Does Identity Guard have a toll-free phone number to call for more information?

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January 24th, 2012 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  Does Identity Guard have a toll-free phone number to call for more information?

A:  Yes, Identity Guard does have a toll-free phone number you can call for more information about their product: 1-855-727-5801. Identity Guard customer service representatives are available via that phone number from 8am to 8pm EST Monday through Friday. This is a dedicated line for NextAdvisor readers, so you'll still be able to get the free 30-day trial AND 25% off the subscription price (bringing price down to $14.99/mo) of top-rated Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® when you call in.

Zappos hack exposes passwords for 24 million customers

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January 17th, 2012 - Posted by Tasha

Last Sunday night Zappos.com, the online retailer of shoes and clothing owned by Amazon.com, had its server hacked. The hackers gained access to the personal information of its 24 million customers, including name, email address, billing and shipping address, phone number, the last four digits of their credit card number, and a "cryptographically scrambled" version of their website password. (Note: the database that stores critical credit card and other payment data was NOT affected or accessed.)

Although the actual stolen passwords were encrypted, it is possible for the hackers to unencrypt them. Zappos advised that if customers use the same password for multiple websites, like Amazon or eBay, those accounts may also be at risk, and they recommended that you change your password on any other web site where you use the same or a similar password. Zappos also expired all 24 million customer passwords for their own website, asking customers to visit Zappos.com and create a new password.

While creating a new password may seem like the end of troubles for Zappos.com customers, the amount of personal information the hackers were able to access is disturbing.  Stephen B. Wicker, Cornell professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering who focuses on networking technology and law has this to say about it:  "Large databases of consumer information can be used for identity theft…..information about a customer can be used to ‘de-anonymize’ other databases on other Web sites, further invading customer privacy. Correlation attacks enabled by such data have been shown to strip anonymity from NetFlix, AOL and other databases that were assumed safe."  Additionally, just by using a customer's email address and some other personal information like their shipping address, identity thieves can run phishing schemes to trick customers into providing more personal information like their password or credit card number.

If you're concerned about the amount of personal information you may have floating around on the Internet, we recommend signing up for a good identity theft protection service. Many of these services will monitor the Internet black market, public records and other locations for the suspicious use of your personal information.  We particularly like Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION®, and right now Identity Guard is offering a free 30-day trial and 25% off the subscription price to NextAdvisor readers.

Will enrolling with TrustedID prevent my husband from accessing the bank accounts we share as joint account holders?

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January 10th, 2012 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  I have just enrolled in TrustedID identity theft protection. My husband is a joint account holder on the bank and credit union accounts. He's worried he'll get blocked from using his cards on the accounts – will he?

A:  TrustedID's identity theft protection service will not prevent your husband from using his bank or credit union accounts. That's because TrustedID doesn't monitor the activity within your bank account, but instead scans for the fraudulent use of your bank account number(s) in hundreds of public record databases and the Internet black market. If any unusual activity is detected you'll be alerted. To activate this functionality make sure to enter your bank and credit union account numbers into your online TrustedID account when you enroll (or you can login post-enrollment and add it).

TrustedID doesn't just monitor your bank account number though, read our TrustedID review to learn more about the service and how it helps protect you from identity theft. Right now NextAdvisor readers can even receive a special deal, getting a free 14-day trial and 10% off the subscription price, bringing the cost down to $9.38 per month (w/annual prepay).

Does Lifelock protect my bank account?

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January 9th, 2012 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  Does Lifelock protect my bank account?

A:  Lifelock does help protect your bank account from fraudulent use (and a whole lot more – see our Lifelock review for details). The basic Lifelock service will monitor the Internet black market for fraudulent usage of your bank account number and alert you if it occurs.You'll be prompted to enter your personal information during enrollment, so make sure to add your bank account numbers if you want to monitor for them.

Their enhanced Lifelock Ultimate service includes Internet black market monitoring, plus additional protection for your bank accounts. Lifelock Ultimate scans for changes to contact information on your existing checking and savings accounts, thus helping reduce account takeover by alerting you when your account holder information changes. It will also alert you if new checking or savings account are opened in your name.

We really like Lifelock (and Lifelock Ultimate) as an identity theft protection service. And right now Lifelock is offering NextAdvisor readers a free 30-day trial as well as 10% off, so it's a great time to try it out at no charge.

Will TrustedID identity theft protection prevent the unauthorized use of my debit cards and secure my bank accounts?

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January 3rd, 2012 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  Will TrustedID identity theft protection prevent the unauthorized use of my debit cards and secure my bank accounts?

A:  Yes, TrustedID IDEssentials will help protect both your debit/credit cards and your bank accounts from fraudulent use.  When you sign up for TrustedID, you will need to enter any debit/credit and bank account numbers you wish to have monitored.  Once you've entered this data, TrustedID will patrol the Internet black market for any suspicious use and alert you if it occurs.

In addition to monitoring the Internet black and public records for your personal information, top-rated TrustedID IDEssentials also provides 3-bureau credit monitoring, access to all three of your credit reports and scores, medical record protection and anti-spyware software.  Right now TrustedID is offering NextAdvisor readers a free 14-day trial, so you can try it out at no cost.  The best part is you'll get access to your 3-bureau credit scores and reports when you sign up for the free trial, and they are yours to keep even if you cancel during the trial period.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS: Monitor My Finances Better

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December 29th, 2011 - Posted by jeff

Want to get better control over your finances in 2012? A good way to do that is to start monitoring your credit. Why? Business, banks, lenders and even rental agencies can rely heavily on your credit scores and credit background when deciding whether to do business with you. Having good credit can make you eligible for the best rates and deals, and can keep down-payments and deposits to a minimum, saving you money. Having bad credit can mean higher interest rates, larger down payments and deposits, and being turned down for any number of loans or services you apply for.

