Baby Boomers Are Prime Targets for Identity Thieves

Did you know that the first "baby boomer" filed for Social Security benefits in October 2007? This individual is the first of almost 80 million baby boomers who are expected to apply for such benefits over the next two decades and is, very possibly, one of the first baby boomers who may fall prey to identity theft. Because boomers are more likely to draw two incomes, i.e. retirement and social security benefits, thieves are more likely to target their financial resources than that of others. In addition to the extra income, boomers are being targeted by identity thieves because of their tendencies to avoid the internet, to rely on paper checks and paper mail, and to fall victim to pre-texting scams. Because of this, it is more important than ever for baby boomers, who, in the prime of their lives, are prime targets for identity theft, to use LifeLock's Identity Theft Protection Services.

One of the first reason baby boomers should become members of LifeLock is because older boomers (ages 51-60) have not completely moved into the electronic age and, therefore, still use snail mail to pay bills and send correspondences. This leaves boomers, and their mailboxes, prime targets for identity theft as thieves can steal their credit card statements and retirement statements in order to change their address and take over their identity. LifeLock protects boomers from this form of identity theft by removing members' names from pre-approved credit card mailing lists and junk mail lists.

LifeLock also protects those boomers who haven't completely moved into the electronic age by pulling annual credit reports from all three credit bureaus and mailing them to their members. Because some boomers have never "surfed" the net, much less know that they can access their credit reports online; they do not keep a close watch on their credit activity. In addition to pulling credit reports, LifeLock also places fraud alerts on member's credit files so that lenders must call the member for verification prior to issuing credit or loans.

A third way LifeLock protects boomers from identity theft is through their eRecon and TrueAddress services. LifeLock's eRecon service monitors criminal websites for the selling or trading of social security numbers, credit card numbers, driver's license numbers, etc. LifeLock's TrueAddress service detects any changes to a member's address that may show-up in various national databases. If there is a discrepancy between a member's name and known address, the member is contacted for verification of the change.

The next way LifeLock works to protect the identity of baby boomers is through their WalletLock service. Because boomers prefer to keep their personal documents close at hand, they are more likely to have multiple sources of personal identification in their wallet. This practice makes boomers prime targets for theft. If a boomer's wallet is stolen, or lost, LifeLock's WalletLock service assigns a WalletLock specialist to the members who will help in contacting each credit card company, banking institution, and any state and federal agencies who issue driver's licenses, etc. to cancel the accounts and begin the process of reinstating missing documents.

Lastly, a fifth way that LifeLock safeguards boomers from becoming victims of identity theft and having to spend excessive amounts of time and money in restoring their good name and credit is through their $1,000,000 full service guarantee. Although most boomers are at the point where they are receiving additional income, in today's economy, their income is barely enough to cover their cost of living expenses. Through LifeLock's $1,000,000 guarantee, if a thief discovers a weakness in LifeLock's system and uses it to steal a members identity, LifeLock will secure attorneys, investigators, accountants, case managers, etc. to restore an individual's good name and credit, in addition to the amount of money lost due to the theft.

In the prime of their lives, baby boomers are prime targets for identity theft due to additional income, the tendency to use paper vs. the internet and because they can easily fall prey to pre-texters. Through LifeLock's Identity Theft Prevention services, boomers no longer need to worry about the security of their identity leaving time for more important things, like retirement.
Article Source: ArticleZones.com

About the Author

Jed Jenson covers identity theft services. To see other identity theft service reviews, read on.

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Baby Boomers Are Prime Targets for Identity Thieves

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