One of our insurance carriers recently introduced an unbelievable bargain. Identity Recovery Insurance Coverage for only $20/year. For most clients, it’s not even a question. It’s an incredible deal for a coverage we all need.
With identity theft being one of the fastest growing “white-collar” type crimes, it’s a huge exposure for anyone. Others can steal your identity faster than you might imagine. Fixing the mess is a headache that can be minimized by having someone with experience on your side. Our coverage rider provides that “caseworker” to help clean up the problem.
The most important thing we stress is to prevent it. Do all you can to protect your identity.
- Guard your personal information.
- Shred or burn personal documents; trash is not safe. There are people who go through trash just for this purpose!
- Don’t put outgoing mail into a mailbox where it can “sit” all day and be taken. Drop it in a community mailbox or to the post office.
- Consider renting a post office box for incoming mail if your mail sits in your mailbox for an extended part of the day. If it’s delivered at 2pm and you arrive home at 5pm, that’s three whole hours where someone could take your bills and learn your credit card numbers!
- Be smart about what you leave on the kitchen counter. If you have cleaning staff, workers, or even your kids’ after-school crowd, make sure the Visa bill isn’t laying around. Same thing for paystubs, tax documents, etc.
- Guard your purse and/or wallet. Ladies, never hang your purse behind you on the back of your chair. Keep it on your lap or on the floor between your feet.
- Wait til the server takes your signed credit card receipt from you. Don’t leave it on the table and walk out. Sometimes the whole credit card number is displayed!
- With smartphones, be smart about what’s stored on the unit. If you lose it, how much information is really “out there” for the folks who may find it? Same goes for laptops!
- Lock your car, every time. We fail to realize how much personal information is in the glovebox, in the console, or in the ashtray. Receipts are an identity thief’s dream come true. Don’t make it easy!
Can you think of any other tips to share?