TrustedID Review
TrustedID – The Company
TrustedID burst on to the scene in 2005 and has been a leader in providing identity theft protection to consumers ever since. Headquartered in Redwood City, California TrustedID is funded by two leading venture capital firms: Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Opus Capital Ventures. It is one of only two identity theft protection companies recognized by The Identity Theft Resource Center, a nationally respected non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the understanding and prevention of identity theft. Its management team is familiar with the credit, internet and security industries due to decades of combined direct experience.
The service has been highlighted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Newsweek and Time magazines, and on CNNMoney.com. TrustedID is also endorsed by financial expert Suze Orman.
With its IDEssentials service Trusted ID offers consumers protection from identity theft as well as further assistance if identity theft occurs, or unbeknown to you, has already occurred.
About IDEssentials
The IDEssentials package of services contains many products and services that provide a comprehensive identity protection plan to prevent thieves from damaging your credit and good name. Details are as follows.
Credit Monitoring Done right
TrustedID monitors your credit daily at all 3 bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) providing you with notification of any changes. They also give you a credit report from each bureau so that you can ensure it is accurate and there are no signs of identity theft. For those interested in monitoring their credit score in addition to identity theft protection you will be happy to know that your score from each bureau is also provided.
Thwart unauthorized credit accounts
TrustedID gives you the option to place fraud alerts on your credit reports if your identity is at risk so lenders contact you before any new credit is issued in your name. With their Fraud Alert Reminder service they will help you ensure your fraud alerts are renewed with the credit bureaus every 90 days.
A fraud alert makes it very difficult for thieves to open credit accounts in your name without your permission. A fraud alert placed on your credit file requires all creditors to verify your identity before approving any credit request whether they be a loan, credit card, or utility subscription. With this note in your credit file lenders are legally required to verify your identity before opening accounts and routinely do so by calling your phone number that is placed with the fraud alert. This way you will always know the status of your file and you can stop unauthorized account activity before it happens.
Identity Threat Score
New to Trusted ID is an identity threat score that assesses an individual’s risk of identity theft by constantly monitoring millions of records on hundreds of public and private databases where your personal and financial information is stored. Their system uses advanced technology to analyze this information for patterns that could indicate you have been or are about to become a victim of identity theft.
Based on your score, which is calculated on a scale of 0 to 500 with 0 being safe and 500 indicating your identity has been compromised, TrustedID’s Identity Protection Specialists will provide assistance in ensuring that necessary steps are taken to proactively protect your identity and will even recommend to you that you access this service if you have a medium or high score.
Stop unsolicited credit checks
As it stands, credit card companies have permission to check your credit report to send you preapproved credit offers. As part of standard service, TrustedID will remove your name and information from solicitors’ lists so that you will no longer receive these offers and third parties will not have access to your private credit information. The service will also reduce other types of junk mail.
Medical Benefit Check
IDEssentials also includes a review of your medical benefit statements to ensure that you and your family are the only ones being treated with your medical benefits.
Stay ahead of identity thieves
You will receive an email if TrustedID notices any unusual activity on your file as soon as it occurs to help thwart any attempts to compromise your information, or if it finds your information online in a place where it shouldn’t be. They do this by routinely scanning the black market internet, where your personal information is bought and sold by thieves, for things like you Social Security number, credit card and bank account numbers, and your name and address.
Feel secure with warranty service
TrustedID offers a service warranty of up to a million dollars if identity theft does occur while you’re using the service. This money can be used to cover expenses you incur in recovering your good name, such as application fees for new credit, legal fees, and any missed work due to problems with your employment qualifications or need to restore your identity. Lost wages are paid to a maximum of 4 weeks or $5,000. You will also gain access to professional company-provided services to help you restore your identity as quickly and efficiently as possible.
TrustedID Family Plan
The TrustedID family plan includes credit monitoring services, scores and reports for two adults – this is a great cost-savings when you compare it to other credit monitoring providers. At $240 per year it can be a fantastic deal.
Click here for TrustedID’s Family Plan
Put your credit under lock and key
TrustedID is also the only company that allows you the ability to “freeze” your credit at your discretion for an additional fee. You could do this yourself but having one centralized place to handle freezing and unfreezing your accounts at all 3 bureaus does stremline the process. Pricing for CreditLock varies by state.
A word on TrustedID’s customer service
TrustedID has a 24-hour customer service line staffed by experts in the field. A road test of their toll-free customer service number revealed that their call center is not outsourced, all staff are Americans and the quality of service is excellent.
The customer service team was found to be very professional with extensive product knowledge and a willingness to answer all questions thoroughly and go the extra mile where necessary. They were also determined to find the right product for the consumer’s needs only suggesting the additional CreditLock service where it was apparent the consumer may need it due to increased risk.
To order by phone simply call 1-800-229-9933 and be sure to mention Identity Theft Labs to ensure you are getting the best price available.
Pricing
Trusted Id offers a 14 day free trial and the price is $125 per individual or $240 per family and can be accessed by clicking this link or simply call them at 1-800-229-9933.
Over nine million people have their identities stolen every year, according to a study by the Better Business Bureau and Javelin Strategy & Research. Do not let this grave inconvenience and potential financial hardship happen to your family. Protect yourself, and your loved ones, from identity theft today. Just click here for identity theft protection from TrustedID. You will be taken to TrustedID’s secure website.
