Identity Theft Insurance Overview
What is Identity Theft Insurance?
Identity theft insurance is a relatively new policy that focuses on helping a victim recover the financial losses or compromised information resulting from an identity theft situation.
Identity theft insurance is offered by identity protection resources or companies, such as Lifelock to expedite and insure the recovery process. Typically, identity theft insurance is combined with other identity theft resources, such as credit monitoring. Identity theft insurance is designed to relieve and subsequently resolve residual charges or various debts that occurred as a result of the identity theft.
Similar to a basic insurance policy, an individual must satisfy a premium for the obtainment of identity theft insurance. Additionally, identity theft insurance will be attached with specialized coverage options that will provide specific insurance and forms of relief to protect against the various forms of identity theft and the information or assets tied into the theft. For example, some identity theft insurance policies will pay out a claim if the information or funds stolen were committed by a relative, while other agencies or policy providers will not.
The majority of credit card companies will offer an individual a form of identity theft insurance. These policies will vary based on the amount of coverage offered and the stipulations for what defines an act of identity theft. Regardless of the policy; however, it is strong recommended that all users of credit cards understand their insurance options and review the stipulations which mandate the regulations surrounding the policy.
The basic identity theft insurance policy will provide direct loss protection for the theft of credit cards, debit cards and all other mechanisms for transaction. Additionally, some identity theft insurance policies will protect against losses or fraudulent maneuvers taken-out on safety-deposit boxes.
Identity theft insurance, when purchased, will provide protection for those who are damaged from the illegal action. That being said, the types of coverage and the specifics that go into each policy will vary based on company. As a result of this variance, it is essential to review the policy (the premium attached, the type of coverage offered, and the specific types of assets or information that is covered) before purchasing an identity theft insurance policy.