Make Sure Your Profile Attracts the Right Mortgage Buddy and Not an Identity Thief
We are very responsible in helping people understand how to stay safe when first getting to know someone online, and once you are happy, in person. An area less touched on however, is the risk of falling foul to unscrupulous identity fraudsters, who could have ulterior motives in meeting Mortgage Buddies online.
The risk of becoming a victim of fraud is one we all face as we are all living our lives more and more online. This means that we have all created an online identity made up of lots of our personally identifiable information which could together be misused if they fall into the wrong hands.
Therefore, as with any other online account, there are some important steps that we should take to protect ourselves from identity theft while looking for a mortgage buddy.
Top Tips to Protect Yourself Against Identity Fraud
Here are some online identity protection tips to give you peace of mind:
- Your profile is important so make sure you use the same rules you use on your social media profile. Try and get in the habit of considering the question – Does this tell people about the type of person I am OR could it possibly be used to reveal who I am?
- Don’t use the same user name on your profile account as you do across other online accounts. This information can be used by fraudsters to identity patterns and lay a trail to other online accounts you use.
- When you are first getting to know people online do not to divulge specific personal information no matter how comfortable you might feel. Details which may seem insignificant such are your email address, date of birth and even where you work could all help create a profile of your real identity which could be valuable to an identity fraudster.
- As you get to know people better and it is only natural to want to want to meet in the ‘real’ world and you may both be ready to start communicating over text. As ever, be cautious of answering blocked numbers and remember to not share specific information like your home address or home phone numbers that could identify where you live.
- Never tell a potential mortgage buddy any financial information, no matter how genuine their request may seem. If you have any doubts, take heed of them and consult a friend or the Share a Mortgage Support for advice.
- Finally, when the time is right, ask to meet in person in a public area; often the best place to meet is to view a property when the estate agent will there as well. If a potential mortgage buddy is not interested or available to meet you in person, they may have ulterior motives in looking to buy a property with you.
Take Immediate Action
People who think they have become victims of identity fraud should notify the police, contact their bank and check their credit report.