Not sure what your credit score is or just want to monitor your credit more closely? Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION®, our top-rated credit monitoring service, is offering NextAdvisor readers 25% off, plus a free 30-day trial. Identity Guard provides 3-bureau credit monitoring, free 3-bureau credit scores at sign up and a free Internet Security suite with your membership. To learn more about Identity Guard and to get this deal, click here.

Identity Guard announces kID Sure protection for your children

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December 28th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Identity Guard has launched an identity theft protection service just for children—kID Sure. kID Sure utilizes advanced scanning technology to search for the fraudulent use of your child's personal information, including  Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and public record data. It searches the Internet black market, pre-credit sources (such as utility and telecommunications) and thousands of databases (including public records) to help protect your child from identity theft.

Most people aren't aware that identity thieves actively target minors, stealing their Social Security numbers and reselling them for fraudulent or illegal use. Common identity theft opportunities that thieves exploit include such seemly safe activities like school and sports registration. Once the theft occurs it can be undetected for years and cause substantial damage. That's where kID Sure comes in – it can help detect the exposure of your child's personal information and alert you when it occurs.

kID Sure requires the enrollment of the child's guardian or parent in our top-rated Identity Guard's adult identity protection service first. Once you've signed up for Identity Guard you can add kID Sure to your account for just $4.99/month per child. Right now NextAdvisor readers can get an exclusive 25% off Identity Guard and a free 30-day trial, bringing the price down from $19.99/month to just $14.99/month. That means you can protect yourself and your child for the reduced price of $19.98/month ($14.99/month + $4.99/month).

What does LifeLock Ultimate give you that LifeLock doesn't? Does it give you your credit score?

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December 16th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q: What does LifeLock Ultimate give you that LifeLock doesn't? Does it give you your  credit score?

A: LifeLock Ultimate includes all of LifeLock's identity theft protection features, but adds a number of enhancements. LifeLock Ultimate's upgrades include 3-bureau credit monitoring, expanded monitoring for identity theft,  public and court record surveillance, scanning for fraudulent new bank accounts, alternate name scanning, and monitoring of unregulated global networks and file-sharing sites. They also include monthly tracking of your TransUnion credit score and nationwide monitoring for any non-credit related payday loans opened with your name, birth date or Social Security number.

As mentioned above, LifeLock Ultimate members receive monthly updates to their TransUnion credit score and their scores are tracked over time in graphic format. The service doesn't include the equally relevant Equifax and Experian scores, but the host of identity theft protection features it offers more than makes up for this slight lapse. Overall both LifeLock and LifeLock Ultimate are great identity theft protection services and you can try either one for free with their generous free 30-day trial.

If you're interested in a service that is more focused on your credit files and scores, we recommend PrivacyGuard. PrivacyGuard provides 3-bureau credit monitoring, all 3 credit reports and all 3 credit scores. And all of your 3-bureau credit reports and scores are updated monthly, a great feature that not many other services offer. Right now NextAdvisor readers can sign up for PrivacyGuard's 30-day trial for $1 and get all 3 credit reports and scores

Does Identity Guard monitor my bank accounts too?

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December 13th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q: Does Identity Guard monitor my bank accounts too?

A:  Yes, Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® monitors the Internet black market for any bank account numbers you register.  It also scans for the fraudulent use of your credit cards, Social Security number, address and other personal information.  Although Identity Guard automatically starts monitoring the SSN, address and credit card you sign up with, you'll need to manually enter your bank accounts and any other credit cards into your account.  Make sure you do so, because if you don't register this additional information you won't be taking full advantage of the comprehensive Identity Guard service.

In addition to proactively monitoring for your personal information, Identity Guard also provides 3-bureau credit monitoring, free 3-bureau credit scores at sign up and a free Internet Security suite with your membership.  Right now Identity Guard, our top-rated identity theft protection service, is offering NextAdvisor readers a special deal – a free 30-day trial and 25% discount.  That means you'll get 3-bureau credit scores and a public records report for free when you sign up for the trial, and they are yours to keep even if you cancel.  You'll also get a whopping $5.00 off, bringing the monthly price down from $19.99 to $14.99.  All-in-all a pretty darn good deal.

My credit is frozen. Do I have to unfreeze my credit to get a credit report?

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December 6th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  My credit is frozen. Do I have to unfreeze my credit to get a credit report?

You can still get your credit reports when your credit is frozen

A:  No, you do not have to unfreeze your credit to obtain your credit report. Credit freezes prohibit third parties—like potential lenders—from being able to access your report, and are typically set to help prevent identity thieves from being able to open new credit accounts in your name. However, you are still able to access your own credit report.  Here's a quote directly from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) site:

"Placing a credit freeze does not affect your credit score—nor does it keep you from getting your free annual credit report, or from buying your credit report or score."

If you have been a victim of identity theft (or even if you haven't), you might want to consider signing up for an identity theft protection service. Many of these services will monitor your credit reports, scan for the use of your personal information in a variety of arenas, provide free credit scores and free subscriptions to internet security software. They are also able to monitor your credit reports while a credit freeze is in place. Our top pick is Identity Guard, and right now they are offering a free 30-day trial and an 18% subscription discount.