View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2011/08/23/212041.htm

Allstate Launches Identity Theft Coverage in Calif.

Approximately 9 million Americans annually are victims of identity theft, spending millions of hours resolving problems associated with having their identity stolen. Allstate Insurance Co. has launched identity theft expenses coverage in Calif. that can help reduce the time and costs that victims spend trying to recover their identities.

Allstate’s identity theft expenses coverage is now available to new and renewing Allstate auto policyholders in Calif. with policies starting at $30 a year. It provides customers access to professional identity restoration assistance and provides up to $25,000 in reimbursement coverage for reasonable expenses incurred to restore identity, including attorney fees, loan reapplication fees, credit and police report fees, and lost wages.

According to Federal Trade Commission many victims of identity theft don’t know where or how to start the recovery process. Identity restoration professionals can help victims of ID theft:

• Understand their rights.
• File paperwork, including police reports.
• Issue fraud alerts to credit reporting agencies, Social Security Administration, Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Post Office, credit card companies, and banks.
• Work with credit agencies to correct and restore credit.
• Review credit histories for irregularities.
• Trace Social Security numbers, notifying and working with the Department of Motor Vehicles, collection agencies, creditors and law enforcement personnel.

The Federal Trade Commission and Allstate recommend following these steps to make people less vulnerable to identity theft.

• Protect your Social Security number
• Treat your trash and mail carefully
• Be on guard when using the Internet
• Select intricate passwords
• Verify sources before sharing information
• Safeguard your purse and wallet
• Store information in secure locations