IDENTIGUARD Identity Theft Protection

Identity Theft is a Serious Problem

Identity theft protection is becoming a crime of epidemic proportions. Last year nearly 9 million Americans were victims of identity theft. From January of 2005 through August, 2009 over 260 million consumer records have been compromised.

Since it doesn't cost a thief anything to store your stolen social security number, sometimes they wait years before they begin using your social security number to steal your identity. You need to protect your identity like you insure your home and car.

After the thief has made a decision to use your information, victims typically don't know they've been victimized until an average of nine months after the thief has actually started using your identity.

It takes an average of 300 hours and up to 44 months to correct problems associated with identity theft such as credit damage and legal issues. Can you be without credit for years?

One of the fastest growing forms of identity theft is the non-financial exposure such as: employment/IRS fraud, medical fraud, and false arrest as a result of crimes committed by someone who has assumed your identity. This can result in your going to jail. Of course, these types of identity theft will cost you money as well.

IDENTIGUARD is the Solution

IDENTIGUARD™ is a powerful system that protects your identity from potential misuse before you become a victim or catches it in its earliest stages. IDENTIGUARD™ scans hundreds of financial and non-financial data sources searching for suspicious activity that may indicate the beginning steps of identity theft.

Benefits of Being a Part of the IDENTIGUARD Program

Catching identity thieves early in the process minimizes your time spent and money lost correcting fraudulent activity. Detecting a theft in process within the first 30 days usually results in less than 10 hours of work to repair.

IDENTIGUARD™ offers you peace of mind knowing that if someone does try to assume your identity you'll catch it before it becomes an expensive, time consuming legal battle.

Understand the Crime so You can Outsmart the Criminal

Once thieves steal your social security number, they are able to use your identity and your good credit. This is the most serious form of identity theft, called identity assumption. With your social security number, a thief can now set up bogus bank, credit card, and cell phone accounts. They can even obtain employment, get medical treatment using your information or even commit crimes in your name. Then, by redirecting the billing information for these new accounts to his address, not yours, the thief delays you for up to nine months from knowing that fraudulent activity is occurring in your name. Hiding address changes from you is crucial to the identity thief's success. Finding these address changes along with other suspicious activity and alerting you is our job allowing us to protect you and your identity.

Here's How it Works!

IDENTIGUARD™ uses your identifying information (name and address) to search hundreds of different data sources at daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly intervals. Data sources include, but are not limited to:

All 3 credit bureaus
Financial institutions
Insurance groups
Cell phone detail
White and yellow pages
Real property records
Subscriptions

When key indicators of identity theft are detected, you'll be immediately notified via personal phone call. If you have initiated the changes you'll do nothing. If you did not initiate the change, this is your warning that someone may be trying to steal your identity. In such an event, an IDENTIGUARD™ customer service agent will provide you with the information that you need to protect yourself.