The identity theft criminal has many ways to abuse your personal information and utility fraud is one of their favorite schemes. Utility fraud is currently rated the number two type of fraud in the United States and is actually higher then credit card fraud in certain states. Utility fraud is relatively easy to commit and is the practice of an identity thief using your personal information to obtain utility accounts such as gas, electric, water and sewer, cable, and other services. The thief can also setup telecommunication accounts such a home or cell phone and in many cases a thief needs only your name, address and phone number to commit utility fraud. About 15 percent of senior victims report that an identity thief obtained unauthorized telecommunications or utility equipment or services in their name. In order to avoid utility fraud it is imperative that you keep a tight rein on all of your personal information. Burn or shred any documents or mail with your personal information on it instead of putting it in the trash as many thieves are not above dumpster diving.
LifeLock is one of the biggest identity theft protection companies in the world and serves both individuals and businesses. The company is based in Tempe, Arizona and was founded in 2005. LifeLock is funded by private equity investment and venture funds and is currently being valued in excess of $40 million and is well-poised to earn the leadership position in identity theft protection services. LifeLock is a private company and has no plans to go public at this time. It is using its revenues to both improve its program and also make the public more aware of the identity theft crime.
LifeLock is so sure of its ability to stop anyone from using stolen information, it backs its service with a $1 million guarantee and the companies CEO even gives out his social security number as proof of his confidence in the LifeLock program. The company is well funded and has never had a client’s identity stolen and is the leading provider of identity theft prevention services. LifeLock is now providing Veterans the opportunity to take control of their information through a free and reduced-cost.
LifeLock is an anti-identity theft program that specialize in preventing identity theft. LifeLock is said to stop junk mail, pre-approved credit card offers, and takes a proactive stance versus the normal reactive method that most companies use. LifeLock states that its program will contact you before your credit is tarnished while most other programs only contact you after the fact. The LifeLock program takes steps so that your credit and personal identification is continuously monitored meaning that you are notified whenever there is any suspicious activity with your credit, social security number, and bank accounts. One problem with this method is that you, as well as thieves, may find it difficult to secure credit but LifeLock states that this is necessary to protect your credit and that they will be available to speak with any creditor you are having difficulties with.
LifeLock starts protecting you by contacting the four major credit bureaus and submitting a 90 day fraud alert in your name. This means that nobody, including you, will be able to obtain credit without an alert being sent to you. When someone sets up a fraud alert with a credit reporting agency, the alert will automatically expire in 90 days but LifeLock states that it will automatically renew the alert before it expires and you will be continuously protected. LifeLock also provides you a copy of your credit report four times a year and monitors for any new bank accounts set up in your name. If you fully understand the dangers of identity theft and realize that you could be a victim, you may well be wondering how to join such a program and if you really need to.
Joining LifeLock requires no contract so you may cancel at any time if you are not completely satisfied. This program appears to be relatively inexpensive at $10 a month or $100 per year for adults and $25 a year for your children. You may be wondering why you would want to register your children with LifeLock but the fact of the matter is that children under 18 are great targets for identity theft thieves because nearly any child living in the United States has a social security number that an identity theft thief can steal and any suspicious activity will normally not be caught until the child reaches the age of 18. You may be wondering if a program such as LifeLock is really necessary or if you can take steps on your own to protect yourself. The truth is that you can do all of the things that LifeLock does on your own for free but doing so will eat up your resources, time, and leave you wondering if the steps you took will be effective. LifeLock claims that it offers a service of convenience, eliminating the hassle of you dealing with the details, and eliminating the stress of not knowing if you are truly safe. LifeLock also offers the advantage of acting in your behalf or hiring someone to represent you if the program fails and you actually do become a victim of identity theft.
If you are ready to take charge of your pesonal identification then click here to join the LifeLock program today.
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