educate its members and the general public about the problem.

Each year, about 9 million people fall victim to identity theft — the top complaint among consumers, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Hawai'i is ranked sixth in the nation in reported incidents of identity theft per capita, according to ID Analytics Inc., which provides identity risk management services.

AARP Hawai'i, a nonprofit membership organization for people age 50 and over, surveyed its members earlier this year and 74 percent said that becoming a victim of identity theft is a "major concern."

Many may not find out they are victims of identity theft until reviewing their credit report or credit card statements.

That's what happened in 2005 when Ho, of 'Aiea, discovered on his credit card bill charges of more than $1,000 for purchases and services he did not make.

Ho said he reported it to the credit card company.

The thief was never caught, but Ho said he is happy that the credit card company didn't require him to pay for the charges he didn't make.

"If I had not caught that, they (the criminals) would have done some more (charging and) maxed my credit card out," Ho said.

Since the incident, he said, he's been cautious about his financial transactions and has been warning others about identity theft.

At tomorrow's event, Ho suggests people bring their pre-approved credit card offers for shredding.

Bottorff asks people to limit the number of documents they bring to four standard-sized boxes, which is of a "reasonable size that would fit comfortably in the trunk of a car," he said.

The event is a free service to the public, for "ordinary residents who are looking for a convenient and reliable way to dispose of old tax forms" and other private documents, he said.

"We're trying to make service available for a large number of people to continue to raise awareness about the need to be vigilant against identity theft," he said.

But many have expressed concern about their documents' security. Bottorff said people are free to watch their documents being shredded, but it may slow the process. He suggests that people drive through the drop-off site, where volunteers will help unload documents.

"We want to make sure we can help as many people as possible, and we want to make sure that we keep the line moving," Bottorff said. "We do understand people's concern; it's a legitimate concern, but we have volunteers who stand there and watch and make sure no one touches the boxes that are waiting to be destroyed — as secure a set-up as we can make it."