Post by unix on Dec 5, 2014 8:49:07 GMT -5
I just got an offer costing $274 to get protection against identity theft so that I would get a short message on my cellular phone if someone (i.e. someone who is not actually me) buys something on a payment plan or gets a short-term loan in my name or the name of my proprietary firm. The protection would cover one year including all possible legal costs. They would guarantee I don't get to pay anything if my identity gets stolen. Even in the cases I wouldn't get a short message it would be possible to send them the strange invoices and they would take care of that I don't need to pay anything.
Do You think this offer would be worth the money? I know this may vary from person to person but it's hard to tell how big the risks are. Not many know my name, but if someone should figure out my name it's fairly simple to get all the other information by making a few phone calls or if subscribing on the internet to a service which gives all the needed information to anyone. The salesman said 1 out of 27 identities were stolen in 2013. He also said that these crimes occur by the thief making a false id-card with his own photo but my details, or when applying for a loan all that is needed is the social security number, address and a photo. I've only known one person who I know was a victim but because of certain circumstances (he was declared dead at the time) the municipality helps him so that he doesn't need to pay those invoices (ever) - that was many years ago.
This is a very recent kind of dilemma that comes with consumerism, an "offer" or a "risk", I think.
Do You think this offer would be worth the money? I know this may vary from person to person but it's hard to tell how big the risks are. Not many know my name, but if someone should figure out my name it's fairly simple to get all the other information by making a few phone calls or if subscribing on the internet to a service which gives all the needed information to anyone. The salesman said 1 out of 27 identities were stolen in 2013. He also said that these crimes occur by the thief making a false id-card with his own photo but my details, or when applying for a loan all that is needed is the social security number, address and a photo. I've only known one person who I know was a victim but because of certain circumstances (he was declared dead at the time) the municipality helps him so that he doesn't need to pay those invoices (ever) - that was many years ago.
This is a very recent kind of dilemma that comes with consumerism, an "offer" or a "risk", I think.
