IDENTITY GUARD® Total ProtectionSM, The Cadillac Of Identity Theft Protection
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Identity Guard should consider itself flattered. Not too long ago, before consumer lawsuits forced Lifelock to change its business model, companies like Lifelock centered their identity protection strategies around placing and renewing fraud alerts.
Now while studies show that fraud alerts can help secure access to your credit file, nobody will argue that it’s a foolproof way to prevent identity theft. In fact, a significant amount of fraud occurs with unauthorized access to existing accounts, something fraud alerts and credit locks will do absolutely nothing to prevent. Despite all the marketing you might see or hear, there is no way to completely safeguard you from identity fraud.
Identity Guard understands this and focuses all their resources into creating an advanced credit monitoring service. Unlike Lifelock or other competitors, you have unlimited online access to credit report monitoring and your credit score. There are many other cool features to Identity Guard’s Total Protection like IDVault® and MOBILE LOCKBOX® which will have technophiles smiling but the core of their service is the advanced public database scanning and credit monitoring system.
How Do They Protect You?
- Daily Credit Application Scanning
- Quarterly Access To Credit File Score
- Scans Internet
- ZoneAlarm® Internet Security Suite
- PRIVACYPROTECT
- MOBILE LOCKBOX
- Lost Wallet Protection
- $1,000,000 Identity Theft *Insurance
- ID Valut
Identity Guard uses a proprietary system to regularly scan credit application databases for fraudulently submitted credit applications in your name.
Every three months you will receive to your credit file score with all 3 credit reporting agencies. In addition Identity Guard will monitor your credit file score daily with all three credit bureaus for maximum security and will email you if there are any changes to your credit file score.
Monitors internet black market sites where personal data is bought and sold for your personal information. You will be alerted promptly if any of your information is compromised.
ZoneAlarm is an award winning security software which includes anti-virus, spyware, firewall, spam blocking, and stealth mode all which will greatly reduce the risk of personal; information hijacking on the internet. You will receive the software and updates free during the life of your subscription.
PRIVACYPROTECT
This is an innovative product from Identity Guard which will allow you to remotely secure your sensitive information, personal records, and important financial documents on Identity Guard’s servers. All this information will be available to you anywhere anytime via your web-enabled cell phone, PDA, or computer.
Identiy Guard will assist you in canceling all your credit card accounts plus give you access to $2,000 emergency cash from your account.
This policy is underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh and covers expenses related to recovering from an identity theft including wage losses.
ID Vault looks like a USB memory stick, but its actually a key that padlocks your identity. It protects you against cyber criminals, spyware, and other tricks criminals use to steal your passwords or account numbers.
What Do They Do Better Than Anybody?
The proprietary technology behind some of the products available to Identity Guard separates it from most other identity theft protection companies. While other companies focus on fraud alerts and credit freezes, Identity Guard takes a different approach. Drawing from their years of experience working with top financial institutions, Intersections has developed a sophisticated consumer protection package centered around the Total Protection Dashboard which allows you to monitor your credit file score and your internet protection services.
Credit Monitoring
Fraud Alerts and Credit Freezes are like locking the door to your valuables. While this approach works well for preventing identity thieves from opening new lines of credit, it does very little to protect your existing accounts from fraud. Reviewing your credit file score annually may alert you to fraudulent activity but the damage to your credit and accounts will already have occurred.
Monitoring your credit file score daily, and alerting you to any changes by text message or email allows you to promptly detect any suspicious activity. The near real time monitoring of all your credit reports and credit score only enhances the careful eye Identity Guard keeps over you.
Internet Security
The award winning Zone Alarm Internet Security Suite along with PrivacyProtect provides you with first rate computer and internet security. Also, Identity Guard scans the internet’s financial black markets daily for your registered information, including Social Security Number, credit cards, and bank accounts.
PC Security
Features like PRIVACY PROTECT and IDVAULT makes your computer virtually impossible for hackers to steal information. No other identity protection service offers this level of sophisticated protection.
What Kind Of Customer Prefers This Service?
A tech savvy consumer who can appreciate the proprietary tools Identity Guard provides to greatly enhance the ability to monitor and control your credit file score. The additional first-rate computer and internet protection offers total protection where identity theft victims are most vulnerable, surfing the internet.
Why Should You Consider Anybody Else?
The absence of fraud alerts and credit freezes means your credit file score is as vulnerable as before. While Identity Guard believes the sophisticated credit monitoring services they employ would detect and minimize any fraud, some consumers would like the protection these tools were designed to provide. The use of fraud alerts and credit freezes are central parts of the theft protection strategies of companies like Lifelock, TrustedID, and Equifax.
ProtectMyID.com from Experian offers a more affordable version of three bureau credit monitoring. You can read a detailed ProtectMyID review here.
Give It To Me Straight
The question with Idenity Guard becomes one about credit monitoring versus fraud alerts. If you believe Lifelock’s commercials, the marketing message is fraud alerts are proactive and credit monitoring is reactive. But how proactive are they? Remember that fraud alerts and credit freezes on your file do nothing to protect your existing accounts. If an identity thief has secured enough vital information to open new accounts, doesn’t he have the ability to tamper with your existing accounts as well?
The advantages to be able to recognize and react quickly to any changes in your credit file score cannot be understated. Certainly Identity Guard provides a degree of monitoring and control over your information no other company offers. Add the plethora of additional useful products such as ID Vault, Privacy Protect, Mobile LockBox, and the award-winning Zone Alarm Internet Security Suite and you’re talking some serious value for the consumer. Personally, I prefer Identity Guard Total Protection and find all the products and features incredibly useful.
If Lifelock and TrustedID claim to lock the doors to your house with fraud alerts and credit freezes, even they’ll admit there are cracks in that door. Identity Guard may leave that door open, but they’re watching your back. If anybody comes in and they’ll text, phone, or email you if they see anything suspicious.
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**Reimbursement will be provided by insurance carrier. Insurance underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa. The description herein is a summary only. It does not include all terms, conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for complete details of coverage and exclusions. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions and is subject to actual policy language.
DISCLAIMER: Intersections, IDENTITY GUARD, EXTRA CAUTION, PRIVACYPROTECT, MOBILE LOCKBOX and Total Protection are federally registered trademarks of Intersections Inc.