Getting your Identity Back

Identity theft happens — millions of times every year.

The crooks go on lavish spending sprees, tap medical benefits, create fake employment histories and even commit crimes in the name of someone else.

But state-of-the-art identity recovery services help victims piece their credit — and lives — back together.

Who’s a target?

Maybe you.

The first step is to clearly understand that — regardless of financial standing — anyone can be a lucrative target for identity thieves. But consumers can take action to protect their identities from would-be-thieves.

Experts recommend shredding all mail and documents that contain personal information. Don’t carry Social Security cards or other sensitive documents in a wallet or purse, and use a secure postal box instead of putting bill payments into a roadside mailbox.

Recovery

Erie Insurance has recognized the risk identity theft poses to customers and has responded by offering identity recovery coverage as a low-cost addition to homeowners policies. If a covered customer’s identity is stolen, the company works to clear his or her name and restore his or her credit.

In addition, the endorsement provides up to $25,000 for reimbursement of the many expenses that can accumulate in the identity recovery process, such as attorney fees, notary fees and long distance calls, just to name a few. It also includes coverage up to a limited amount for lost wages if it is necessary to take time away from work.

How it works

The theft itself is just the beginning for those whose identities have been stolen. It can take months or years to fix the problem for those who attempt to clear their name on their own. Over time, victims can invest more than 60 hours and hundreds or thousands of dollars into the restoration effort.

The process is a tangled maze for consumers.

Erie Insurance’s coverage allows for managed restoration by a licensed investigator who has expertise in dealing with the many challenges of identity restoration.

Once Erie Insurance takes a theft report, an investigator is assigned to the case and works to restore the individual’s credit to its pre-theft state. The case manager connects with a long list of businesses and agencies to clear a customer’s name.

By granting limited power of attorney, victims allow investigators to represent them to various government agencies and creditors in the restoration process.

Moving on

The bulk of the restoration process typically takes three to six months. The licensed investigator works to restore the victim’s identity until it appears that all the issues have been resolved.

A thorough credit and identity check is then performed 120 days later to make certain there hasn’t been any more suspicious activity. If no problems are detected, the case is considered closed.

If there are more red flags, the entire process begins again.

Contact your Erie Insurance agent to add the coverage to your homeowners policy and for more information about what’s covered. Don’t have an agent? Find one with the Agent Locator.