American Family Insurance is providing a new level of identity theft services to its customers who purchase the optional coverage.

American Family’s Identity Fraud Expense Coverage offers comprehensive solutions and assistance, either when identity theft occurs or in response to a customer’s concerns. The service added to the Identity Fraud Expense Coverage is powered by CyberScout^®, which offers expert guidance through the entire resolution process, along with many proactive services that assist customers in safeguarding their identity.  Personal advocates work one-on-one with customers to identify where they are vulnerable, and to ensure their identity theft case has been fully resolved. 

Identity theft occurs when someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal information for criminal purposes. Losses to the victim may include general out-of-pocket expenses, lost time from work and additional costs associated with restoring reputation and correcting compromised personal data.  American Family’s Identity Fraud Expense Coverage reimburses customers for those expenses.   
American Family introduced this optional identity fraud expense coverage in 2003. The new program offers three main services, at no additional cost, to customers who already have or will purchase the optional coverage:

Identity Resolution Services for customers who have suffered identity theft. A personal advocate is assigned to guide and assist the customer through the entire identity restoration process, working with credit bureaus, collection agencies, financial institutions, law enforcement and government agencies.  

Integrated Identity Services for customers who feel they are at an increased risk of identity theft. For example, a customer’s home is burglarized and personal papers were possibly taken. Proactive fraud alerts can be placed on the customer’s credit file to reduce the risk of new fraudulent accounts being created in the customer’s name. The customer would also have on-demand access to a fraud specialist for further assistance.  

Proactive Identity Services for customers who have not suffered any type of loss or claim but are concerned about identity theft and are looking for ways to protect themselves against a potential loss.  Services offered include proactive fraud alerts placed on credit files for early detection, as well as specialized services such as:

Child Risk Identity Services help prevent and resolve fraud involving misuse of a child’s information that can take years to detect. 
Military Identity Services assist service members slated for active duty to take proactive steps to minimize identity theft risk while stationed abroad.  

Estate Identity Services assist a surviving spouse by safeguarding their financial records and the identity of their departed spouse from the potential misuse by identity thieves.  

Relocation Identity Services assist customers in protecting personal information during a move and help ensure uninterrupted access to bank accounts, credit accounts, and other important information.  

Identity theft can occur in many different ways.  Some common methods are:       

• Theft of wallets and purses containing personal data such as a driver’s license, credit cards, Social Security numbers, bank statements, checks or tax information. 
• Retrieval of bills or papers containing personal information from garbage receptacles. 
• Soliciting for personal information via spam e-mails (“phishing”). 
• Theft of personal papers and pre-approved credit offers from personal mail. 
• Obtaining telephone calling card numbers or credit card numbers by watching their use in public places (“shoulder surfing”).  

For additional information on American Family’s Identity Fraud Expense Coverage, see an American Family agent or visit www.amfam.com/idprotect.

Based in Madison, Wis., American Family Insurance offers auto, homeowners, life, health, commercial and farm/ranch insurance in 18 states. American Family ranks 352nd on the Fortune 500 list and is the nation’s third-largest mutual property/casualty insurance company. For more information, visit www.amfam.com.