(Chandler, Ariz.) – As the cleanup begins in Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri, and Ohio after this weekend’s deadly storms, another threat looms for hundreds of victims: identity theft. With families and their personal effects literally scattered by the wind, the risk for scams can be greater after a natural disaster. Last year after Hurricane Katrina Louisiana had the biggest jump in identity theft complaints of any other state (25%).
That’ is why LifeLock, the country’s first and only preventative identity theft solution, will provide all tornado victims in the affected areas all the tools they needed to protect their identities and preserve their credit standing. The service is free for 90-days to any victim and comes with no obligation.
The company will place statements on all victims’ credit reports stating that the consumer is a victim of the tornados and asks the lender to take that into account should his/her credit score decline in the aftermath. In addition, LifeLock will place fraud alerts on all credit bureaus requiring any business attempting to pull a credit file to contact the account holder directly. LifeLock will do this for all adult members of the family free for 90-days. After 90-days, storm victims can choose to cancel their service with no obligation, or continue it at the cost of $10 a month.
“You watch the video and hear the stories, and you feel compelled to do anything you can to help,” said LifeLock CEO Todd Davis. “These storms are never concentrated in just one area, unlike when the hurricanes that hit last year. Towns in several states have been totally devastated and living in these areas will be hard for some time. Unfortunately, getting their lives back in order requires them to deal with the credit system. We are offering the victims a free opportunity to protect themselves against ID theft and preserve their credit standing, despite the status of their outstanding bills.”
LifeLock uses a system of “locks” on a consumer’s identity in such a way that it cannot be used by anyone except its rightful owner. The combination of tactics includes locking up all information, setting and maintaining alerts, forcing banks to contact people directly before issuing credit and removing a member from pre-approved credit card and junk mail lists. LifeLock is so sure that its system is effective that there is a $1 million guarantee to cover any expenses and legal fees if a problem ever did occur.
“Just like our service to the hurricane victims last year, we are making this process as simple as possible,” added Davis. “We ask those affected by these storms to call us toll free at 877- LIFELOCK and we’ll take it from there. All you need to qualify for the free services is a previous address so we can make sure you lived in one of the regions affected.” We had hoped to be working with the American Red Cross on this program, but to date, we have been unable to accomplish that goal, and felt we could wait no longer.”
When hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast last year, Lifelock introduced this same program to assist victims. Hundreds of adults from Louisiana and Texas took advantage of the offer to protect their personal information.
LifeLock, based in Chandler, Arizona, is the only ID theft prevention company with proof of stopping the crime. Normally the standard fees for the services are $10 a month or $110 a year. More information can be found at www.LifeLock.com.
with the most advanced Identity Theft Protection system available!