Facts About Identity Theft
What is identity theft?
You’ve heard of identity theft, but what does it mean? Identity theft is officially defined as the deliberate assumption of another person’s identity. Going far beyond credit card fraud, identity theft is a rapidly growing crime that most people will face at some point in their lives. In practice, it is a crime where a criminal acquires and uses the victim’s personal information — such as a Social Security or driver’s license number — to take out loans, obtain new credit cards, rent an apartment, purchase a car, run up debt, file for bankruptcy, and other criminal activities. Identity theft can not only damage someone’s creditworthiness, it can also create unknown criminal records that can result in the identity theft victim being wrongly arrested or denied employment upon a routine background check.
How is identity theft different from financial fraud?
The term “financial fraud” covers common credit card, check, and debit card fraud. When a criminal uses your credit cards or debit cards to make a purchase, he or she usually hasn’t assumed your identity. Recovering from financial fraud is relatively easy, since most creditors don’t hold you liable for fraudulent charges.
What is a breach?
A data breach is an incident where personally identifiable information (PII), such as an individual’s name and Social Security number, driver’s license number, medical record, or financial record is potentially put at risk due to exposure.
What personal information is generally taken when a breach occurs?
Generally, personal information such as name, email, passwords, Social Security number, driver’s license number, medical record, as well as financial information like debit and credit card numbers are taken when a breach occurs.
If personal information is taken in a breach, will it be used for identity theft?
Not necessarily, but consumers should take measures to ensure their PII is not used maliciously. IDnotify enables you to do that.
IDnotify Products
What is the enrollment process like?
Enrolling in IDnotify takes just minutes. During the enrollment process, you will be asked to supply some brief personal information so we can confirm that it is secure, and ensure that we monitor the right data.
How do you keep my information safe?
We maintain a highly secure environment with best-in-class security measures and policies in place to ensure the utmost secure handling of all data.
How can I tell if I am a victim of identity theft?
Use IDnotify to monitor both your financial and public record information and look for:
– Unfamiliar criminal records, court records, address information or bankruptcies
– Unexplained charges or withdrawals
– Failing to receive bills or other mail — this may signal an address change initiated by an identity thief
– Being served court papers or arrest warrants for actions you did not commit
– Receiving credit cards for which you did not apply
– Being denied credit for no apparent reason
– Receiving calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you did not buy
Although any of these indications could be a result of a simple clerical error, you should not assume that there’s been a mistake and do nothing. Always follow up with the business or institution to find out.
How can I tell if I am a victim of identity theft?
IDnotify members may contact our specialists, anytime.
Existing Customers
What should I do if I see a mistake on my credit report?
In some cases, the credit reporting agency may commit errors on your report — the incorrect information may simply be a mistake. However, an error on your credit report could indicate that an identity theft event has occurred.
Why is there a difference between my three scores?
Each credit reporting agency generates a score derived from what is reported about you. A creditor may report to one, two, or all three of the national credit bureaus. As a result, the information one credit bureau has may be different than another, resulting in a different credit score.
What time range does my initial credit report cover?
Your credit report includes data from the date your credit file was first established. This could span more than 25 years.
Where does Internet Surveillance data come from?
This data comes from public and criminal Internet properties including forums and websites, IRC channels, search engine queries, social networks, peer-to-peer sources, hidden and anonymous web services, malware samples, botnets, and torrent sources.
What time range does my initial Identity Report cover?
Your first report will include data from the previous 8 years. This means that the Internet surveillance tool searches the prior 8 years of data records for a match to the personal information we are monitoring for you.
What does it mean when I receive a notification?
IDnotify tracks Internet activity for signs that the personal information you’ve asked us to monitor is being traded or sold. If our surveillance technology has discovered information on the Internet that is a match to your monitored identity elements, you will be notified and provided with clear instructions about what to do next.
What if the notification I receive references only some of the personal information IDnotify is tracking?
It is safe to assume that if some of your information is compromised, all of it is. Even if only some of your personal information has been detected, it is recommended that you contact support — and/or immediately make a change to your account information yourself, if possible. For example, immediately change the password to your email account, and call us.
Where does Change of Address Monitoring data come from?
Mail Change Monitoring watches for changes in address that have been processed through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Change of Address Monitoring does not include UPS or FedEx-only addresses or private mailboxes. This information is not available to consumers on their own.
What records does Sex Offender Monitoring search for my personal information?
Sex Offender Monitoring tracks the national Sex Offender Registry (SOR). It searches a database of over 1.8 million records from 49 state registries as well as Washington DC, Native American reservations, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Mississippi does not allow access to its records, but information about sex offenders in this state are still included in our database when offenders have moved there from other states.
Are all sex offenders required to register in the national Sex Offender Registry (SOR)?
