Avoid the Nightmare Caused by Identity Fraud

Bloomington, IL (PRWEB) November 24, 2010

Identity Fraud cost Carla Purdy more than the $1,500 withdrawn from her bank account. The ordeal equated to two days away from work, countless letters to her bank and three credit bureaus. Worst of all, it created fear and insecurity.

“It was a nightmare,” Purdy said. “I felt exposed and wondered what else they had access to.”

Purdy’s bank account was accessed when she swiped her debit card at a gas station. She was monitoring her account information and spotted the suspicious charges quickly. She notified her bank and the police within 48 hours. Correcting and securing her identity required vigilance. The real cost of the crime is the time and stress of regaining control of your identity and restoring your credit history.

Nearly nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. It remains one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States and Canada.

As the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear, State Farm reminds consumers that the threat of identity fraud is prevalent. Take precautions to secure your personal information whether you’re shopping in a store or online this holiday season.

Secure your identity:

•     Keep your PIN number hidden when you use an ATM or debit card machine
•     Don’t provide personal information via the phone, mail or Internet unless you initiated contact
•     Don’t carry personal information, like your Social Security Number or any PIN numbers or passwords, in your purse or wallet
•     Only shop with online merchants you know and trust
•     Update your computer virus software, use a secure browser and install a firewall program before shopping online
•     Check account statements for suspicious activity

For $25 a year, new and existing State Farm policyholders can save themselves the time and headache of regaining control of their identity with identity restoration coverage. State Farm’s identity restoration coverage provides case management support to help the customer recover control of his or her identity and reimburses up to $25,000 in monetary expenses associated with the restoration of an identity.

As an insurance and financial services company, State Farm is committed to protecting consumers’ personal information.

For more information about identity restoration coverage contact a State Farm agent or visit: http://www.statefarm.com/insurance/identityFraud.asp
http://www.statefarm.com/sfca/insurance/identityFraud.asp

About State Farm®:
State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. Our 17,800 agents and more than 66,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts – more than 79 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly two million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 34 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.

For more information: Contact information for Carla Purdy, who recently experienced identity theft, is available. Contact Holly Anderson, State Farm at 309-735-7745 or for more information.

###