You Protect Your Home – Now, Protect Your Identity
Practice these safety tips and add Preferred Mutual’s Identity Fraud Expense Coverage to your property insurance policy today!
It can take months to untangle the web of fake accounts. It can also take a lot of money and can cost you emotional distress, too. There are ways to prevent identity theft, though! Read on to learn how you can protect yourself!
To the bad guys, you’re nothing but a number. At Preferred Mutual, we recognize how simple actions can make major differences in the securing your accounts and your sanity. Constant vigilance is the only way to stay ahead of the criminals determined to ascertain your personal identity information. Here are some of the experts’ favorite tactics and ways you can thwart them!
FREEZE IT
If you are not planning on opening up any new accounts, buying a car, or applying for a mortgage, placing a credit report freeze is one of the most effective methods you can take to defend against new-account fraud. The freeze only works if you apply it to your records at all three major credit bureaus, though!
You aren’t freezing your credit cards; just your credit report! This means you won’t be able to open up any accounts until you request to reverse it! The goal is to prevent unwanted accounts opening in your name.
TRACK IT
Set up alerts on all your cards and bank accounts, so that any time there is action on the card over a certain limit, you’ll receive a notification from your banking institution! Can that get cumbersome to receive so many notifications on a daily, weekly and monthly basis? It could be, but it can save you a much bigger headache later!
If a charge looks unfamiliar, don’t hesitate – call your bank or credit card company immediately!
REVIEW IT
By checking your credit report regularly, you’ll be aware of changes to basic elements like your address, information requests from credit-granting entities that you did not authorize, etc. Annually is good, but staggering the three major credit reporting bureaus every few months is great!
Consider pulling all of them at once to establish a baseline and then begin staggering pulling the reports over the next year!
COVER IT
With Preferred Mutual’s Identity Fraud Expense Coverage, restoring your identity doesn’t have to cost you hundreds of hours and dollars. When you add Identity Fraud Expense Coverage to your existing property insurance policy (including Homeowners’, Renters’ and Condo), not only are you reimbursed for certain related expenses, but you have Preferred Mutual’s personal assistance to help you save time, money and avoid aggravation because we understand what you are facing and can provide you with peace of mind.
Practice these safety tips and add Preferred Mutual’s Identity Fraud Expense Coverage to your property insurance policy today!
This information is intended for educational purposes only and is not legal advice and/or an authoritative guide.