Identity Theft Protection Articles

LifeLock Identity Theft Protection

LifeLock is our #2 rated proactive identity theft protection service. LifeLock is an industry leader in proactive identity theft protection founded in 2005. LifeLock has been providing consumers with the proactive identity theft protection tools to help protect themselves from identity theft. LifeLock is well-equipped with the right tools to help individuals prevent identity theft before it happens, detect identity thieves in their attempts and resolve any problems that may occur to defend your reputation. LifeLock service is well-rounded, providing all of the essentials in security, recovery and some unique additional features. The LifeLock WalletLock service is one example of innovation aimed to help make protecting your identity easier.

LifeLock offer a great protection service with a healthy set of unique features that make it a great choice for anyone interested in protecting their identity. And while most competitors (read our identity theft protection reviews) offer to protect an assortment of identifying information, LifeLock protect them all, including your license plate number, Driver’s License number, public records, insurance records and criminal records. LifeLock are the only identity theft protection service that has comprehensive phone support available all day, every day. LifeLock offer all the essential tools and more, making it the best all-around identity theft protection service available.

LifeLock key identity Theft Protection features include:

•Public Database Scanning
•Credit Card Scanning
•Name & Address Scanning
•Bank Account Number Scanning
•Lost Wallet Protection
•Fraud Alerts
•Junk Mail Reduction
•Free Annual Credit Reports
•$1,000,000 Warranty Protection
•24-hour Member Customer Service

TrustedID Identity Theft Protection

TrustedID is our #1 rated identity theft protection service. TrustedID delivers proactive identity theft protection solutions to help safeguard individuals and families against identity theft. TrustedID offers the industry’s most comprehensive platform of proactive identity theft protection solutions to help stop identity theft before it happens. 

TrustedID sets itself apart from other identity protection services by providing the most comprehensive proactive identity protection available. Unlike credit monitoring companies that alert you after someone has already stolen your identity, TrustedID prevents identity thieves from stealing your identity in the first place. And because identity thieves are constantly devising new ways to get and use your information, TrustedID is constantly innovating, creating new identity theft protection services features that continue to help keep you and your family safe.

TrustedID has been at the forefront of providing effective identity theft protection solutions that keep people safe since 2005. The company leads the industry with several innovations, including the first credit freeze product, which allows customers to block credit bureaus from releasing their credit reports to third parties; the first family plan; and the first medical identity theft protection service.

TrustedID protects all areas of your identity, with following key proactive identity theft protection solutions:

  • Medical Benefits Protection

TrustedID will ensure no one is using your health insurance information to get services.

  • Social Security Benefits Protection

TrustedID will determine if anyone is stealing your social security benefits or filing taxes in your name.

  • Online Security

TrustedID will help you take spyware off your computer with special software.

  • Lost Wallet Protection

TrustedID will help you cancel accounts and replace cards if you lose your wallet, whether you’re at home or while traveling.

  • Financial Identity Protection

TrustedID will actively monitor key information in public databases and on Internet black market sites, as well as placing fraud alerts on credit reports if your identity is at risk.

  • Family Protection

TrustedID will offer the same suite of protective services for your children and any family members living with you.

  • Identity Threat Score

TrustedID gives you an easy-to-understand way to gauge your risk of identity theft and take the necessary steps to ensure your security.

  • CreditLock Protection

TrustedID will offer the option of a complete lockdown of your credit, preventing credit bureaus from sending out your credit report.

  • $1,000,000 Service Warranty

TrustedID back up their protection up with a $1,000,000 service warranty to cover out-of-pocket costs associated with identity theft.

  • On-Call Personal Protection Team

TrustedID’s on-call personal protection team is available to answer questions and move into action if there’s a reason to suspect that an identity has been compromised.

TrustedID’s management team combines dozens of years of experience in the consumer credit, Internet, and consumer security industries. Unlike other identity protection companies, TrustedID was founded by a team of people who came from the worlds of credit and finance.

Identity Theft Protection Scams

Identity theft protection scams have been around for a long time now. Identity thieves are still finding it easy to benefit from using other people’s personal information, which is why the identity theft crime is still very much alive. Sadly, amidst its popularity and the prevalent information the population has against it, there is still a substantial percentage of the population getting fooled and victimized by the crime.

But what you must remember is that you can do something about it. By arming yourself with the important details and updates about the different identity theft scams, you can have a chance at identity theft protection.

One of the most important things that you must know, though, is that apart from stealing your personal information, identity thieves devise various ways of actually getting them from you. This may sound a lot scarier, but, it is true, and you must always be prepared into handling such a situation.

A popular scam you must know so you can have a shot at identity theft protection is the jury duty scam. Thieves will call you (as your phone number can easily be accessed on public listings) and pretend that they are court officials who are not so subtly reminding you that you’ve been summoned to be a part of a jury. Once you’ve protested that there was never any summons for you, they will tell you that there’s a warrant for your arrest because you allegedly skipped out on your jury duty.

