Identity Theft and the related fraud have become epidemic. Whether you use your credit card to pay for purchases at a mall, to pay for accommodations or shop online, you are at risk. In fact, even if you don't use a credit card at all, you are still at risk because your social security number, address and other personal information are available from a plethora of sources.
The startling fact is that 1 out of every 37 U.S. citizens is affected by ID theft or other actions that compromise their credit every year. Could you be next?
Most of us are not adequately protected. Sure, it's important to shred unsolicited credit card applications and other sensitive personal information, but the reality is that our information is so widely disbursed that we cannot control its availability. So another option is needed to keep us from being victimized.
So, what's the solution?
The best solution is to put a freeze on what thieves can do with your information. The proverbial "horse" (your information) is already out of the barn, so to speak. We can never reclaim that information from all of the places it is now. Everybody from your employer, to the hospital, to banks, to credit card companies, to service providers have part or all of the information needed to open accounts in our names, obtain credit, and so on.
What we need to be able to do is stop them from using it. In order words, we must make the information useless in the wrong hands. Credit bureaus offer us a temporary solution by allowing each individual to put a flag on their account. The flag, however, only lasts for 60 days. Then in must be renewed.
Imagine the task of remembering to renew the action on your credit bureau file every 60 days, multiplied by 3 credit bureaus. And this must be done 3 times for each individual in your household/family. Oh yes! That every member of your household, even your youngest children. Identity thieves love to use children who have perfect credit.
So how can you make your ID information useless... and still have a life? The answer lies in a company and product called LifeLock(TM). These folks have devised a system that places a continual "lock" on your credit information at all of the major credit bureaus. This means no one can open an account in your name without your knowledge and approval. You are contacted personally to get your okay.
In fact, this company is so sure of its product that it is backed by a 1 million dollars guarantee. Now that's a real guarantee.
Without locking your credit files, it's not a matter of IF your identity will be stolen or compromised. It is simply a matter of when. It can happen at any moment. It will likely happen when you least expect it. Perhaps, it will occur when you are on vacation, only to be discovered when you return home to find collection notices or unexplained bills. It may happen at a most inopportune time when you are attending to pressing family matters that you simply cannot walk away from at that moment.
One thing is for sure: Whether you consider your credit as great, good, fair, or poor, thieves view it as FREE gold. They want to use it for all its worth. After all, it is FREE money to them... at your expense.
So whenever your credit is compromised, you will bear the trauma, horror and frustration. You will also bear the financial cost of putting your life back together.
That is unless you have LifeLock(TM). For pennies a day, you can have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your ID and credit files are LOCKED shut unless you affirmatively open them on a transaction by transaction basis. You never that to worry about being the victim of Identity Theft. What a wonderful feeling. And you don't have to be a slave to your credit by writing the credit bureaus every 60 days. (What a drag that would be!)
Think about it. You insure your car that has a very small chance of being stolen or damaged. You provide insurance for your home or apartment that is most likely never be needed. Millions upon millions of dollars are spent for home burglar alarm systems and monitoring. This is money well spent but home burglaries are a drop in the bucket when compared to stolen identities.
Why wouldn't you provide the same level of protection for something that is much more valuable than your car or home? Your good name and credit reputation are priceless. Once stolen, the results can be catastrophic. And the price of restoring them can be astronomical.
The question is simple: Why take the chance when you can protect your credit identity for just a few pennies per day? Remember, it is not a question of IF your ID will be stolen or compromised. The question is WHEN.
The cost of the best coverage available is just $10 a month. What else could you spend that small amount for and derive such important benefits? In my book, joining LifeLock is a kind of "no-brainer" when you consider the danger that it mitigates. Your credit identity will be locked. Period.
