Ensure Your Identity Moves with You

Identity theft is one of the country’s leading crimes, with the Federal Trade Commission estimating nearly nine million Americans falling victim annually. Although it is important to protect yourself from identity theft at all times, it is especially prudent to be diligent when you are moving.

The threat of identity theft increases for people who move because personal information is often thrown away or sensitive mail, such as pre-approved credit card applications, is not redirected to the new address.

Protect yourself against identity theft when relocating

Most people take the opportunity when moving to get rid of the many things they’ve accumulated since their last move. When moving, weight is money and dumping those files of old bills and dated financial documents will significantly lighten the load. Unfortunately, if destroying these documents is not done properly, you can quickly join the growing ranks of identity theft victims.

Dumpster diving is one of the primary ways identity thieves get personal information. These thieves look for old tax returns or discarded mortgage documents because they contain social security numbers. Although these are akin to striking gold for identity thieves, seemingly innocuous items, such as utility and credit card bills, can also lead to theft.

If you are going to throw out bills or documents, borrow or invest in a shredder ($60 to $75). Any paperwork that was worth you keeping is likely to be valuable to identity thieves.

You will also have many bills, documents and paperwork that you plan to keep. Consider how you will transport this information to your new home. Will you keep it in the filing cabinet and have the professional movers roll it into the truck? Will you remove everything and box it up for transportation in the moving van? Remember, once the truck leaves your driveway, all its contents will be out of your control until it’s delivered to your new address.

Some people prefer to take sensitive documents with them if they are driving to their new home. This may not be possible if you have a full car or are flying. You could box the files and have a friend or relative hold them until you move and then ship them to you. If you prefer to have the items shipped by your moving company, you may want to purchase a sturdy file cabinet that has a substantial lock.

After the move

About a month after settling in to your new place, check to make sure that the phone, gas, electric, cable and newspaper accounts are closed. This will keep new tenants or identity thieves from re-opening the accounts after you leave. Also, make sure that no mail is going to your old address, especially credit information sensitive items such as those for credit cards, car loans, bank statements, 401k or investment statements, mortgage statements or any other financial related documents.

It’s also a good idea to get a copy of your credit report about three months after your move. Consumers are allowed one free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus.

The credit reports should list any inquiries made to your credit. Look for any that you don’t recognize that use your old address. This could be an identity thief trying to open an account in your name. Contact the creditor that ran the report immediately, as well as the credit bureaus.

If you think you’ve been a victim of identity theft, call one of the credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your credit report. The credit bureau you contact is required by the Federal Trade Commission to contact the other two so they will also place a fraud alert on your credit report.