View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2004/01/12/35558.htm
Identity Theft 911, a provider of identity theft education, defense, and resolution services, and AIG Affinity Group Services, a division of AIG, are working together to help individual consumers, enterprise customers, and financial institutions to deal with the growing problem of identity theft.
Nearly 10 million Americans reportedly became victims of identity theft last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission – a 41 percent increase over the year before – making identity theft the fastest growing crime in the U.S. (1) Victims of this crime quickly discover that restoring their name and good credit is a complex, time-consuming, and expensive process.
In response to this crisis, AIG Affinity Group Services has developed a
product, available through Identity Theft 911, that provides personal identity coverage. The AIG Personal Internet and Identity Coverage provides expert assistance and up to $25,000 in coverage for financial relief for identity restoration costs, legal defense expenses, and lost wages (for up to four weeks at up to $500 per week), with a zero deductible. Crisis resolution is handled by Identity Theft 911. Principal benefits include:
Comprehensive Customer Service – In the event of identity theft,
customers receive unparalleled service from the highly trained specialists at Identity Theft 911, who guide them through the process of restoring their identity profiles and credit records.
— A personal advocate is assigned when the customer first calls and
works with the customer one-on-one throughout the resolution process.
— Comprehensive notification. The advocate creates all needed documents and guides the customer through a systematic process for notifying relevant agencies and institutions.
— Case file creation. The Identity Theft 911 advocate will create and continually update a comprehensive record of the customer’s case.
— Post-resolution follow-up. Once the crisis is over, Identity Theft 911 stays with the customer for a full year – providing pertinent, timely communications, fraud alerts, and follow-up phone calls to check status.
Identity Restoration Costs – Identity theft victims incur a variety of fees when trying to restore their identities. The AIG Personal Internet and Identity Coverage insurance policy reimburses victims for re-filing loans, grants, or other credit applications that were rejected as a result of their stolen identity event. In addition, victims are reimbursed for notarizing affidavits, long distance phone calls, tolls, and postage costs related to the event. Within twelve months of his or her identity being stolen, a victim may also order up to six credit reports, up to two reports from each major bureau, in order to verify that the identity has been restored.
Lost Wages – Victims of identity theft typically spend 175 hours
restoring their good name, talking to police as well as dealing with
creditors. The emotional strain on victims also may result in lost hours from work. The AIG Personal Internet and Identity Coverage policy compensates the victim for up to four weeks of lost wages within 12 months after the stolen identity event.
Identity Theft 911 will offer the AIG Personal Internet and Identity
Coverage policy as a fundamental element of its Identity Lock Defense Package, a comprehensive suite of products and services combining defensive measures against identity theft, alerts and education to help consumers avoid it, and one-on-one crisis resolution for victims of identity theft.
The Identity Lock Defense Package includes:
— Identity theft insurance from AIG Affinity Group Services that
provides financial relief for identity restoration costs, legal
defense expenses, and lost wages (2)
— An educational package incorporating fraud alerts, in-depth articles, an online knowledge base, and the Identity Theft 911 Newsletter
— One-on-one crisis resolution services for victims of identity theft and related crimes.
“Identity Theft 911 offers a unique set of services to assist individuals before and after an identity theft,” said Nancy Callahan, vice president of AIG Affinity Group Services. “The AIG Personal Internet and Identity Coverage compliments the preventative and restorative services of Identity Theft 911 to help consumers protect themselves against the growing and invasive crime of identity theft.”
“Government agencies, law enforcement authorities, and fraud protection organizations all see the grave danger identity theft represents for our society,” said Adam Levin, chairman of Identity Theft 911 and former director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. “Consumers and businesses are very much at risk. The collaboration between Identity Theft 911 and AIG makes protecting them a top priority.”
“The nature of identity theft makes it essential to attack this crime
throughout its entire life cycle, with preventive services for targets of
identity theft as well as vigorous, professional advocacy and support for those who have been hit,” added Steve Christenson, CEO of Identity Theft 911.
“Both consumers and businesses are beginning to understand the complexity and severity of the threat that identity theft presents. We at Identity Theft 911 look forward to working closely with AIG to provide effective solutions for all those affected by this heinous crime.”