ID MONITORING & SURVEILLANCE

The Internet Monitoring and Surveillance service combines several proprietary automated scanning engines, along with human intelligence gathering and mathematical algorithms to find and analyze data on the Internet that may reveal compromised personal client data. HOW INTERNET MONITORING AND SURVEILLANCE WORKS The Internet Monitoring and Surveillance service scours the Internet looking for customers' credit card numbers, bank accounts, account login information, home address, and many other pieces of personally identifiable information.

The Internet Marketing Monitoring and Surveillance service gathers as much relevant data as possible, securely stores the data, and runs pattern matching formulas and proprietary algorithms to evaluate and classify the results. Finally, the scrubbed and classified data is correlated and matched to existing customer profiles to determine if customer data has been found compromised on the Internet. THE INTERNET BLACK MARKETS Much like conventional black markets that peddle in drugs, counterfeit goods, weapons and other illegal items, Internet black markets operate with similar illegal intent. But instead of trading in guns, drugs and knock-off purses like in conventional black markets, Internet black markets deal in components of your identity including your bank account numbers, social security number, credit cards numbers, email addresses and your other personal information. TYPES OF SITES THAT ARE MONITORED Combining the best in technology and human intelligence, the proprietary 24/7 automated search robots and staff members trained in intelligence gathering search through millions of sites on the Internet, including sites like illicit newsgroups, IRC servers, black market forums, chat rooms, bulletin boards and other black market web pages. TYPES OF DATA MONITORED Client data that can be monitored includes credit card numbers, bank account numbers, online payment service login and passwords, email account logins and passwords, social security numbers and other critical identity and financial profile components that customers choose to have monitored.

$25,000 FRAUD EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT

Fraud Expense Reimbursement Master Policy from Travelers Insurance is designed to be purchased by a financial institution, commercial business or membership group in order to provide its customers or members with the coverage at no charge to them.

The coverage is available to you, your spouse, qualified domestic partner, children under 18 and parents and reimburses identity theft victims for the following:

• Lost wages as a result of time taken off from work to deal with the fraud, including wrongful incarceration - up to $1000 per week for five weeks
• Notary and certified mail charges for completing and delivering fraud affidavits
• Fees to re-apply for loans that were denied as a result of erroneous credit information due to the identity theft
• Long distance telephone charges for calling merchants, law enforcement agencies or credit grantors to discuss an actual identity theft
• Reasonable attorney fees (must have prior company consent):
  Defending suits brought incorrectly by merchants or their collection agencies
  Removing criminal or civil judgments wrongly entered against the victim
  Challenging information in a credit report
  
• Costs for daycare and eldercare coverage, if that coverage is necessary for an Insured Person to attend meetings or otherwise have the ability to restore financial health and credit history as a result of identity theft.

Becoming a victim of identity fraud is a frightening, frustrating experience. It can happen to anyone at any time. Our identity theft experts can help victims during this difficult time. Not only will we pay for expenses associated with clearing up your credit, but we will also provide you with detailed information on how to fix your credit and resolve the problem.

LOST WALLET SERVICE

The Lost Wallet Service is a unique, one-of-a-kind service that allows you to store certain information about the contents of your purse and wallet securely online. Without having to store full financial or personal information, the Lost Wallet Service will become a critical piece of your identity theft protection service in the event your wallet or purse is lost or stolen. Losing a Wallet or Purse Instead of spending the time and effort to find the information to cancel your sensitive personal and credit cards, the Lost Wallet Service will quickly guide you through mitigating a loss of your purse or wallet.

Losing your wallet or purse can be one of the scariest and most daunting events in your life. Just as losing your keys gives up a sense of security that a stranger potentially has access to your home, office and car; your wallet and purse contain links to your identity, bank accounts, health care accounts, and other daily services. You may feel fear, anger, and confusion. But as difficult as it is to accept, there are specific things you can do right now to make sure you aren't victimized any further, and time is of the essence!

To begin, simply add the cards in your wallet or purse that are important to you, into the secure Lost Wallet Service. You can feel safe that our service is secure, and we never store your full credit card information. When signed in, click ADD A CARD to begin the process of protecting your personal information.

IDENTITY THEFT RECOVERY

If your identity is ever assumed by a criminal, we will aid in the recovery process in two ways. We can either completely do it for you (Fully-Managed), or assist you in the resolution process (Assisted) - your choice. If you choose to have us assume and reorganize the recovery process on your behalf, we can further minimize the time and hassle involved.

A professionally trained recovery advocate is assigned to all victims and will perform a fully-managed identity restoration program for the covered member. Recovery advocates will document, dispute and reverse all fraudulent transactions through a limited power of attorney for all known types of Identity Theft. Additionally, this includes one year of follow-ups after victim is returned to pre-theft status.

If you simply want assistance, we provide a step-by-step instruction manual detailing the resolution process, including guidance for avoiding future complications, and a toll-free victim assistance number for access to specialists trained in identity theft recovery. This service allows you to correct identity theft problems yourself, without the assistance or expense of an attorney.

