As we mentioned in a blog post earlier this year, which you can read here, Colorado is ranked among the highest states for identity theft and fraud. We also showed that anyone can be a victim of identity theft, even children, sometimes especially children; this is due to the fact that a child has a clean history, a thief can start to build credit and in a few years that social security number is ripe and ready to use to apply for some big loans.
The fact that over the past 14 years, the likelihood of becoming a victim of these kinds of crimes has increased over 800% is terrifying enough. However, 2015 has become a year of massive online hacking events that have endangered the financial welfare of millions of people worldwide; The New York Times has reported that recently the IRS has admitted that over 300,000 U.S. Residents had their tax return information divulged to hackers (See Here), Blue Cross Blue Shield is reported to have had the information of more than 80 million current and former members stolen (Story Here), and the current news story about the infamous Ashley Madison dating service website had more than 37 million users personal information and credit card numbers stolen and much of this stolen information is being dumped onto the internet for anybody with a smartphone in Starbucks to see (Read More Here).
It is easy to joke about the last example by saying that it is “cheaters getting what they deserve,” however, what if it had happened to a different group of online consumers? What if instead of Ashley Madison, the hacker group had targeted Match.com, Amazon, or PayPal? Do you have any personal information invested into these or any other websites? Identity Theft and Fraud are very serious issues and the fastest growing white collar crime in America. Identity Theft and Fraud protection are no longer a luxury, they are a necessity. Without insurance, you may be on the hook for thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges on your credit card, loans taken out in your name, and the court costs that come with fighting these kinds of accusations.
We encourage everyone to do the research and give us a call to learn more about what options are available to you to get protection BEFORE your identity, your life, is stolen from you. Make the time ASAP and contact us at either of our locations:
Denver Office Castle Rock Office
1735 E. 17th Ave. #3 513 Wilcox St. #200
Denver, CO 80218 Castle Rock, CO 80104
Phone: 303–388-7216 Phone: 303–688-1251
Email: contact@www.insurancedenver.net Email: contact@www.insurancedenver.net