Take Control of Your Identity

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America, with the number of victims increasing 37% in the past two years according to a February 2010 survey report by Javelin Strategy & Research on identity fraud. But you don’t have to be next. LifeLock, the trusted leader in identity theft protection, offers these six simple steps you can take to help avoid the hours, dollars, and headache it can take to repair the damage of identity theft.

  1. Order all three free credit reports. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com at least once a year to check your reports for any suspicious activity. Some companies try to lure you in with promises of a free credit report and then charge you a fee. You DO NOT need to use a credit card to get your free report.

    2. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America.

  2. Don’t let your mail sit in the mailbox. Junk mail, bank statements, bills, pre-approved credit offers, and W-2s all contain the personal information that a thief would need to impersonate you. Don’t give them the chance. Be sure to pick up your mail as soon as it’s delivered or have it delivered to a locked box.
  3. Verify your statements as soon as you receive them. As soon as you receive your monthly statement, reconcile it against your receipts. And if you find even the smallest discrepancy, notify your bank or credit card company immediately.
  4. Use a shredder. All read mail should go through the shredder before it goes to the trash. Though identity theft is steadily transferring to online forums, some identity theft is still done by trash digging.
  5. Protect your Social Security number. Don’t carry your Social Security card with you or give out your Social Security number if it’s not necessary. If a business, doctor, or financial institution asks for your social, ask why they need it and see if it’s possible to substitute another identifier.
  6. Let experts protect you. While preventative measures can be done by anyone, nothing can stop all identity theft. Credit monitoring only alerts you after someone has misused your identity, but many companies do exist to provide consumers with expertise in helping protect your identity. When selecting one of these companies, make sure that they provide convenience, support, protection, and a guarantee that will aid you if you do become a victim.

Through the AIA Trust,  LifeLock is providing a 30% discount for all AIA members on LifeLock’s identity theft protection service annual fee.

LifeLock uses the industry’s most advanced tools to help stop identity theft before it happens – even if your information falls into the wrong hands. As a LifeLock member, if you become a victim of identity theft because of a failure in LifeLock service, LifeLock will help you fix it at their expense, up to $1,000,000. (Restrictions apply. See lifelock.com for details. Due to New York State law restrictions, the LifeLock $1 Million Total Service Guarantee cannot be offered to the residents of New York.)

Help protect your identity today. Visit www.lifelock.com or call 1-800-LifeLock (543-3562) and  use promotion code ‘AIA’ to take advantage of your 30% discount now.