How To Prevent Identity Theft When Moving: Plan Your Identity-Saving Strategy

If someone managed to log into your Facebook account and uploaded an inappropriate photo or posted an outrageous comment, you would be mad, right? Or if a spammer hacked your email and started sending ads to all your contacts, it would certainly cost you a lot of nerves and headaches. Just imagine the grave consequences of an identity thief getting hold of your passwords, credit card numbers and so on. Identity theft (the stealing of personal information) is a serious crime which is very likely to take place during a relocation period. People, stressed by the moving procedures, do not pay enough attention to little details – and this is exactly what identity thieves are hunting for!

Identity theft has emerged as a major problem during the modern era of advanced technology and unlimited Internet access. It was completely irrelevant some 50 years ago, when society was still at the threshold of the Information age and electronic databases were science fiction. Nowadays, however, people rely heavily on the digital help of high-tech devices which reduce endless hours of research to one click, ensure live communication throughout the entire world, allow online shopping and even online payment of bills or taxes! Smartphones and computers remember passwords for easy access to various accounts and users just benefit from the facilitated services, glad and carefree. Many people even use one single password for everything to avoid confusion!

But this careless attitude could prove to be really problematic when moving to a new home. In the midst of the overwhelming moving preparations protecting your identity will probably be the last thought to cross your mind. But this mistake could cost you dearly in terms of money, time and nerves. So, if you find yourself wondering how to protect yourself against identity theft while moving, stick to the basics and then follow our bonus strategic tips on successful fraud prevention. And while there are definite rules on what to do if identity theft happens to you, you can simply find your way out of trouble with the help of a resourceful mind.

First, look through the basics:

Keep All Important Documents With You

Presumably, you would have compiled an inventory list of all your possessions before packing and discarded whatever seems useless. The same approach should be applied for your documentation.

If you just put the folders holding your paperwork in a box together with a bunch of books of similar sizes, you will most likely have them delivered to your new home without any problems. People will be convinced that the box contains only books and the chance of someone stealing it is really low. Also, you will save the time required for carefully looking through every single sheet of paper and deciding which ones are still applicable and needed and which are disposable. But is it worth the risk?

There might be a road accident, or the moving truck may deliver your belongings to a wrong address, or it may be delayed, or robbed… You will not only become a victim to identity theft if an ill-intentioned person takes your documents, but you will also lose much needed paperwork such as passports or birth certificates, medical records or driver’s licenses. You can’t do a day without those, so even if they are not stolen for evil purposes, simply losing them will result in havoc that will cost you much time, money and troubles!

So, be sure to avoid this rookie mistake! The temptation to spare yourself the time and efforts required for classifying and arranging the pile of documents by simply handing them to your chosen movers, must be resisted at all cost! Check carefully all the accumulated paperwork and:

• put aside everything related to the current relocation procedure, because you will probably need it immediately;
• separate all outdated and unnecessary stuff and get rid of it;
• arrange all important documents in a suitable small bag that will be easy to carry around. Never lose hold of it! It is truly essential to have all the documentation that matters with you all the time!

Never Throw Documents In The Dumpster

Next, it is time to deal with the pile of documents, labeled as “redundant”. You don’t want to pay extra money for transporting a heavy load of useless paperwork. So, dispose of it, but be careful! What is no longer valuable for you, may turn out to be priceless for others! There is plenty of sensitive information printed on the outdated documents – even your credit card number, contact information and other personal details can be found on old bank statements, invoices, warranties, etc. If con artists get hold of this information, they can easily commit fraud and manage to withdraw your money, or take advantage of your rights (like medical insurance or membership in a certain organization). The potential problems are not restricted to financial issues only. False data put on your medical records, for example, can result in erroneous medical treatment or misinformation regarding your political stands, for instance, can affect your political career and so on.

So, destroy all your unnecessary documents completely to protect yourself and your family against identity theft! Make sure no one can reassemble the sheets and extract information of any kind. The best solution is to shred all the papers using quality equipment. If you have a fireplace, you can simply burn everything and throw the ashes. There are several options but what matters is to make your documentation disappear without a trace!

Make Sure No One Has Access To Your Digital Information

In recent times, it has become a habit to store important stuff in digital format. Beginning with the sweet pictures of your children you would not risk losing for anything in this world, going through witty ideas for your blog and culminating in your social security number and bank accounts, computer files and records actually store your life! So, when moving day comes, prevent all possible access to your electronic devices. Store them separately, in a place where neither movers nor neighbors or even your carefree kids will be able to tamper with them.

