Across the country identity theft continues to be an enormous challenge. Seemingly every day there is another announcement of a significant data breach, one that exposes millions of people to identity theft.
Recent data breaches include:
- Capitol One – 100 million People
- Equifax – 143 million People
- Marriott – 383 million People cnet.com/how-to/its-not-just-equifax-heres-every-major-security-breach-and-data-hack-so-far/
The information gained and the results of a data breach varies, but the numbers involved should make everyone that exchanges data cautious.
Companies that use critical data such as social security numbers and consumer credit reports must provide the greatest security possible in order to protect data. It is not always easy, as seen with recent data breaches, but diligence and maintaining the most secure protocols goes a long way.
However, in Charlotte, North Carolina, one family experienced identity theft when an individual started renting apartments using stolen data.
From WSOCTV.com (Jul 11, 19):
One of the apartments in her name was at Somerstone Estates. The manager there told Channel 9 this looks like a subleasing scheme they’ve seen before, where someone rents an apartment with stolen information and then finds someone else to sublease it and pays them directly. wsoctv.com/news/-i-want-my-info-back-apartments-rented-out-by-identity-thieves/965192011
But identity theft can potentially take place from within.
In Salt Lake City a live-in maintenance worker went back to prison for a parole violation. In the course of searching her room officials discovered critical personal data of the residents. Access to this data was not part of the maintenance worker’s job description. sltrib.com/news/2019/04/11/salt-lake-city-apartment/
Renting a property is stressful for both parties. Landlords need to vet potential renters and verifying critical data such as consumer credit history and eviction records is an important part of the process. And for renters providing this data, there is always a concern about the security of information provided. Ultimately, using a hyper secure data portal for tenant screening such as modern tenant screening systems do may be the answer.
New Tenant Screening Services are now available online and go to great lengths to keep sensitive data and personally identifiable information secure and private.
Landlords – It’s most likely been a challenge to obtain the background information you need to get a more complete picture of your rental applicant-until now. Gain access to your potential tenant’s credit report, criminal report and a leasing recommendation without costly onsite inspections, monthly minimums or annual fees. Since the renter is part of the process, the renter consents to having his or her information viewed by the landlord or property manager.
Renters – For the first time in recent history rental applicants have some control over their sensitive, private data when it comes to background checks and applying to rent an apartment. Typically, the rental applicant gives their potential landlord their Social Security number (SSN) and other personally identifiable information (PII) as part of the leasing application process. But with modern online tenant screening systems the landlord no longer needs the SSN and other PII, and chances are, the landlords don’t want it so they can’t be responsible for any breach or misuse of such information. With modern online tenant screening systems, the rental applicant can verify their identity directly to the tenant screening agency without the landlord ever having access to it and then the tenant screening agency sends the landlord only the reports they need such as the credit report and criminal history report. Identifying information like social security number, birth date and account numbers are masked to protect the privacy of the renter.
When searching for a tenant screening agency always check to see how the process works and make sure the potential renter enters in their own sensitive information without the landlord having access to it. When the landlord emails the applicant a tenant screening request the rental applicant then fills in all their personal information and then the new tenant screening services run the necessary tenant background checks on the applicant including criminal background check, eviction record report, credit report and sometimes even a leasing recommendation. The landlord then receives all the background reports without ever seeing the personal information of the applicant. This new way of screening tenants is very secure and keeps personal information private making identify theft near impossible.
To learn more about how new online tenant screening systems using hyper secure data portals can protect sensitive data while also letting the renter directly enter their personally identifiable information to the tenant screening agency without the landlord seeing it and how this helps prevent identity theft read recent TenantScreeningUSA.com press release: Challenges in Renting: Identity Theft and Tenant Screening