Do you need identity theft protection insurance? A few years ago, over 143 million Americans had their personal information exposed and stolen as a result of the recent Equifax breach. This latest breach is a good reminder of how important your identity is and how easy it can be stolen. There are a number of things you can do to reduce the likelihood of an identity theft.
There are different kinds of identity coverage that you may want to consider. Your personal or business insurance may or may not cover some level of identity theft. Call our office to get a free identity theft protection insurance review.
Identify Theft Insurance – Identity theft insurance provides reimbursement to crime victims for the cost of restoring their identity and repairing credit reports. This type of identity theft protection insuranceinsurance can:
- Pay for expenses incurred in the identity recovery process.
- Pay a specific amount of lost wages and time needed to take off from work as a result of handling your identity fraud claim.
- Cover attorney fees to defend you against lawsuits resulting from identity fraud.
Identity Monitoring and Restoration Services– There are other programs like Lifelock that go beyond identity theft insurance and actually monitor your credit and help you work to necessary to restore your credit. These kinds of services offer a fee and may do some or all of the following.
- Identity restoration
- Identity or credit monitoring
- Reimbursement for lost funds
- Alerts if personal information has been breached
- Child protection
To fully protect your identity, you may need a combination of insurance, monitoring and restoration services. Also, if your identity is stolen as a result of a breach from a third party, like your credit card company, they will have a legal obligation and may offer identity restoration help.
Here are a few ways to reduce your chances of having your identity stolen.
- Keep your computer software up-to-date.
- Use strong passwords and change them regularly.
- Use the latest security software.
- Keep all important documents under lock and key.
- Do not over-share your activity on social media.
- Check your credit report annually.
- Always take credit card or ATM receipts.
- Never use your computer on an open network.
- Reduce your junk email by opting out of offers you do not need.
- Never open an email from a source you do not know.
- Always destroy your paper mail before you place it in the garbage.
- Never give your personal information to a phone solicitor.
Contact Us today for a free quote!