Credit Identity Theft Protection

10 Million Plus Americans Have Their Identities Stolen Every Year

Identity theft is on the rise. With no protection, in the future, U.S. Citizens are facing a high identity theft risk. These crooks are not only opening credit card accounts in your name, they are utilizing counterfeit checks, they are also taking advantage of your utility services, receiving government benefits, making ATM withdrawals, getting loans, obtaining driver's licenses with their own photo, etc.

Beyond Monetary Damages

Having your identity stolen is a life altering situation. It can cause financial hardships, emotional strain and possible criminal charges for acts that you did not commit. You can lose your job, be turned down for loans and it can take years to repair the damage. It is important to educate yourself on the warning signs that your identity has been compromised. Most Americans don’t realize that their identity has been stolen until it’s too late.

Identity Theft Warning Signals

Recognizing the warning signs of identity theft is imperative. The following is a highlight of the more well-known ones:

- Debt collection firms hounding you about debt that isn't yours
- You receive mail or packages not belonging to you
- Negative items in your credit report from unfamiliar companies
- Receiving prank or wrong number calls
- Your mail is late or unusually late or doesn't arrive

Deciding upon a Good Identity Protection Service

The exclusive reason for this site is to offer you an estimation of which identity theft protection services you should select. Several businesses offer insurance, yet they do not all offer trustworthy customer service and security. We've reviewed every well-known credit protection service and have ranked them according to four standards:

Security - This area is very important, and is the main ingredient to find the best identity and credit protection services. These expert companies in identity protection will continuously monitor your personal information, and provide instant fraud alerts.

Reputation - You protect your credit and for good reason, without it you may be turned down in your endeavors. We all depend on our reputations. The same is true for your identity theft protection company, and you should pick a company with a good reputation. We know where those companies are and have listed them here.

Recovery - If the worst happens and someone steals your identity, will this company act quickly enough on your behalf? How quickly can they counteract the damage that can occur almost instantly as criminals abuse your stolen information? How fast can they cancel stolen credit card accounts and protect other financial accounts? Because speed is essential when counteracting identity theft, these are the criteria we have used in making our selections.

Customer Support - Excellent companies know that good customer service is an invaluable part of their business. In the business of identity protection, where a team must be entrusted to shield your identity and safety 24 hours a day, no service could be more important. Above all, rapid communication and responsiveness are a must. We have spent extra time ensuring that firms offer especial excellence in their customer service.

Get the review for a trusted id theft service, Trusted ID.

Identity Theft Prevention Tips

Identity theft costs victims and financial services millions of dollars every year, and once your identity has been compromised it can take a lot of time and effort to regain control and sort out the damage that has been done to your good name.  Anyone can be targeted by identity thieves, regardless of age, sex or circumstance, so it is important that everyone takes steps to protect themselves from this growing crime.

Identity Theft Recovery

There is no 100% guarantee against identity theft so many people feel more secure if they have some kind of financial protection in place from a dedicated identity theft insurance policy, which can help to cover the costs in the event they do become a victim of these crimes.  ID theft insurance is provided privately by a number of leading insurance companies, (some financial account providers are also now offering this service) or as a part of various identity theft protection services such as LifeLock, TrustedID and ID Patrol, and will help to pay for any legal costs, loss of earnings and general fees involved in resolving your case.  These policies do have a number of limitations though, so make sure you check through the full policy carefully to ensure you are getting the type of cover you need.

Identity Theft Protection Services

Several companies offer dedicated identity theft protection services and these can include measures such as:

  • Consumer credit file monitoring – this measure monitors your credit file for any suspicious activity which could indicate thieves are trying to use your personal details to apply for new credit products in your name.
  • Computer Security – companies such as Identity Guard offer additional security software for your home computer to help protect you against thieves and hackers.
  • Online Monitoring – stolen identity is traded online, so several identity protection services provide online monitoring services that will alert you if any of your personal details are appearing on known black market websites.

Identity Theft

Many people carry a lot of important items in their wallet, from cash through to their drivers license and credit cards, so if it gets lost or stolen this can have a significant impact on their day-to-day lives.  If your wallet goes missing then it is important to take prompt action to protect yourself against any potential identity theft crimes, and should report this to the local police immediately (you never know someone might have handed it in).

Insurance Cards
If you lose your insurance card contact your provider immediately and inform them of this so that they can put a flag on your file, and also request a new card to be sent out as soon as possible.

Social Security card
You shouldn’t be carrying around your SSN card unless you really need it, because it can be used by identity thieves for a number of serious fraudulent crimes such as to cover the real identity of illegal immigrants and other ineligible people so that they can apply for jobs or benefits.  If however you do lose your SSN card you should notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on their dedicated ID Theft Hotline-1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), and also contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to request a new card and also a statement of earnings (this will help you to check if anyone has used your number to apply for a job in your name).

Credit/Debit/Store Cards
If any of your plastic cards are stolen you should telephone your providers as soon as possible, as they will be able to cancel them for you almost instantly.  The quicker you do this the more likely you are to avert any fraudulent charges, as once the cards are cancelled they will be useless to the thieves.  You should also report missing checkbooks as quickly as you can, and then the bank will be able to flag up those check numbers that are involved so that they will be able to isolate them if anyone tries to cash or pay for something with them.