And here comes the bad part. Once you’re already protesting that you didn’t receive any notice, they’ll ask you of your Social Security number and birth date, so they can cancel your pending warrant of arrest. And if you fall for that, surely, the misery that identity theft can bring you will start to arrive.

You see, one thing that you need to remember for identity theft protection is that thieves love the phone and scams that use intimidation through the telephone have always been around, so never fall for it. Also, always be wary of people asking you about your personal details through the phone, because you can never be sure about these callers.

So, don’t fall for callers who pretend that they’re from this office, especially from court. This is because court workers will never call you about missed jury duty. Also, never believe anyone who calls and says they have an arrest warrant for you, because it’s pure bogus. Keep in mind that it is protocol that warrants should be issued personally, and any warrant cannot be canceled just by giving out your Social Security number.

What you should do is to not give any information to these callers, one good rule in identity theft protection. Tell them instead that you will just head to their office if they need something from you and settle the matter in person. Remember, in this case of identity theft protection, you should not be intimidated. If you know how the basic things roll, you can’t just be scared by a mysterious caller into giving your personal details up.

Finally, getting proactive identity theft protection is your best defense against identity theft. Checkout our top rated identity theft protection services that help stop identity theft before it happens from TrustedID, LifeLock, Identity Guard, ProtectMyID and ID Patrol from Equifax.

Child Identity Theft Protection

Child identity theft is rapidly rising in numbers, with identity thieves able to easily use children’s credit without it being discovered for years. Child identity theft works the same way as it does for adults: the identity thief acquires a child’s personal information, then creates fraudulent accounts in their name. But because children usually don’t have financial accounts until they are older, no one may find out about the theft for many years, allowing the problems to be greatly compounded. This can result in serious credit problems for any child who becomes a victim of child identity theft.

Child identity theft can be a result of either an isolated incident where a thief gained access to their information through common identity theft methods, or from a breach of security within an office or agency that safeguards personal records. Whichever is the case, child identity theft can still be avoided, and if it should happen, there are a number of things parents can do to restore their children’s names like report any suspicions immediately to government authorities, creditors and the credit bureaus. However, our recommendation for parents is to be proactive by signing up for Child Identity Theft Protection from either TrustedID or LifeLock.

Credit Card Fraud Protection

Credit card fraud has had a devasting impact on the economy, totaling several hundred million dollars of losses annually in the United States, but the increasing use of credit and the proliferation of card-not-present transactions by mail, over the phone, and through the Internet has made credit card fraud a growing risk to both consumers and retailers. The threat is limited, by having good protection processes in place like the personal identification number (PIN), and authorization codes, those three-digit numbers on the backs of cards. Identity theft and higher prices at the checkout are the largest affects on consumers.

How Credit Card Fraud Happens
When it happens to an individual, credit card fraud is one of the worst outcomes for a consumer. Credit card fraud thieves can obtain credit card information in numerous ways, from picking through garbage to obtain credit statements, to high-tech skimmers which work like normal card scanners but store hundreds of card numbers that pass through them. Email phishing, which attempts to solicit credit card information is another typical source. Once the card number is obtained, a copy of the physical card can be made, or the numbers can be simply be used in any number of card-not-present transactions, with gas station pumps and online retailers tending to be among the most popular targets respectively. Though U.S. laws limit the liability of an identity theft victim to $50, the burden of proving theft and the hassle of replacing compromised credit cards can be significantly bothersome and may complicate an individual’s credit score for several years.

Credit Card Fraud Impact
When credit card fraud is identified, the losses to retailers and credit card lenders often well exceeds the liability that is immediately shouldered by the card holder. Though these businesses absorb the initial expense, the costs are ultimately passed back to the consumer as higher prices for everyone. Credit cards accomplish this through higher interest rates and membership fees, or by charging back the amount of the fraud to the merchant. Retailers have little choice but to simply raise their prices. Annually, fraud adds up to anywhere from 10 to 20 cents on every $100 spent, and these amounts are already reflected in prices and rates. As consumers tighten their belts during this recession, fraud may not abet and may actually increase, putting additional strain on the economy. And, since the cost of investigating individual cases of credit card fraud is often higher than the cost of simply writing off the loss and passing off the expense to consumers, there’s little incentive for credit lenders to implement more rigorous fraud protection mechanisms.

Credit Card Fraud Protection Tips

Credit card Fraud victims lose a great deal of time, money and peace of mind. In addition, it can take years to repair damaged credit and your good reputation. Therefore, it is wise to take a few simple credit card fraud protection steps to protect yourself as much as possible before it happens.

  • Keep an eye on your mail. Know when your credit card statements come; pay attention to your finances; obtain a copy of your Equifax 3-1 credit monitoring reports; and make sure you check for fraud regularly.
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