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Identity Thieves Target Baby Boomers

by Jed Jenson





The first of almost 80 million baby boomers filed for Social Security benefits in October 2007. This individual may also have been one of the first baby boomers to fall prey to identity theft. More and more Boomers are being targeted by identity thieves because of their additional sources of income as well as their tendencies to avoid the internet, to rely on paper checks and paper mail, and to easily fall victim to pre-texting scams. Because of this, it is more important than ever for baby boomers, who are prime targets for identity thieves, to turn to identity theft services, such as LifeLock, to keep their identity and finances secure.

Perhaps one of the top reasons baby boomers are being targeted by identity thieves is because older boomers (ages 51-60) have not completely moved into the electronic age and still use pen and paper to pay bills and send correspondences. This type of practice leaves baby boomers, and their mailboxes, prime targets for identity thieves. LifeLock’s identity theft protection services seek to prevent boomers from becoming prime targets by removing members’ names from pre-approved credit card mailing lists as well as junk mail lists.





The second way LifeLock protects boomers, and saves them time and energy, is by pulling annual credit reports from all three credit bureaus and mailing them to their members. Because some boomers have never used the internet and are not aware of how to access their credit reports online; they do not keep as close a watch on their credit activity as younger adults do. LifeLock gives boomers the ability to check their credit report for discrepancies in order to prevent identity theft from occurring. In addition to pulling credit reports, LifeLock also places fraud alerts on member’s credit files so that lenders must call the member for approval prior to issuing credit or loans.

Another way LifeLock protects boomers from identity theft is through their eRecon and TrueAddress services. Through LifeLock’s eRecon service, criminal websites are monitored for the selling or trading of social security numbers, credit card numbers, driver’s license numbers, etc. In addition to monitoring criminal websites, LifeLock’s TrueAddress service monitors national databases for changes to a members’ address and, if there is an address change, the member is notified of the change.

Another way LifeLock works to protect the identity of baby boomers is through their WalletLock service. Because boomers are more at risk of having their wallets lost or stolen, WalletLock is an invaluable service for boomers. Since boomers prefer to keep their personal documents close at hand, they are more likely to have multiple sources of personal identification in their wallet. LifeLock’s WalletLock service assigns a WalletLock specialist to their members if their wallet is lost or stolen. This specialist helps in contacting each credit card company, banking institution, and any state and federal agencies who issue driver’s licenses, etc. to cancel the accounts and begin the process of reinstating missing documents.

Lastly, a fifth way that LifeLock safeguards boomers from becoming victims of identity theft and having to spend excessive amounts of time and money in restoring their good name and credit is through their $1,000,000 full service guarantee. Although most boomers are at the point where they are receiving additional income, in today’s economy, their income is barely enough to cover their cost of living expenses. Through LifeLock’s $1,000,000 guarantee, if a thief discovers a weakness in LifeLock’s system and uses it to steal a members identity, LifeLock will secure attorneys, investigators, accountants, case managers, etc. to restore an individual’s good name and credit, in addition to the amount of money lost due to the theft.

With LifeLock’s Identity Theft Protection Services, boomers no longer need to worry about the security of their identity. In fact, the only security baby boomers may need to worry about is their Social Security benefits, which come from a system that is about to be tapped into by nearly 80 million baby boomers.

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