Rapid response is the best defense against identity theft. If you believe a breach or theft of your personal information has occurred, moving quickly and in an organized way is the best method to stop identity thieves before they use your information. A speedy response is most important in cases where a data breach or loss involves your Social Security number, which can be used to open new lines of credit

ID MONITORING VS. CREDIT MONITORING

According to an independent study conducted by the Gartner Group, "Identity scoring and monitoring is more effective than credit report monitoring to watch for potentially fraudulent activity. That's to be expected." Credit monitoring and identity monitoring are not the same. Both offer protection, however identity monitoring, as SG IDENTITY offer it, is uniquely designed to alert consumers to unauthorized attempts to use their identity in the earliest stages of an identity assumption. This proactive approach helps customers avoid the devastating effects of financial and non-financial misuse of their identity. Credit Monitoring limitations Credit monitoring was developed to help consumers find errors in their credit report before applying for a loan. Studies show credit reports can have up to a 79% error rate. There are other differences between identity monitoring and credit monitoring. When protecting personal information, consumers need a secure, accurate, user friendly solution that doesn't increase the risk to their identity. Identity Monitoring is Secure Signing up for an identity monitoring service is simple and secure. You enroll with your name, address and telephone number and we begin the process. You are not required to provide a Social Security Number. Any time you release your Social Security Number there is a risk of it being abused. Credit monitoring firms require this information. The credit bureaus that offer credit monitoring services profit by reselling the sensitive personal information (including Social Security Numbers) they gather from consumers for use in credit marketing campaigns. Once this sensitive information has been sold, the bureaus can't guarantee its security. Identity Monitoring is Accurate The scope of credit monitoring is limited to financial activity. Twenty-two percent of identity theft victims report that their identity was used in some "non-financial" way such as commission of a crime or filing of false tax returns. Identity monitoring addresses both financial and nonfinancial misuse of personal information. According to the Public Interest Research Group, 79% of credit reports contain some type of error. This accuracy raises the issue of credit monitoring as a reliable solution for identity theft prevention. Identity monitoring with our solution, EarlyAlert^TM, has resulted in a claim rate of less than 1 per 100,000. Identity Monitoring is User Friendly Credit monitoring firms offer primarily web based customer service. On-line customer service can be a challenge to a certain segment of the population and offers limited comfort during what can be a trying experience. Identity monitoring, as SG IDENTITY offers, provides customers with live telephone support.

Postal service sold private data; Government warns public on fake e-mails; Payment processor reports records theft; ...etc. Credit monitoring firms provide customers with actual credit reports via the Internet which can be confusing and difficult to interpret. When there is an alert, our Customer Service Representatives call potential victims directly. They offer the necessary information and the appropriate steps required for the proper course of action. Identity Monitoring - High Level Protection Checking one's credit history prior to applying for a loan is important, but as a tool for protecting individuals from the costly, time consuming perils associated with identity theft in a secure, accurate user-friendly way, identity monitoring offers the highest level of protection.

FACES OF IDENTITY THEFT

Scams often manage to stay one step ahead of consumers. Identity theft isn't just a pain in the wallet anymore. As consumer awareness about the importance of privacy protection has increased in recent years, so has the sophistication of the methods criminals employ to obtain and misuse our personal information for their own benefit. Here's a closer look at different types of identity theft currently being perpetrated-and how SG IDENTITY can keep you safe from even the wiliest of thieves. Financial Identity Theft This is the most common-and well-known-form of identity theft. One way or another, a criminal gets a hold of your financial information such as credit card numbers, and starts charging away. The "luckier" victims find out early on and resolve the problem quickly with the credit card company. But less fortunate identity theft victims remain unaware of the fraudulent activity for much longer, only to find out the criminal has opened new credit card and utility accounts, even leased a car or apartment in their name. Criminal Identity Theft Criminal identity theft is a true identity theft-basically, someone impersonating you-but with a twist. With this type of crime, the thief doesn't want your money; he wants your clean record and good name. And instead of landing himself in jail, he hopes your information will help get him out and put you in the slammer instead.

In this case, when the criminal gets pulled over, arrested, or investigated, he gives all of your data instead of his own. Then, when he gets out on bail, he simply skips the court date or doesn't show up to serve his sentence. All the while, fees and penalties are incurring in your name, and you'll never know it until law enforcement runs your plates and finds out there's a warrant out for your arrest. Or, you'll be denied a job, only to be told you failed the background check based on "your" criminal record. Medical Identity Theft Who would want your bunions, bad back, and family history of heart disease? Someone who doesn't have medical insurance and needs it badly for an operation, a chronic disorder that requires ongoing care, or maintenance drugs. That person might be desperate enough to steal your personal insurance information and use it to receive care under your name. Recent pushes toward keeping medical records online have medical identity theft on the rise, and there are serious medical and financial issues that come along with it.
First, you'll have to deal with the uncovered portions of often whopping hospital and doctor bills the thief has racked up in your name-not to mention the frightening medical implications that start to build as the incorrect medical information of the identity thief becomes attached to your files. This can make for improper diagnosis and treatment should you ever need emergency care and doctors make their decisions based not on your real medical history but the criminal's history instead.