Identity Theft Protection - The Best Protection Against ID Theft
When buying a home, you will reveal a lot of information about yourself, and to a lot of different people. From your initial credit report to the final closing process, your social security number will be plastered on so many documents it will make your head spin.
This makes identity theft protection extremely important during the home buying process. After all, what could be worse than buying a new home only to find out a few months later that somebody stole your identity from some loan document that wasn't properly disposed of?
It happens every day in the United States, and it often happens as a direct result of buying a home and applying for a mortgage loan. A high number of identity theft cases are traced back to real estate / home buying transactions.
So when buying a new home, put ID theft protection near the top of your priority list. The first step is to use common sense
These are just a few ways to protect yourself from identification theft and all the heartache it brings. But there are other forms of ID theft protection as well. In fact, there are several companies today who specialize in preventing identity theft. LifeLock is one of them, and that's why I'm writing this blog post ... to tell you about their service.
I first heard of LifeLock while reading an issue of Broker Agent News (a real estate trade magazine). There was an advertisement that showed a man holding up his Social Security card for all to see. In the headline, the man stated his name and his Social Security Number ... his actual SSN.
Why would a man do something so crazy? Because he wasn't crazy -- we was the president of LifeLock, the identity theft protection company I mentioned above. And the ad went on to state how comfortable he was in sharing his private information, because he had LifeLock (his company's service) protecting him from ID theft issues.
This was one of the most effective advertising strategies I've seen in some time. Imagine, a man so confident in the ID theft protection services of his company that he would reveal his actual SSN in a national magazine ad!
I was so intrigued by the advertisement that I began researching the companies services, and how they go about protecting their customers identity.
We offer a lot of advice through this website on all aspects of buying a home. We offer tips for improving your credit score, choosing a type of mortgage loan, house hunting and more. But in the past, I've never really touched on the subject of identity theft protection for home buyers. At least, I haven't covered the topic until now!
Remember, you'll be filling out a lot of paperwork when buying a home, and most of that paperwork (if not all of it) will have your social security number plastered all over it. That's a lot of personal information floating around, and it's a prime opportunity for somebody to steal your identity and bring you a world of grief. All it takes is one unscrupulous employee, or one piece of paper that somebody "forgot" to shred.
Don't wait until you've already become a victim of identity theft. Start protecting yourself from ID theft today. Take a look at some of the protection services like the ones I've mentioned in this article. Be proactive about protecting your identity!
This makes identity theft protection extremely important during the home buying process. After all, what could be worse than buying a new home only to find out a few months later that somebody stole your identity from some loan document that wasn't properly disposed of?
It happens every day in the United States, and it often happens as a direct result of buying a home and applying for a mortgage loan. A high number of identity theft cases are traced back to real estate / home buying transactions.
So when buying a new home, put ID theft protection near the top of your priority list. The first step is to use common sense
- Don't send personal information through unsecured media like email.
- If you fill out a mortgage quote request online, make sure you are on a secure website (check to see if the web address starts with "https://www" instead of just "http://www" ... notice the 's' that signifies a secure website.
- Shred documents with private information on them, instead of just throwing them away.
These are just a few ways to protect yourself from identification theft and all the heartache it brings. But there are other forms of ID theft protection as well. In fact, there are several companies today who specialize in preventing identity theft. LifeLock is one of them, and that's why I'm writing this blog post ... to tell you about their service.
ID Theft Protection Services
I first heard of LifeLock while reading an issue of Broker Agent News (a real estate trade magazine). There was an advertisement that showed a man holding up his Social Security card for all to see. In the headline, the man stated his name and his Social Security Number ... his actual SSN.
Why would a man do something so crazy? Because he wasn't crazy -- we was the president of LifeLock, the identity theft protection company I mentioned above. And the ad went on to state how comfortable he was in sharing his private information, because he had LifeLock (his company's service) protecting him from ID theft issues.
This was one of the most effective advertising strategies I've seen in some time. Imagine, a man so confident in the ID theft protection services of his company that he would reveal his actual SSN in a national magazine ad!
I was so intrigued by the advertisement that I began researching the companies services, and how they go about protecting their customers identity.
When Buying a Home, Think Security
We offer a lot of advice through this website on all aspects of buying a home. We offer tips for improving your credit score, choosing a type of mortgage loan, house hunting and more. But in the past, I've never really touched on the subject of identity theft protection for home buyers. At least, I haven't covered the topic until now!
Remember, you'll be filling out a lot of paperwork when buying a home, and most of that paperwork (if not all of it) will have your social security number plastered all over it. That's a lot of personal information floating around, and it's a prime opportunity for somebody to steal your identity and bring you a world of grief. All it takes is one unscrupulous employee, or one piece of paper that somebody "forgot" to shred.
Don't wait until you've already become a victim of identity theft. Start protecting yourself from ID theft today. Take a look at some of the protection services like the ones I've mentioned in this article. Be proactive about protecting your identity!
Labels: Home buying process
posted by Brandon at
5:48 PM
