Homebuying is stressful enough, but once you’ve left the lawyer’s office and signed enough to papers to make your hand cramp it’s time to actually pack up and move! Even if you skip the homebuying and are just moving from one rental to another, changing addresses can be exhausting and stressful. The last thing you need to deal with while moving is having your identity stolen! Did you know that identity theft is especially prevalent during the “peak” moving season? Crime statistics show that identity crime is more prevalent between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Here are a few tips from LifeLock to keep your identity protected while you’re “on the move.”
- If you’re in between residences and want to file your taxes, never do it on public Wi-Fi networks.
- Check with the Better Business Bureau before allowing any movers into your home. The Better Business Bureau can be a source to find out if the movers or any business have complaints against them.
- Before moving into your new home, pick out a secure zone that is off-limits to movers or whoever may be helping you. Safely store your computer items, check data files, balance your checkbook or pay bills there.
- Make sure you have complete privacy when paying your home bills over the phone.
- Run your credit report every six months. Especially when you are between addresses, it is important to keep a closer eye on your identity via your credit report.
- A legitimate mortgage company will use your credit report, employment, income, assets and property to evaluate your mortgage loan approval. This is why it’s especially important to get a credit check to make sure nobody has stolen your identity.
- You should never save your passwords on your work computer since you never know who may hack into another computer through a scam and then hack your work place’s entire network.
Check out the LifeLock Game on Facebook to discover even more tips for protecting your identity during your move.
Disclosure: I am I Lifelock ambassador. While compensation was received, all opinions presented in this post are my own.
Good tips.
Those are some good tips. Thanks for sharing.
I don’t plan on moving anytime soon but thanks for sharing.
I never thought about that with the movers. Great tips.
Great tips. I always wondered about having movers. That would really make me nervous.
Great tips!
We actually don’t allow movers to touch our computers at all, since we store all our infomation on them. We pack all that ourselves, box and tape it up with different materials so we can also tell if it has been tampered with.
I wish I would have known about all of this when I was moving a few years back! Nothing happened, but it could have & I wouldn’t have known any better.
We probably won’t move away until we retire – if we even leave then. LOL
Thanks for sharing these great tips.
What great tips!
Wonderful tips!
such great tips. I love life lock.
Oh lord, I won’t even do email over public Wifi! These are great tips!
We are actually moving next month so this is very helpful.
We just moved this weekend. It’s our 6th move in 9 years. I HATE moving…. with a passion.
We are moving soon thanks for the tips!!