ID Patrol Review

ID Patrol benefits were the subject of a recent interview with Steve Ely, the President of Equifax Personal Solutions who created the ID Patrol product.

He started off by highlighting the growing problem of identity theft.

“Identity theft is now surpassing drug trafficking as the nation’s number one crime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice”

Ely then went on to suggest consumers should be proactive about protecting their identity, rather than become victims down the road.

“A proactive approach is the best way for consumers to protect themselves and minimize damage to their credit and financial health.”

Comparing Identity Theft Solutions

As you probably know, you have many different options when it comes to credit monitoring and id theft prevention and its not always easy to compare identity theft protection services. Ely also reviewed some details on what makes ID Patrol standout from other similar services by Experian, TransUnion, Equifax, and LifeLock:

ID Patrol Features:

* The first feature is Equifax WebDetect, an innovative tool that constantly scans suspected Internet trading sites and provides alerts to consumers if their personal information (Social Security number or major debit or credit card numbers) is found

* Equifax ID Patrol also features our Identity Theft Resolution Specialist, a trained specialist available 24/7 to help consumers understand the process of notifying the proper authorities, banks and other financial institutions in the event that their identity is stolen.

* Our next feature is the Equifax Credit Report Control, an exclusive product that lets consumers lock and unlock their Equifax credit file online or by phone.

* Finally, Equifax ID Patrol monitors a consumer’s credit file with all three nationwide credit reporting agencies for key changes — such as when someone opens credit in the consumer’s name—and sends them e-mail alerts within 24 hours of those key changes.

ID Patrol Review

Check out our ID Patrol review for more information on Equifax ID Patrol and on why you might need identity theft protection.

How does Equifax ID Patrol compare to the identity theft protection provided by TrueCredit by TransUnion, Experian Triple Advantage, and LifeLock?

The chart below compares each of these identify theft services by credit file monitoring, credit file locks, internet scanning, ID Theft Resolution, and fraud alerts.

How is ID Patrol any different than standard credit monitoring?
A comprehensive, credit monitoring-based identity protection product like Equifax ID Patrol does even more to help consumers protect and minimize the damage that can be caused by identity theft. Equifax ID Patrol combines identity protection features like WebDetect–an innovative feature that constantly scans suspected Internet trading sites and provides alerts to consumers if their personal information (i.e. Social Security number or major debit/credit card numbers) is found, 24/7 Identity Theft Resolution Specialists, and the ability to control who has access to your Equifax credit file with three-bureau credit monitoring and alerts to key changes in a credit file–all in one product.

What features does Equifax ID Patrol offer?
Equifax ID Patrol packs several identity protection features into one simple tool, including the following:

• Identity Theft Resolution Specialist - a trained specialist available 24/7 to help consumers understand the process of notifying the proper authorities, banks and other financial institutions in the event that their identity is stolen.
• Equifax WebDetect - WebDetect puts technology to work to protect your information. It searches the Web for your personal information, including your Social Security Number and up to 10 credit card account numbers, and sends you an alert email if your personal information appears online.
• Equifax Credit Report Control - With Credit Report control you can lock and unlock your Equifax credit report online or by phone, temporarily unlock your credit report the companies of your choosing, and be notified by email if changes are made to the lock status of your Equifax credit report.

Credit Monitoring
ID Patrol also monitors a consumer’s credit file with all three nationwide credit reporting agencies for key changes — such as when someone opens credit in the consumer’s name—and sends them e-mail alerts within 24 hours of those key change

Why do consumers need an identity theft protection product?
Consumers should not wait until they have become a victim to take steps to protect themselves. Equifax ID Patrol is designed to alert consumers to potential instances of fraud sooner and to help prevent identity thieves from obtaining credit in their name. A proactive approach is the best way for consumers to protect themselves and minimize damage to their credit in the event that theft does occur.