Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, has recently joined with CyberScout® to offer policyholders an endorsement to their property coverage that provides credit monitoring, document recovery services, and one-on-one access to fraud specialists. This comprehensive program, also including fraud expense reimbursement, helps to protect customers both proactively and after identity theft occurs.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, topping the FTC’s list of consumer complaints for seven consecutive years. It takes a victim an average of 175 hours to clean up their lives after identity theft, according to the Insurance Advisory Board.
"Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company delivers high quality products and service to its customers and we are very pleased to offer, through our agreement with CyberScout, a solution to their identity protection coverage needs with the assurance of professional expertise when fraudulent activity occurs,” said Bruce Trost, Executive Vice President of Property-Casualty Companies. “Through this relationship, we are able to provide one of the most robust and fully integrated identity protection programs available in the marketplace today."
“People often don't know where to turn after their personal records have been tampered with or stolen,” continued Trost. “We want to help our customers protect their reputations, and provide them with the best professional expertise available so they can recover quickly when this type of fraudulent activity occurs."
Three distinct service components are included in the Identity Service and Fraud Expense Coverage Program along with up to $25,000 reimbursement for identity restoration expenses (i.e. attorney fees, loss of wages and child-care expenses). These components are:
- Identity Credit Monitoring ServicesSM – The policyholder is notified by a credit monitoring system when early signs of identity theft are detected. The policyholder then has on-demand access to an experienced and dedicated fraud specialist to assist him or her through the prevention and restoration process.
- Identity Theft Resolution ServiceSM– When a policyholder becomes victim of identity theft, an CyberScout personal advocate will guide them through the entire process of restoring their identity and getting their life back on track. The policyholder will receive free fraud alerts, notification assistance, comprehensive case file creation and much more.
- Identity Document RecoverySM – In the case of a natural disaster, such as a tornado, flood or home fire, the policyholder will have access to a fraud specialist who will assist in the rapid replacement of all crucial documents, as well as efficient notification of all relevant parties (i.e. law enforcement, government agencies, family members, employers, among others). The fraud specialist will also take all proactive measures possible to help prevent potential identity theft.