Not all criminals convicted of a sex-related offense are required to register with the SOR. The SOR includes only those offenders who were ordered to register via a criminal court case in their jurisdiction. Sex offenders who were not ordered to register with the SOR would still appear in a criminal records database, and could have an offense description indicating a sex crime.
What records does Financial Account Takeover search for my personal information?
This service monitors your personal information against transactions from hundreds of financial institutions across all 50 states, including:
– Broad monitoring network, including the top 10 regional banks and credit unions
– Bank of America, BB&T, Capitol One, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo
– Visa and MasterCard
– 49.6 million new credit and demand deposit accounts new inquires annually
How soon will I receive a Financial Account Takeover if my personal information is found compromised?
This service monitors your name and SSN, and will notify you daily if unusual or high-risk activity is detected. If detected, you will receive the following notifications:
– Bank Account Application Notification – If your personal information has been used to apply for a new bank account, you will receive this notification and instructions on what to do next.
– Bank Account Opening Notification — If your personal information has been used to open a new bank account, you will receive this notification and instructions on what to do next.
– Bank Account Takeover Notification — If changes to account contact information or attempts to add new account holders are detected, you will receive this notification and instructions on what to do next.
– Credit Card Application Notification – If your personal information has been used to apply for a new credit card, you will receive this notification and instructions on what to do next.
– Credit Card Opening Notification– If your personal information has been used to open a new credit card account, you will receive this notification and instructions on what to do next.
What records does Court Records and Bookings Monitoring search for my personal information?
Court Records and Bookings Monitoring searches court records and bookings data sourced from the following places:
– Over 509 million records mapping to federal, state, city, and county level jurisdictions
– Over 60 million incarceration records spread across 2,100 police organizations covering over 70% of national bookings
– 99 million Department of Corrections (DOC) parole, probation, and incarceration records
– Over 4.9 million warrant records. 98 county, state and city level warrants reporting 664 of 3,248 counties in 50 states and Puerto Rico
– Over 9 million arrest records
– Over 330 thousand government records, such as Most Wanted and terrorist lists
What if I see court records or bookings data in the report that isn’t mine?
False matches can occur when another individual has the same name and/or date of birth as you. If this is the case, it is something that can be resolved on your behalf by member support. If identity theft is indeed confirmed, a dedicated specialist will help you resolve the identity theft abuse or breach.
How soon will I receive a notification after a new court record is entered or a booking incident occurs?
You should see a notification within a month from the date a new court record is entered, and between 36-48 hours after the booking incident occurs.
What time range does my initial Court Records and Booking Monitoring status check cover?
Your initial report includes court records and bookings data from the past 10 years.
What is a payday loan?
A payday loan, also known as a non-credit or quick-cash loan, is a type of short-term borrowing where an individual borrows a small amount at a very high interest rate. Non-Credit Loan Monitoring notifies you if this type of loan has been opened using an element of your identity.
How many non-credit loan establishments does Non-Credit Loan Monitoring status check cover?
Non-Credit Loan Monitoring gets data from 23 of the top 25 payday lenders.
What time range does my initial Non-Credit Loan Monitoring status check cover?
Your first Non-Credit Loan Monitoring status check includes data from the past 2 years.
What do I do if there is a name or address in the Social Security Number Trace status check that I don’t recognize?
If your status check contains names and/or addresses that are not familiar to you, there is probably an error in credit header data. If this is the case, it is something that can be resolved on your behalf by member support. If identity theft is indeed confirmed, a dedicated specialist will help you resolve the identity theft abuse or breach.
What time range does my first Social Number Trace status check cover?
Your first Social Security Number Trace status check looks at data beginning from the date your SSN first became associated with credit header data. This could be as early as when you were born and issued an SSN.
Where does Child Monitoring data come from?
This data comes from public and criminal Internet properties including forums and websites, IRC channels, search engine queries, social networks, peer-to-peer sources, hidden and anonymous web services, malware samples, botnets, and torrent sources.
What time range does my initial Child Monitoring status check cover?
Your first Child Monitoring status check includes data from the previous 8 years. This means that our tool searches the prior 8 years of records it has collected for a match to your child’s personal information.
Do you need my account numbers to cancel my cards if my wallet is lost?
No. Our specialists will personally assist in contacting your bank or creditor to cancel your lost or stolen cards. These entities will be able to locate your account by verifying other forms of PII, and specialists may utilize Limited Power of Attorney (LPOA) to do this on your behalf.
How will IDnotify help me restore my identity if I become a victim of identity theft?
As specialists, we’ll help you determine if an identity theft event has occurred and guide you through any necessary restoration activities. We may take the following actions on your behalf:
– Contact your credit card issuer or banking institution
– Review your credit report for indications of identity theft
– Place a fraud alert or security freeze with the three credit bureaus
Is there a deductible when using Identity Theft Insurance?
No – this is a $0 deductible service.
What expenses are covered?
Visit Summary of Benefits to view policy details.