It’s all too easy to forget to forward your mail in the excitement of buying a new house.
A study by Royal Mail shows one in three home movers fails to tell their financial service provider their new address – and risks being taken advantage of by fraudsters.
Moving home can be a time when people are especially vulnerable, explains Equifax Personal Solutions sales and marketing director Andrew Webb.
“The home move itself can be a very stressful experience, so it’s not surprising that address forwarding instructions can be forgotten. But it could mean fraudsters are given an easy opportunity to steal vital identity information,” he says.
“It can take just three pieces of an individual’s personal information to be able to obtain money or goods in their name, which is why we’re urging home-movers to be extra vigilant.
“Shredding financial documents that are no longer wanted is absolutely essential – don’t just chuck them in a black bag for an opportunistic fraudster to find. And make sure that post is properly redirected rather than relying on new occupants to forward mail. Post left lying around in communal hallways or empty properties can be very tempting for a potential fraudster.”
Top tips to protect against ID fraud when moving home
- Shred old statements, bills and other personal documents that you’re throwing away.
- If you are disposing of old phones, computers, or other electronic device that store data make sure you remove the information from the hard drive.
- Set up for the Post Office to redirect mail from previous addresses. You can now set up an account online for Royal Mail to redirect your personal mail.
- Register on the Electoral Roll at your new address.
- Ensure that passwords for new accounts online are secure and not all the same.
- Always check bank statements and credit card statements carefully against receipts.
- Never store your online passwords or PINS on mobile phones, blackberrys, tablets or laptops.
- Regularly check your credit file for any unauthorised applications for credit or new credit accounts.
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