Professional Identity Theft Protection

Identity theft is a complicated crime. You can raise your awareness on the matter, but you are limited in the extent of your knowledge as a consumer. It’s probably safe to say a skilled identity theft knows more about it than you ever will. Not to mention the fact that giving your personal information the vigilance required to prevent identity theft would take an endless amount of time and effort. That is why professional identity theft protection exists—to do the work for you to lock out identity theft for good.

Identity Theft Protection: How It Works

Identity theft prevention specialists usually take very specific, immediate steps to lock out identity theft from your life. Here is what happens:

1. The company will establish fraud alerts with the credit bureaus. A fraud alert forces anyone (banks, credit card companies, cell phone companies) who wants to do anything with your credit to go to great lengths to verify the identity of the person initiating the transaction. Typically, they do this by phoning you at the number you tell the prevention company to give out.
2. After 90 days, the company will again contact the credit bureaus to set fraud alerts on your behalf. They will do this automatically every 90 days unless your situation changes or you no longer want them to.
3. The company requests removal of your name from “junk mail” and credit card pre-approval lists because this is one of the most common sources of identity theft. Not to mention the fact that all that junk mail is just a hassle.
4. Every year, the company will order your free credit report from all three major credit bureaus and have it sent directly to you.
5. One of the biggest advantages to professional identity theft protection is what happens in the unlikely event your identity is stolen while you’re a client. A good company will hire any and all types of professionals you might need to make the situation right: lawyers, accountants, case managers, investigators, etc. A good company should also be willing to spend a certain amount of money, sometimes up to $1,000,000, to recover your identity.

In addition to everything listed above, the company will offer support to you if you have any questions or concerns along the way. In essence, identity theft prevention companies guard your good name for you, so you can stop looking over your shoulder. They also are your safety net in the event that anything ever happens to your identity. Think of them as a combination credit watchdog/identity theft service guarantee company that exists solely to lock out identity theft from your life.