'Tis the Season to Protect Your Identity: Part 2
I went to my first holiday party of the season last weekend, and was it ever fun! New friends to make, delicious finger food, theme beverages, and mid-way through the evening everyone broke into song along with the iPod we danced our stockings off in the kitchen. A little old fashioned, a little high tech, most certainly a great time.
One thing I loved about the party was that the hostess had everyone’s coats and bags in a location within sight of everyone at the party, all piled on a nice couch in the living room just adjacent to the kitchen and dining areas, the place where all parties inevitably end up.
In contrast, it reminded me of a party I attended a few years back where that was not the case. At that party, I wandered down a long hall to the bedroom of the hostess to retrieve my coat and bag only to find a young lady holding my purse and using my red lipstick in the dark (Seriously, this happened, and unless you plan on going to clown college, I don’t recommend touching up red lipstick in the dark). She was very embarrassed (appropriately so) and confessed that she wanted to see how that shade of red looked on her. Ultimately it was pretty funny so we laughed it off and I gave her the lipstick as a reminder of what not to do at a party.
We like to assume that when we gather with people to celebrate we’re amongst friends we trust. But at this time of year we spend a lot of time attending and hosting parties. Open houses, company parties, family gatherings – all good times. It’s likely that at any of these events, there will be people we don’t know. And while that’s an opportunity to make new friends, you never know who someone is the first time you meet them.
By no means am I suggesting you show up to the company party with a fingerprinting kit and start questioning the dates of your co-workers, but exercise some common sense. Eliminate the risks you take when you allow a host to take your coat and/or bag, and make sure your home is a safe place for your family and guests during the holiday season.
Party Responsibly
If you’re going out for the night, bring the bare minimum. Loading your coat or purse down with a stack of credit cards isn’t necessary, nor is it safe. If you carry a purse, see if you can condense all your needs for the evening into one handheld purse you can carry throughout the night. Your drivers’ license, one card and a bit of cash will take you anywhere. If you’re the host, provide your guests with a secure place to put their belongings.
Secure the Home
We all have that pile of bills on the desk or counter somewhere in our house. When we have guests over those things should be out of sight. Those bills include names, account numbers, and other personal information. Financial documents, medical statements, wallets and passports should be safely locked up when you’re hosting a large event, particularly if strangers will be in attendance.
Maintain Copies
Make and maintain photocopies of the front and backs of all debit and credit cards. Keep this in a safe, secure location at home and in the event you misplace or lose a card during the holiday season and you’ll be able to cancel and replace it with ease.
Statements Savvy
At this time of year we’re often making more purchases than normal. More trips to the grocery stores, gift buying, online shopping, filling up the car to get us back and forth to the shops; all of these things result in far more transactions on our statements, and identity thieves know this. Examine all your statements carefully and insure the purchases were yours. A seemingly innocent expense could be an identity thief testing to see how observant you are, intending to charge a big ticket item next month.
Alicia Diefenbach is a former financial crime-fighter for the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions. After spending nearly a decade helping fraud victims seek restitution and educating consumers about various aspects of personal financial management, she went into business for herself.
Alicia now designs fun, non-commercial presentations and materials that help people make financial decisions that lead to success. She is a published consumer writer and speaks on topics that educate women, teens, adults, and seniors on various aspects of fraud awareness, and successful personal financial management.
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