LFCC Loving Life Fall 2015 Magazine volume 9 | Page 9

Identity Theft Protection and Freezing Your Credit
by
Deacon Jason Goods

Data breaches, phishing scams and other hacks have become increasingly prevalent and
lucrative criminal enterprises. It seems like every month, the media is reporting on another
retail establishment, financial institution or governmental agency that has fallen prey to
hackers. These attacks are hitting much closer to home as the places we tend to shop, such as
Target and Home Depot, are listed among the hackers' victims. Your good name and credit
are under attack like never before.
Some of the more publicized data breaches at Target and Home Depot, where your debit and
credit cards are fraudulently used worldwide, are relatively easy to resolve with a phone call
to your financial institution or credit card company. In an effort to appease their loyal
consumer base, victims of these data breaches are often provided with free credit monitoring
services at no cost for 12 months or more. Other more malicious attacks on your identity,
where a new credit account in your name has been established, require a significant
investment of time, aggravation and frustration to resolve. If you have ever been a victim,
you definitely understand how much of an inconvenience it is to restore your good name and
credit.
The spike in these crimes has driven many individuals to subscribe to credit monitoring
services such as LifeLock for protection. For monthly fees ranging from $9.99 to $29.99,
LifeLock will not only provide a host of credit and identity monitoring services, but more
importantly, will provide assistance with resolving ѡ