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Keeping your address safe

If you think you are experiencing economic abuse; it is important to ensure your online accounts and devices are safe. If you haven’t yet, read our Safety information.

Some actions you take to increase your security or privacy might alert an abuser, and they might escalate their abusive behaviour. Before looking into what’s happening, we can help you to create a safety plan tailored to your situation:

Use a safe device to contact Refuge’s 24hr National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. This could be a phone from a trusted friend, family member, neighbour, or a computer in a library, school, or workplace. Use a safe device to contact Refuge’s 24hr National Domestic Abuse Helpline via live chat Monday-Friday 3-10pm via www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk.

It is important to ensure that when you are keeping your address safe and private that you consider the following. This is not an exhaustive list and there may be other accounts and contracts you need to consider that may be associated with your address.

Before Following a link:

If you think someone may be accessing your phone or computer, or you’re in a space where you could be disturbed, please do not follow this link: Websites we signpost you to may not have a quick exit button and will open in a new tab. Visit us again from a safe device or safe space at a later date. If you need immediate support please contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247.

  • Use a secure private browsing window to search your address (e.g., Firefox, DuckDuckgo etc.). If you find your details online, contact the admin of the sites to request for it to be removed.  
  • If you’ve done this and there are things that still show up in Google, you can complete a Google request for removal form.   
  • You can see Google’s removal policy here.
  • If your ex-partner has login access to your mobile account, they may be able to view your new address through this. Make your phone number ex-directory. To do this ring your phone provider and ask for your phone number to become ex-directory so that it isn’t listed on websites with your address, or within directories. 
  • To remove yourself from the public electoral register, you can contact your local council to request to be removed or when registering for the first time or when you have moved house, there is an option to tick the box to say that you don’t want your name and address on the open register. 
  • If your address is showing as available on 192.com, you can submit an online form to 192.com to have your address details removed. 
  • If you have moved house, you can redirect your post with Royal Mail just in case there are letters still going to your old address. 
  • Check food delivery apps that you may have shared with other people. These keep a history of addresses. You need to remove the addresses, or secure or delete the account, not just uninstall it from your device. 
  • Check your online shopping accounts, any club cards that you have with supermarkets, or even subscriptions. They also list previous addresses under the accounts. See if there is an option to maybe purchase things as a guest so that it doesn’t store these details. If not, make sure your account is secure, a secure account has a strong password that no one else could guess and two factor verification is set on the account, so that nobody else can log into the account to check your new details. 
  • If your home address is stored to your Google Account or iCloud account, or any map or email account, ensure this account is secure that you are the only person that can log in. See more information about how to secure your accounts here
  • School parent accounts, if your children are attending a school that your ex-partner knows the details of, they could potentially ask the school for your new address. Speak to the school to make them aware that this cannot be disclosed and that a password will need to be provided to confirm identity to disclose. 
  • If you are linked in with social services or settling any matters through the courts, they can be made aware not to disclose your address to your ex-partner.
  • Consider all other agencies you may be signed up to, that your hold your address such as Vets, Dentist, Gyms, ensure you contact them and put a password on your account, so that if anybody calls to request your new address, there is an added layer of security. 
  • When sharing images online, remove the metadata data strip, this reveals the location of where images are taken. Norton has some helpful information about what metadata (EXIF) is, but also for steps to remove it.

Also, ensure that all accounts are set up with a safe email address and a new safe, strong password. If available set two factor verification on your accounts.

Contact Refuge for advice and support.

Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline number: 0808 2000 247
Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline digital support via live chat available Monday-Friday 3-10pm: www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/en/Chat-to-us-online

Economic abuse and technology are very closely linked. If you are concerned about the safety of your online accounts or devices, please see our Tech Safety page for guides on how to keep your online accounts secured. 

We have an email guide that shows how you to make sure your email account is safe and secure.  

 

Tech safety tool

Secure your tech through our interactive tool. Click below to access videos in four languages.

Tech safety tool

Supporting survivors

Learn about how to support someone experiencing technology-facilitated abuse.

Supporting survivors

Learn about tech

Visit this Glossary to learn more about technology.

Use our Glossary