Identity Theft Protection Services: Are The Critics Right?
The Truth About Identity Theft Protection Services
If there's an industry that has its critics, it's definitely that of identity theft protection services. The naysayers insist these services can't live up to their promises. Then there are those who swear by them. Who's right and who's wrong? Let's shed some light on the subject.
What They Can't Do
There is one thing identity theft protection services cannot do: they can not assure you'll never become an identity theft victim victim.
Even if you have freezes or fraud alerts on your credit reports, monitor them closely and shred every personal document before you throw it away, you could still become a victim.
The questions are: can they make it less likely to become a victim, how fast will you catch a problem, and how easy will it be to fix it? That's where identity theft protection services come into play.
What They Can Do
Identity theft protection services can reduce your chances of becoming an identity theft victim, help you find out about the crime sooner (rather than later) and help mitigate the damage incurred if you do happen to fall prey.
Those who are protected by identity theft protection services are likely to find out sooner that their identity has been stolen. This allows you to minimize the damage. Some also offer guarantees and insurance policies that help you resolve the situation if your identity is stolen, including any legal fees you incur. And LifeLock guarantees they will spend the time fixing the problem if you do become a victim -- so you don't have to.
So can identity theft protection services completely eliminate your risk of identity theft? No. They can, however, help you nip the crime in the bud if it does happen and can practically eliminate any losses that would be associated with the crime.