The importance of notifying your change of address.

When moving home, the list of things to do can seem endless! The chore of having to notify the many service providers and companies you use of your new address can often come at the end of that list. Here we will cover some of the reasons why this is an important thing to do and how we can help make it that little bit easier. Less time on boring admin, more time arranging your new cutlery drawer … joy.

Make sure your post is going to the right place.

Now the most obvious reason is to make sure that your stuff is coming to the right place. This includes bills, appointment letters, bank statements and the dreaded brown envelopes from HMRC. Despite living in an increasingly digital world, many companies and service providers still rely on physical letters to get in contact with you.

Previous occupier fraud

We have all had the annoyance of receiving the previous occupier’s post at your home. Often these are vouchers for the local bingo and such but at other times these can be important or confidential post. It is a criminal offence to open a letter addressed to someone else and the general rule of thumb is to return these to the estate agent (if they have a forwarding address) or write “return to sender” and pop it in the post box.

Now imagine if you were not the kind-hearted individual you are and were after a way of making some cash … in someone else’s name. It can be all too easy for previous occupier fraud to take place when confidential mail is not going to the address of the intended recipient. Fraudsters can use your details in several ways including applying for loans and credit cards under your name.

Cifas who are leaders in fraud prevention claim that home mover fraud is increasing year on year and many people don’t understand the risk that they are at when they don’t update their addresses in a timely manner.

These are top tips provided by Cifas on fighting identity fraud when moving home

‍(https://www.cifas.org.uk/newsroom/home-mover-fraud-rises-five-per-cent-new-figures):

• Inform any companies that regularly send you post that you are moving so your address can be updated
• Don’t throw out anything containing your name, address or financial details without shredding it first
• Redirect your post for at least six months to a year if you can
• Once you’ve moved, check your statements carefully and report anything suspicious to the bank or financial service provider concerned
• If you’re expecting a bank or credit card statement and it doesn’t arrive, tell the issuing company straight away
• If you’re concerned, check your personal credit file two to three months after you have moved house

Insurance policies

Another important consideration when moving home is updating your insurance providers of your new address. Failure to do this can result in insurance policies (including car, home and contents) becoming invalid and you may not be covered if something were to happen. Insurance premiums are generally calculated based on postcode so it’s a good idea to also check whether you can save any money when moving to another area. But equally, be aware that premiums prices can also increase!

How we can help!

Moveinout is an online platform that allows users to notify all their service providers of their change of address in one place. We have made this process simple and efficient and will save you a considerable amount of time. We aim to take the stress out of changing address and ensure that you don’t fall victim to previous occupier fraud!