Washington Trust To Hold Free Shredding Day

October 5, 2007 (Westerly, RI). . . In an effort to help prevent identity theft, The Washington Trust Company will hold a free Shredding Day on Saturday, November 3, 2007, 12 – 3 p.m. in the Washington Trust and CVS parking lot at 1203 Oaklawn Avenue, Cranston, R.I. A Cintas® truck will be set up in the parking lot where community members will be able to hand over their documents and watch as they are shredded. This event is free and open to the public.

Identity theft occurs when personal identifying information such as name, social security number and credit card numbers are used without permission, to commit fraud and other crimes. As many as nine million Americans have their identity stolen each year, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

“Identity theft continues to increase in our society, so the demand for awareness and prevention is more important than ever,” said John C. Warren, Chairman and CEO of Washington Trust. “Washington Trust is happy to provide consumers with a safe and secure way to destroy old documents such as credit card statements, tax records and confidential personal and small business records.”

Most types of paper and notebooks with paper clips, spiral binding and staples will be accepted. Cintas® is unable to accept ring binders, hanging folders with metal strips, x-rays, plastic, film negatives, microfilm, wire binders, and anything with a heavy quantity of metal.

The Washington Trust Company is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a $2.4 billion corporation headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is the largest independent bank and the oldest community bank in the nation, headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including business banking, personal banking, and wealth management and trust services, through its offices located in Rhode Island, southeastern Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Corporation’s common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.