Protect the Ones You Love from Identity Theft

Everyone from toddlers to seniors are vulnerable to identity theft, which is troubling because the very young and very old are less likely to be aware of how to safeguard their identities. Even people who are technically savvy, and cautious about sharing their information, can be victims of identity theft.

Help protect your family from identity theft with these tips:

• Buy a shredder—Bank statements, tax returns, and any records that contain personal identification information should be shredded before you throw them out.
• Lock up sensitive documents—Your family’s Social Security cards, birth certificates and passports should be hidden in a safe secure location, away from prying eyes.
• Keep an eye on the URL—It’s easy to fall victim to identity theft when you visit non-secure websites. Make sure you see https:// in the URL before you enter your password or other sensitive information. Unsecured websites will not have the “s,” so simply http:// in the URL.
• Check credit reports—The FTC recommends that everyone over the age of 16 check to see if they have a credit report and inspect it for accounts that shouldn’t be there.
• Enroll your whole family in an Identity Guard Premier Family Plan—everyone who lives at your address is included.

The Family plan allows each adult in the family to have their own private account that other adults on the plan won’t see. Children’s accounts are managed by a parent.

Do you worry that your kids could be bullied on social media, and you’d have no way to know? The Identity Guard Family Plan has an option to register your child’s social media login credentials, so artificial intelligence from IBM can keep tabs on what’s happening. Your children will be able to socialize without you watching—unless things get out of control. In that case, you will receive an alert, with an excerpt of the incident that appears to be cyberbullying.

Adults can enter their own social media credentials and receive a Social Insight report that evaluates their online image and suggests ways to improve it.

All family members can also check their credit reports with the three major credit bureaus, receive threat alerts generated by IBM Watson®, and receive activity alerts if someone tries to get a loan or a credit card in their name.

It’s a great way to show your family how much you love them.

Say “I love you” today by getting your whole family covered under the Identity Guard Family Plan.