At some point, nearly all of us have—or will–hire someone who will work in our homes: a lawn guy, babysitter, pool boy, nanny, home health care professional, housekeeper, handyman, or someone to work in a home-based business.
In most cases, we hire someone based on referrals from friends who’ve been happy with a worker’s performance. Or we make our choice based on a resume or professional references. Neither of these methods is sufficient, because employees in any of the above positions will have access to personal and possibly financial information.
Most ID theft victims can’t say with any certainty who stole their identities, or how they did it. However, among those who do know, 13% knew the perpetrator, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. Javelin’s 2009 Identity Fraud Survey Report shows the most likely culprits in that group include in-home employees, friends, family members and acquaintances.
To protect yourself, you need to do a complete criminal background check on anyone you’re thinking of hiring to work around your home. If you think you’ll be safe without it because the prospective employee will only be working outdoors, think again. Another 3% of ID theft victims’ information was stolen from their mail. If your mail isn’t shredded or your doors or mailbox are unlocked, you’re setting yourself up for ID theft.
Visit LifeLock.com for more information on how they help protect the identities and finances of their nearly 1.5 million members. Enroll using the LifeLock promo code DEFENSE for a deep discount on membership.
