dentity theft is costly In the State of Florida, Florida
and time consuming to Statue 119.0721-5c, (similar laws
correct. Your sensitive may have been enacted in other
personal information may be more states) provides for the Right of
accessible than you think via the Redaction- the process of
Internet! removing sensitive information
from a document prior to its
This goes beyond "phishing" and publication. The statue provides
may be more dangerous, plus for the following:
easier to access.
On or after October 1, 2002, any
Did you know that some of your person preparing or filing a
personal information, such as document to be recorded in the
social security number and home official records may not include
address just might be on the a social security number in such
Internet? If you purchased real document, unless required by law.
estate and a deed was recorded
and your social security number Any person may request the Clerk
was on the document - you might to remove any social security
be surprised to find the document number from an image of an
accessible via Internet. As the official record available on the
Internet (Information Highway) Clerk's public Internet website
has grown so has access to the or otherwise made electronically
local Clerk of Courts records. By available to the general public.
searching your local Clerk of Such request must be made in
Courts website is where you can writing and delivered by mail,
find your recorded deed with your facsimile, or electronic
social security number plainly transmission, or delivered in
visible to all. person, to the Clerk of Courts
Recording Department. The request
must specify the identification official book and page number of
page number that contains the the recorded documents. Some real
social security number to be estate agents may also be able to
redacted. No fee will be charged assist you.
for the redaction of a social
security number pursuant to such 4) Request the removal of
a request. sensitive information in writing
and obtain a receipt from the
The steps you should take to Clerk of Courts Office for the
protect yourself: request.
1) Look over all the documents 5) Be sure to re-check to verify
related to the purchase of your that the sensitive information
property, which are included with has been removed from the
your closing paperwork. Find all documents. Consider using the
documents that may be recorded Clerk of Courts website on the
through the Clerk of Court's Internet to verify the redaction.
Office. Generally, the documents
would be the deed, mortgage, and Sensitive personal information
mortgage note. can also be found in other court
documents and you should be aware
2) After your closing, you may of this as well.
have received some documents
which were recorded - these are It is most important for you to
generally date and time stamped remember the request of redaction
by the Clerk's Office. is your responsibility to protect
your sensitive information. A
3) Contact the closing agent - little time spent now doing the
Title Company or attorney and ask research and follow-up, is
them to assist you in finding the significantly less than the
process of fighting identity or (c) Copyright 2006, Glenn M.
credit card fraud. PROTECT Ginsburg. All rights reserved.
YOURSELF!
About the Author:
Glenn Ginsburg is a Florida Licensed Real Estate Broker in the Naples real estate market for over 10 years. He was selected as a 2006 FIVE STAR Real Estate Agent "Best in Client Satisfaction" from over 12,000 real estate agents in southwest Florida.
Read more articles by:
Glenn Ginsburg
Article Source: www.iSnare.com 
