Identity theft can strike anyone
NEA Member Benefits can help reduce the odds.

Are you considering buying identity theft insurance? How can you assess your risk? Even if you follow all the rules for preventing identity theft, there’s no guarantee that you won’t be the next victim.

The Federal Trade Commission says most identity theft is done by people who have a legitimate reason to see your personal information.

Consumer Reports notes that 63 percent of identity-fraud cases involves wrongdoing by friends or family, lost or stolen wallets, credit cards or checks, breached home computers, or stolen mail or trash.

News about identity theft has prompted many companies to produce and advertise identity theft products and services to help consumers prevent or minimize their risk. Before you buy a product, make sure you understand what you are paying for and what rights and protections you have at no cost under federal laws. For more information, visit www.ftc.gov/ and click on Identity Theft.

Having identity theft insurance provides peace of mind in knowing that you have an outside party to help you prevent identity theft and recover should you become such a victim. NEA Member Benefits offers the NEA ID Theft Protection Program, which provides NEA members with $25,000 of broad identity fraud insurance with no deductible. Members can also choose to add additional features, such as daily monitoring of your credit with one or all three major credit reporting agencies. If there is no change in your file, you’ll receive a monthly “No News is Good News” alert!

Your identity is an asset that deserves special protection. Call 1-866-4ID-FRAUD, or visit www.identityfraud.com/neamb.

Keep in mind that this insurance only covers identity theft involving credit fraud. These polices won’t help if someone uses your name when they’re getting a traffic ticket or has taken over your identity and owes taxes in your name. You still need to monitor your credit as well as your bank statements. Debit card problems only show up on bank statements, not credit reports.

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