Identity Theft
Marshall & Sterling is National ID Recovery's Exclusive NYS Representative
We've all heard the horror stories about how difficult it is recovering from having your name, Social Security number, or credit card numbers stolen. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year.
What is Identity Theft Recovery?
Identity Theft Recovery refers to the process someone has to go through to clear their personal records and credit reports of any fraudulent information that may be of a direct result of Identity Theft. This process, if done manually, can take as much as 500 hours and more than $3,000 to resolve. Having National ID Recovery can minimize the time spent by you - the victim - to just a few hours.
Federal Trade Commission statistics show that:
Identity Theft affected over 9 million peopleEstimated cost to individuals - over $5 billion
Estimated cost to businesses - over $48 billion
Recovery for do-it-yourselfers
Cost more than $3,100 per victim - National ID Recovery costs pennies a day.
Takes more than 300 hours over many months to resolve the fraud. National ID Recovery can save hundreds of hours and frustration addressing a highly complex problem while allowing employees to maintain focus at work and increase productivity.
Program Highlights:
Fully Managed Identity Theft Recovery with Limited Power of Attorney
Toll Free Access to our trained paralegal staff
Credit Monitoring Assistance
If Identity Theft occurs, Fraud Alerts to the three major credit bureaus
Complete documentation and archival of recovery process
Progress Reports and Post-Recovery Follow Up
Coverage extends to household family members with dependency as defined by the IRS
Covers Pre-existing Unknown Identity Theft
Complete Administration of this program by NIDR - educational materials, billing
of services,toll free assistance for any questions the client may have on their credit reports, even if no identity theft has occurred.
Steps You can Take to Help Minimize the Risk of Identity Theft.
Mail
Check your home mailbox daily and drop your outgoing mail into a secure postal mail box only. Also, pay attention to your billing cycles; identity thieves may change your billing address, so a late bill may indicate a problem.
Personal items
Carry only what you need in your wallet or purse and keep an itemized list of those items on paper. In the event of a mishap, you'll know who should be notified and the phone numbers to call to cancel the accounts.
If your wallet is lost or stolen:
Call your credit card company immediately and have that particular card cancelled.
File a police report in the jurisdiction in which your property was stolen. This will
help provide proof of immediate action to your credit card providers.
Call the three national credit-reporting organizations as well as the Social Security
Administration so that a fraud alert can be placed on your name and Social Security number. By doing so, any company that checks your credit will know to contact you by phone before approving any credit transactions.
The numbers to call are:
Equifax: 1.888.202.4025
Experian: 1.888.EXPERIAN
TransUnion: 1.877.322.8228
Social Security Administration: 1.800.772.1213
Personal information
Give out on a “need to know” basis only, and only to legitimate businesses. Omit your Social Security number and driver's license number on your bank checks. If required to use your Social Security number as an account number, request an alternate identifier. Finally, invest in a shredder for destroying documents that contain personal information.
Computer
Regularly update your virus protection software or use a firewall program. Before you dispose of your old computer, delete personal information by using a “wipe” utility program to “clean” all the information off your hard drive.
Review your credit history annually
It can take months to learn that someone has applied for credit in your name. To stay up-to-date on your credit history, review your credit record at least once a year.
