The ABC's of Prevention

When you choose an identity theft prevention company, your service will immediately take certain steps to protect your good name. Here is how identity theft prevention works with most companies.

1. Fraud alerts are set on your behalf. Your identity theft prevention company will first ask the credit bureaus to set fraud alerts on your credit reports. This forces anyone who wants to do anything with your credit to go to great pains to verify the identity of the person initiating the transaction. For example, if someone were to apply for a credit card in your name, the application would not be processed until you personally verified the legitimacy of the transaction. The identity theft prevention company will reset the fraud alerts every 90 days until you tell them otherwise.
2. Your name is removed from junk mail lists forever. The next step your identity theft prevention company will take is to remove your name from junk mail and credit card pre-approval lists. These kinds of mail are prime targets for identity thieves, not to mention a huge nuisance to have to shred. In a few weeks, you should notice your junk mail dwindle down to nothing.
3. Free credit reports are ordered and mailed to you. Your identity theft prevention company will automatically order your credit reports from all three credit bureaus and have the reports sent directly to you. This way, you can stay on top of any changes to your credit and detect signs of identity theft early.
4. Lost or stolen wallet? No problem. If your wallet is lost or stolen, your identity theft prevention company will help you cancel all the accounts/credit cards you kept in the wallet and help you order replacement cards as well.
5. One million dollars' worth of peace of mind. Your identity theft prevention company will back their services with a service guarantee. Some companies offer to reimburse you up to $1,000,000 for your expenses in the event you fall victim to identity theft while you are a client.