Entrusting a moving company with your electronic equipment is not a very good idea. First of all, it is very fragile and if damaged, the replacement will cost you dearly. Then, putting your laptop or external storage device in the hands of a stranger, is definitely not the right choice. You’d better take all smaller and lighter electronic appliances like smartphones or tablets with you, especially if you are driving to the final destination in your own car. If it is impossible to transport the heavier pieces yourself, than lock your computer with a very strong password and delete at least the most commonly wanted information, such as credit card numbers or PINs.

If you have decided to donate your old PC to the local library, for example, or to sell it online before the move, double-check if you have wiped all the data on its hard drive! Also remember never to lend your flash drive or some other memory-storing device to anyone without formatting it first – this is crucial for preventing identity theft.

Re-Direct Your Mail

This is common sense, but when you change your address with the US Postal Service, try to contact all institutions and people who are sending you mail and make sure to inform them about your new address. These include, but are not limited to: public utility companies, banks, health care providers, real estate agencies, former employers and colleagues, lawyer offices, your children’s schools, Internet or cable TV providers, delivery services and so on – any establishment or person who might send you mail, containing personal information. Otherwise, significant mail may never reach you. It could be improperly discarded and thus unwillingly revealed to an identity thief hunting for such an opportunity.

However, to be sure you will not lose anything sent to your old address, talk to the future residents of your former home. Explain the situation and ask them to forward any mail intended for you to your new address. Do not forget to leave some money to compensate for their expenses.

Hire A Trustworthy Moving Company

It comes as no surprise that the majority of identity theft takes place during the summer when moving business is at its peak. The reason is to be found not only in careless people who do not protect properly their personal information but also in rogue movers. Moving scam is spreading nationwide like wildfire. Along with many other forms of fraud, ill-intentioned movers may aim at stealing some profitable identity information. So make sure to never trust them with documentation or anything else that contains personal details.

Be very careful when investigating local moving companies to select the one that best suits your needs. Visit their respective websites and read the reviews, compare their conditions and estimates, ask for recommendations. Check if the movers are registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and if their USDOT number is listed visible on their website. All reputable companies are properly licensed and would never reveal personal information to third parties.

When a representative of your chosen moving company comes to your home to make the moving estimate, do not forget to check his identity. He may be a fraud who is inspecting his potential booty, trying to find and copy personal information. If the person starts asking irrelevant questions or making inquiries about personal stuff, or seems to be unfamiliar with the details you have already provided to the moving company and the conditions you have previously negotiated, or anything suspicious at all, don’t hesitate to call the respective company immediately. Even if all ends up being a misunderstanding, your prudency is your best shot at preventing identity theft while moving!

Be Present During The Relocation Process

Do not trust neighbors to watch over your possessions on moving day. Make your plans so that you are able to oversee the entire process personally. This way, you will be able to provide help and specific instructions to the movers, but you will also be able to respond to any unexpected event. Your presence alone will discourage possible attempts for identity theft because no one will dare to meddle with your personal items when you are around.

Monitor Your Statements

Regardless of how alert you have been during the relocation, do not forget to regularly check all your bank and investment statements for a couple of months after the move. If you notice anything suspicious, immediately freeze your credit and consider filing a police report. Also, make sure that your family’s medical records and your kids’ school records are correct and not altered in any way. Even the most harmless data could cause harm in the wrong hands!

Now that you are familiar with these practical tips on preventing identity theft during a move, resort to your imagination for some little known methods that could further ensure the security of your personal information.

Here are some bonus ideas:

• Change all your PINs and Passwords on Moving day or a couple of days earlier. Probably you will be preoccupied with many important tasks to complete, but this simple step could save you a lot of trouble. Whether you deem it necessary or not, the effort is worth it. Even if someone manages to steal important information in the moving chaos, it will be immediately rendered useless. Just substitute at least one number in all the PINs and passwords you use and do not record the change anywhere – remember it! The new information will be safe and you will not need to worry anymore.
• Divide and conquer! If you do not own a shredder, tear papers into very small pieces and mix them with other useless materials. Then separate the trash in different bags and throw them in different dumpsters, some of which preferably located far from your previous home.
• Trust nobody! During a move, do not trust even your neighbors with items, containing sensitive information. Remember that various membership cards or application forms also contain lots of personal details, so do not allow free access to them. And definitely – do not lend your electronic devices to anyone! While enjoying the recent photos you took on your tablet, a seemingly well-intended person may actually be looking for an opportunity to copy personal information.

  

• Stay as anonymous as possible. Do not disclose unnecessary information to your moving company – provide only the required data and do not go into details. Under no circumstances are you supposed to share banking details! And when interacting online, let random and strong passwords become a permanent habit of yours!
• Never ever sign blank papers! Whoever and for whatever reason suggests you do that, refuse immediately! The red flag has been hoisted – raise your guard and look for a different moving company!

So, now that you know how identity theft happens and what the involved risks are, will you offer a good tip on how to prevent it? Or maybe share some insider information as a professional identity thief?

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