Won the Lottery? 4 Steps to Improve Home Security

Winning the lottery is a dream come true for most people. But it also adds layers of complexity to your life that few people can anticipate. One of these newly complicated areas of life is security. With few states allowing lottery winners to claim their money anonymously, most winners must deal with not only becoming rich but also becoming famously rich.

How should you protect yourself and your assets after winning it big? Here are four key security moves to make.

Upgrade General Home Security

If you win the lottery in Arizona, the law generally stipulates that your name and city or county becomes public knowledge. That creates a great deal of trouble for lucky winners, and you may not be able to avoid it. So, focus on increasing your own safety rather than whether or not this law is fair.

If you have home security, reassess the system currently in use. Is it simple motion sensors turned on by hand at night? As a publicly identified wealthy person, you probably need more. Look for a system with monitored cameras and a wider net that includes your entire property.

Use a Legal Entity

The best way to avoid strangers getting onto your property is to make it hard to find your address in the first place. Work with an experienced attorney to set up a separate LLC or trust to handle the legal ownership of your home (and possibly other recognizable property) rather than listing it under your personal name in public records.

If you plan to upgrade your housing, handle everything for the new property under this legal entity so that nothing leads directly back to you. As a bonus, moving now allows you to set up better home security from the get-go instead of trying to retrofit your old property with safety features.

Control Authorized Access

Modern security systems allow the property owner to control who comes and goes from their home, creating an additional layer of responsibility. You'll likely have various individuals and companies on and around your property on a regular basis, so be sure you know who is there and for what purpose.

There are a few ways to provide access without being home to let each person in yourself. You can choose to have a coded entry system, for instance, with codes assigned to friends, family, and on-site service providers. If you prefer keys, you can instead use a key control access system, which stores keys and provides data about who retrieves what key and for how long.

Protect Specific Assets

In addition to your general home security measures, take extra steps to protect and secure certain assets that are more at risk. Cash, for instance, is a big risk point in your life. Install additional coded or biometric safes and hidden storage for cash — in your home, in your car, and at any business you own. Don't flash your money around, and try to minimize the amount you have on hand.

In addition to cash, some new assets warrant extra measures. Lottery winners often want to splurge on indulgences and high-end items like exotic cars, home electronics, jewelry, or art. Work with your security company to create custom security additions, such as coded interior door entries and alarmed display cases.

After winning the lottery, many decisions and new concerns can be overwhelming for the winners. Protecting yourself and your family from new security threats is important, though, so get assistance from professionals. At Phoenix Access Control, we have experience protecting all sorts of property in all types of situations. We can help you find peace of mind too.