There's No Humor in Identity Theft
Weve all seen those credit card commercials on television advertising ways to keep your identity safe. They involve innocent victims of identity theft talking in the voices of the criminals who stole their identities. One includes a couple of old ladies sitting on a sofa surrounded by gaudy decorations involving flowers and doilies. While this doesnt sound so unusual, the ladies are speaking in the voices of two men who have stolen their credit cards, and possibly their identities, and purchased motorcycles. Little old ladies with masculine voices talking about fast motorcycles? Hilarious! However, in real life, theres no humor in identity theft.
When youre the victim of identity theft, it feels as if your life has been ripped away from you, and for good reason it has. The person who has stolen your identity is out living your life well, what other people think is your life. In actuality, the person is living whatever life he or she pleases under your name. The person is getting and using credit cards in your name, obtaining jobs in your name, maybe even starting a family in your name. Proving your identity has been stolen can be a lengthy and expensive process, as can restoring your identity and taking care of the ruins left behind by the identity theft hurricane.
Identity theft insurance will help you restore your identity, and its relatively inexpensive. It can help cover the costs of restoring your identity, such as paying phone bills, any lost wages during the time your identity was stolen, and any legal costs you acquire.
You can purchase identity theft insurance as a sole insurance policy, or you can add it as an endorsement to another insurance policy, such as your homeowners insurance policy. Some homeowners insurance policies already include identity theft insurance. Check your homeowners insurance policy for coverage or endorsements, or speak with an insurance agent about purchasing identity theft insurance.
