USBA introduces a new identity theft protection for military veterans, federal employees and their families

Identity theft claims a new victim every 3 seconds. In 2017 alone, 1.3 million people in the United States were victims of identity fraud. Many were active military members, retired military veterans, and their families.

To address this growing threat, USBA has teamed up with IDShield to offer USBA military members, federal employees, and their families quality identity theft protection–in addition to low cost military life insurance.

Introducing IDShield
IDShield provides affordable protection that includes privacy, security, and credit monitoring, as well as identity restoration services. By special agreement, USBA members pay just 28¢ a day for individual protection or 53¢ a day for an entire family. That’s a 15% discount for individuals and 48% discount for families. Learn more and sign up online.

If you’ve never known someone who had his or her identity stolen, you may not realize the chaos it can cause. Having your identity stolen can prevent you from securing a bank loan or landing a civilian job and leave you dealing with month-after-month of calls from debt collectors. And none of this is your fault.

You also may not realize all the ways your identity can be stolen. You don’t want your world or that of your family to be turned upside down due to theft of personal information tied to credit cards, employment, phone or utilities, banking, loans or leases, government documents and benefits, online payment accounts, even healthcare insurance or medical services you’ve received. According to the Federal Trade Commission, there’s been a 40% increase in medical services-related identity theft in the last year.*

One of the many reasons USBA chose IDShield is the company’s exclusive partnership with Kroll. Kroll is the world leader in risk mitigation and identification monitoring. It works with the U.S. Armed Forces, governments, the TSA and Homeland Security.

It’s the only identity theft protection company armed with a team of licensed private investigators dedicated to restoring your identity. Members have unlimited access to identity theft consultation services provided by licensed Kroll private investigators. Members also have access to support agents 24/7/365 for emergency situations. Learn more here. 

And here is some more exciting news:  Unlike USBA life insurance for veterans, IDShield is available to USBA members PLUS family members and even friends with non-military backgrounds who don’t qualify for USBA membership. Please feel free to share this information with others who may be interested.

Additional tips for avoiding identity theft
According to USA.gov, these are some of the steps you should take to protect your identity.

Keep your Social Security number (SSN) and those of your children secure. Give them out only when absolutely necessary and only to those you trust.

Never respond to unsolicited requests for personal information (your name, birth date, Social Security number, or bank account number) by phone, mail, or online. 

• Collect your mail promptly. Place a hold on your mail when you’re away from home for several days.
• Pay attention to billing cycles. If bills or financial statements are late, contact the sender.
• Review credit card and bank account statements. Watch for unauthorized transactions.
• Shred receipts, credit offers, account statements, and expired credit cards to prevent dumpster diving thieves from getting your personal information.
• Review your credit report once a year to be certain it doesn’t include accounts you haven’t opened.

When you’re a USBA member with IDShield protection, you’ll also receive timely identity theft updates to keep you informed and protected against new security threats and breaches.

Criminals are getting smarter, but you can out-smart them by planning ahead. Start by protecting your identity with IDSHIELD.