Identity theft risks for your marriage
Marriage is a undeniably special event that many of us aspire to enjoy for ourselves one day. However, underneath the joy and elation, there is an increased risk that someone will take advantage of a name change and steal your previous unmarried identity.
Considering that many weddings in the near future will occur among Generation Y, this is a major concern as the likelihood of identity theft is highest in this age group.1 As the event is broadcast through a variety of media, including social media, newspapers and through the mail system, it is not hard for a potential identity thief to be alerted to a potential victim, according to the Citizens Advice Bureau.2
In the first instance of avoiding identity theft, it may be wise keep the news of your upcoming wedding between your friends, family and acquaintances you trust, rather than the wider public. For this reason, posting a wedding announcement in the local papers is discouraged, as this is an easy way for identity thieves to get a lead.
In addition to this, posts and updates on social media should be set so that only those you trust can view. Most platforms have settings that will allow you to customise who exactly can see each post. If the site doesn't allow you to do this, change your default settings to only show updates to people within your network, as public posts can be picked up by scammers.
Identity theft may halt your marriage plans
Not only can identity theft affect you after your wedding has taken place, it could potentially stop you from being able to legally proceed. This danger was demonstrated in a 2012 case from the New York City Office that described how a 37-year old woman was unable to get married as her name had been used for a fake marriage in an immigration scam.3
The unfortunate woman was registered as legally married to two men from Ecuador and Mexico respectively. She was forced to seek a marriage license in another jurisdiction, causing her a great deal of humiliation and stress. Although the wedding took place in 2004, it took 8 years for the courts to wipe the two fake marriages from her record.3
The court believed that the information was stolen as a result of the victim losing a birth certificate in college. This case demonstrated how important it is to report missing documents as soon as possible as they may easily fall into the wrong hands. For Australian citizens, lost certificates should be reported to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state where the document was originally issued.4
If you're worried the joy will be taken out of your marriage plans consider Identity Watch. Identity Watch constantly monitors your personal information giving you peace of mind. If anything suspicious is found you'll be alerted and provided with some next steps.
1 Identity Theft in Australia, Veda, April 2015.
2 Identity Theft, New Zealand Citizens Advice Bureau. Accessed August 2015.
3 Office of the City Clerk v. Vargas-Poggi, New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Accessed August 2015.
4 Protecting your Identity, What Everyone Needs to Know, Australian Government. Accessed August 2015.