Is Identity Theft Insurance a Good Option for You?

With the use of modern conveniences such as online banking, credit cards and automated services comes the risk of falling victim to an elaborate scam. Every year, countless people have their identities stolen. This means that someone impersonates the victim in order to gain access to their bank account, use their credit card, or one of many other malicious activities. If you are the victim of identity theft, you will most likely experience a horrible hassle when picking up the pieces and re-establishing yourself.

This is why many people are turning to identity theft insurance to keep them safe from the countless threats of modern life. Identity theft insurance requires that you pay a small premium every month. In return, if you have your identity stolen, the insurance company pays for many things involved in the process of regaining your identity. This includes phone bills, mailing costs, lost wages, attorney fees, and other expenses. It is hard to say whether the average person needs identity theft insurance. However, it is definitely a valid choice in some cases.

Identity theft insurance coverage varies in coverage, deductible and costs, just like many other forms of insurance. In most cases identity theft insurance will cover lost wages due to time taken off work to correct or repair damages due to identity theft. However, this coverage often carries a limit, in the approximate amount of $2,000.00. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse estimates that victims spend on the average the equivalent of 22 work days trying to correct the damage from identity theft.

Identity theft insurance usually also provided benefits coverage for: attorney fees (which may or may not be necessary); notarization of documents, mailing, postage, supplies, copy costs, and phone bill charges which you may incur in an effort to correct the damage done to your credit and financial reputation.

Some people are at a higher risk of having their identity stolen. If it has happened to you before, unfortunately it is more likely to happen again. If you conduct a lot of online business, including trading, bank account management, buying or selling, then you are at a higher risk of having your personal data stolen. In both of these cases, identity theft insurance is probably a good option to consider. But for the average person, the actual chance of having your identity stolen is fairly low, and insurance might not be necessary.

Identity theft insurance is becoming more and more popular with insurance companies, and sometimes you won’t even need to find a specialty company. Ask your current insurance company if they have any plans that you can add on to your current one that will protect you from identity theft. If your current insurance company offers such a thing, then it will probably be better to use their services, as long as you agree with the terms. However, you shouldn’t buy the insurance simply out of fear. Analyse your situation objectively to decide whether you are at risk or not.

Critics of identity theft insurance claim that it is “not worth the money,” or that it does not provide enough benefits. The concerns include: identity theft insurance does not provide reimbursement for money that is stolen or for identity theft expenses that occurred because of who the “thief” was. Most commonly a family member is the culprit in the case of identity theft and in that instance most insurance does not pay benefits.

Further, insurance may not protect you from becoming a victim of identity theft and does not cover direct monetary losses incurred as a result of identity theft. Some people feel that the purchase of identity theft insurance may create a false sense of security, thus consumers may not be as careful with their credit and financial information.