CyberScout^®, an industry leader in identity theft management, education and resolution services announced today a partnership with Buckeye State Mutual Insurance Company that will give policyholders free access to professional fraud specialists to help repair the damage from the rising threat of identity theft.

Millions of Americans are victimized by identity theft each year and according to Gartner Research Group, the number of victims has risen by 50 percent since 2003. In Ohio, officials report that a recent data breach exposed more than 1 million taxpayers, state workers, companies and government agencies. The breach was caused by the theft of a computer device that was carrying thousands of Social Security numbers.

If a Buckeye policyholder having the Identity Fraud Expense Coverage Endorsement becomes a victim of identity theft, an CyberScout personal advocate will guide them through the entire process of restoring their identity. The resolution service includes:

• Unlimited one-on-one access to an expert personal advocate 
• Fraud alerts placed with all three credit bureaus and a review of credit reports 
• Assistance notifying all relevant businesses, agencies and institutions 
• Assistance replacing checks, credit cards and debit cards 
• A full year of credit monitoring, fraud monitoring and follow-up after resolution 
• All services apply to immediate family members 
• If a policyholder becomes a victim of a natural disaster, the program offers assistance to those whom have lost their personal identification, legal, or financial documents.  The disaster response service includes: 
• Assistance with emergency authentication 
• Retrieving, replacing or recreating lost or destroyed legal, financial or personal identification documents 
• Assistance in handling insurance claims and accessing records 
• Assistance in relaying information to law enforcement and government agencies, employers and relatives, and other relevant institutions. 

In addition to identity theft resolution and disaster response services, all Buckeye State Mutual Insurance Company customers have access to CyberScout’s educational material through a dedicated website: www.Buckeye-idtheft.com.   

“Our agents and policyholders know that Buckeye State Mutual Insurance Company is a forward-thinking company, and our coverage needs to address the issues that matter most to them,” said Doug Haines, President and CEO of Buckeye State Mutual Insurance Company. “Identity theft is one of those issues. Our partnership with CyberScout allows us to take a proactive approach to this threat by expanding our Identity Fraud coverage to include the best resolution services available today.” 

“The people in the Midwest, like the rest of America, are being hit hard by identity theft and often don’t realize it until the damage has been done,” said Steve Christenson, President of CyberScout. “Buckeye State Mutual Insurance Company is proactively addressing an increasingly common risk to its policyholders and their families.”