How To Avoid Identity Theft When Moving

There are two main reasons why identity theft is a real possibility when you are relocating from one place to another. First, is the great deal of financial or confidential information exchanged or thrown away, and secondly, some important documents that may finds its place in your old address mailbox. It is very important to realize that little carelessness can cost you big over the long run. Moving companies in Milwaukee take special care in handling sensitive items and documents, but it’s your responsibility to sort out what’s important and what’s not.

The danger lurks even before you move

Moving can be a tedious task, and people often look to trash as many items, as they can, to lessen the load. Such items also include old utility bills and some banking documents, which although not required, has enough information about you to replicate an identity. It is advisable to destroy such sensitive documents carefully before disposing it off in the trash.

The reason behind doing this is because most of the thieves look in the dumping boxes to get hands on some discarded mortgage documents or loan papers that have Social Security Numbers. And if they get hold of your utility bills, it’s an icing on the cake. Remember these are the same documents you once deemed valuable, so why just throw it away for others to take advantage of. Rather get it shredded by a local shredding service or do it yourself to completely destroy any chances of identity theft.

Some of the documents will still be there that you need transported to your new home securely. Having a filing cabinet with a lock is a good choice, since once the moving truck leaves your old place; you’ll have no control over it until it reaches the destination. You can also prefer taking it with yourself if you are driving to your new home.

The danger stays even after you move

A week into settling at your new residence, make sure that all your utility accounts don’t exist anymore at the old address, thus ensuring that no identity theft is being carried out in your name. Make sure that sensitive document such as credit statements, loan agreements, mortgage papers or any confidential information does not go to your old address. Obtain a copy of your credit reports within 90 days of your relocation, and ensure that the address change has been executed.

Carefully review the reports for any queries made to your credit. If you spot something out of the line, especially concerning your previous address, immediately call the creditor and the bureau to alert them about suspicious activities in your account. A potential case of identity theft can be registered at the bureau, as you take quick action to place an alert on your credit report. One another important thing that you need to take care of, is the exchange of emails that contain sensitive information, since identity theft is not limited to paperwork, as it is also a very common cyber crime.