1. Tell companies you’ve changed address
One of the easiest ways for a thief to start assuming your identity is by intercepting your mail. So if you move house, make sure you inform your bank, utility providers and anyone else who might send you a bill. Think about it; last time you went to open a bank account all you needed was a few gas bills in your name to prove where you live. If you are slow to let the relevant people know you’ve moved, the bills will pile up in your old house. All you need is for a dishonest person to move in and hey presto, your identity is stolen.
2. Alert your neighbours
For the same reason, if you go on holiday ask your neighbours to check that your mail is pushed through the door. It’s an obvious security risk if your bank statements, gas bills and those annoying pre-filled credit card forms are available for anyone in the area to come along and pick up, in your name.
3. Shred your old paperwork
For the same reason that you don’t want people to open your mail once you’ve moved, you also don’t want them to be able to go through your rubbish and find documents that you might have thrown away. Old receipts will have your card details on them and old bills will have your name and address. You’re asking for trouble by not destroying them before throwing them away. Cut up your cards when you get new ones issued or you cancel them. You can buy a very basic model shredder for only a few pounds.