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ProtectMyID.com Review: Identity Theft Protection |
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| Good option for consumers that are most concerned with credit report monitoring; free 30-day trial | |
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[Editor's Note: ProtectMyID.com has set up an exclusive 800 number where NextAdvisor.com visitors can speak to a ProtectMyID.com representative to ask questions and ensure they get the latest and best deal possible. If you are interested in ordering ProtectMyID.com we recommend that you call the number: 866-958-MYID (6943).]
ProtectMyID.com is an identity theft protection service offered by Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus. In addition to 3-bureau credit monitoring, this service includes Internet scanning, identity theft recovery support, and a $1,000,000 product guarantee. With 3-bureau credit monitoring, ProtectMyID.com will alert you right away if any changes are posted to your Experian, Equifax or TransUnion credit file. You'll have the option of receiving SMS alerts as well as email alerts. You will receive a single Experian credit report at sign up, but scores and additional reports must be purchased separately. ProtectMyID.com members who do want their reports and scores from all three bureaus can purchase them at a steeply discounted price of $19.95. In addition to monitoring your credit files at all three bureaus, ProtectMyID.com scans the Internet to ensure that your Social Security number, bank accounts, credit and debit card numbers are not being used without your knowledge. In order to receive this protection, you must provide ProtectMyID.com with your account numbers once you have subscribed. Unfortunately, ProtectMyID.com will only scan for a maximum of three bank or credit accounts, which may be dissapointing to subscribers who wish to protect more than three accounts. ProtectMyID.com also monitors the U.S Postal Service database for address changes. In the event that your credit or debit cards are lost or stolen, ProtectMyID.com's Lost Wallet service will help you cancel them immediately. In order to take advantage of the Lost Wallet service, you must enter these cards in your online account individually. If a bank or card issuer holds you liable for any fraudulent charges made on any of your cards, ProtectMyID.com will reimburse you. ProtectMyID.com also offers ChildSecure, a service that will monitor your child's credit files and alert you to any suspicious activity for an additional $6.95 per month. Since children's credit files usually go unchecked until after they turn 18, they are particularly vulnerable to identity theft, which can ruin their credit before they have even begun to establish a genuine credit history. If you do become an identity theft victim while subscribing to ProtectMyID, you'll be covered by a $1,000,000 guarantee, which covers certain expenses including lost wages and legal fees. You'll also have access to a dedicated resolution specialist who will speak to you by phone and assist you in taking all the necessary administrative and legal steps necessary to restore your identity. While ProtectMyID.com isn't the most comprehensive identity theft protection service available, 3-bureau credit monitoring and Internet scanning make it an effective detection service. This, combined with extensive identity theft recovery support, makes ProtectMyID.com a good choice, particularly for consumers who are interested in 3-bureau credit monitoring. |
Search our blog archives and frequently asked questions for more information about Identity Theft Protection Services
| Price: | Free 30-day trial; $9.95/mo |
| Fraud Monitoring: | 3-bureau credit report, credit cards, new financial accounts or applications, address changes, public records |
| ID Theft Insurance/ Guarantee: | $1,000,000 |
| Reports Delivered: | One Experian credit report |
| Computer Security: | None |
NextAdvisor Identity Theft Protection Blog Headlines
How to get a new Social Security Card
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question:
Q: How do I get another social security card?
A: If you have lost your social security card and need another one, you can get a free replacement. The social security office limits the number of replacement cards they will issue [...]
419 scams double, over $9 billion in profits
Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger
A recent study by Dutch investigation firm Ultrascan shows we are half as smart (or twice as dumb) as we were in 2008, as advanced fee scams, a.k.a. 419 scams, doubled in losses to over $9 billion. 419 Advance Fee Fraud Statistics 2009 (PDF)
It is believed that while [...]
Criminal hackers buying and selling hacked accounts
Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger.
Malicious software, designed to gather usernames and passwords, has been a boon to the criminal hacking community. Spyware, as it?s commonly known, records almost everything a user does on their PC. The most damaging spyware records all electronic communications via a web browser. That?s where the most damage [...]
Baby boomers guilty of oversharing on Facebook
A new study from Experian concludes that adults over the age of 45 share too much information online. The credit score reporting company completed a study of 1,052 men and women, analyzing their behavior on social networks. The study found that "14 percent of adults – and 20 percent of those age 60 and over [...]
What protection is available once your identity has been stolen?
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question:
Q: I would like to get information on what protection is available for a person who identity is already stolen and is being attempted to be used. I was wondering about instant alerts any time my name or credit is trying to [...]
The New York Times ponders the plight of the Internet user
In this day and age, even the Fashion & Style section of The New York Times is worried about Internet security issues. This weekend, the Times recounted the experiences of Allan Goldstein, a 60 year old college professor who uses the Internet, but does so a bit nervously. He worries that NYU's online system will [...]
Connecticut sues Health Net for data breach
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has filed a lawsuit against Health Net for HIPPA violations in the wake of a data breach. Last May, Health Net discovered that a portable disk drive containing confidential health information, Social Security numbers, and bank account numbers of nearly half a million past and present enrollees had disappeared. The [...]
Chinese hackers target Google and Google users
Yesterday, Google released information about a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack on [Google's] corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google." The attack also targeted at least twenty other large companies, and the hackers seem to have been specifically interested in accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human [...]
Data Breach Alert: Facebook application developer RockYou failed to protect data
RockYou is a company that develops applications for Facebook, MySpace, and a number of other popular social networking websites. It's the second biggest application developer for Facebook after Zynga, which recently made headlines for its "scammy" offers. Last month, RockYou fell victim to an SQL injection attack, in which a hacker or hackers successfully accessed [...]
International hacker pleads guilty
In August, Albert Gonzalez was indicted for his role as ringleader of a massive hacking operation targeting Heartland Payment Systems, 7-11, and supermarket chain Hannaford Brothers. The hack resulted in the theft of data for more than 130 million credit and debit cards. Authorities have called it the largest identity fraud scam in U.S. history.
Gonzalez [...]
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