ReliaShield

ReliaShield Review

ReliaShield was founded in 1999 and is a part of ReliaQuote Insurance Services, LLC. Over 1 million customers use ReliaShield’s identity theft protection services. United States-based account monitoring representatives are available around the clock every day of the year, so you always have someone monitoring unauthorized access to your personal and financial data.

The Federal Trade Commission found that seniors have a higher identity theft risk compared to the general population. You can take measures to prevent identity theft by using a service like ReliaShield’s protection so you can stop criminal activity before your financial life becomes a mess.

Pros

• Lower cost compared to similar services
• Comprehensive coverage
• $1 million in stolen funds coverage
• Free coverage for children
• 100% identity recovery success rate

Cons

• No mobile app

ReliaShield Identity Theft Coverage

ReliaShield is a comprehensive identity theft protection company that monitors activity related to all critical identity theft categories. Identity theft occurs when someone steals unique identifying information to open a financial account in your name, rob money from your existing accounts or redirects benefits checks to a new address or direct deposit account. Most identity theft happens online or through the mail, and a ReliaShield representative will alert you of such activity. The primary types of identity theft ReliaShield monitors for includes:

• Social Security fraud occurs when someone poses as you or your caretaker to steal your Social Security benefits.
• Criminal ID theft happens when someone is arrested for a crime and claims to be you, creating a fraudulent, criminal record in your name.
• Financial fraud describes many identity theft scams, where someone tricks you into disclosing information to steal money from you. This activity may involve a fake investment scheme, scam phone call asking for money, charities that don’t exist and others.
• Medical ID theft happens when a person uses your personal information to obtain medical care, often prescription drugs.
• Child ID theft involves someone stealing a child’s information to commit fraud, such as taking out a credit card or loan in that child’s name. Victims of child identity theft often don’t know about this activity until becoming adults and have a credit or background check conducted.
• Tax fraud most often occurs when someone pretends to be you to claim your income tax refund.
• Benefits and employment fraud is when someone steals your identity to benefit from your pension, 401(k), or other benefits.

How ReliaShield Works to Protect Against Identity Theft

ReliaShield monitors activity related to your Social Security number, name, date of birth, and other unique identifiers in databases held by companies around the globe as well as in particularly dangerous areas like the darknet. A representative contacts you immediately upon detecting fraud to determine if an identity theft took place. ReliaShield covers you up to $1 million in stolen money and recovery fees. They also work with you to resolve any issues, including notifying various credit agencies that you were a victim of fraud and, if needed, obtaining a Power of Attorney to work on your behalf to resolve cases.

ReliaShield Identity Theft Protection Plans

ReliaShield identity theft protection plans cover nearly everything you need for comprehensive identity protection. One drawback is that the company’s Essential plan, the most basic, doesn’t monitor your records with any of the three major credit bureaus. Most other identity theft protection companies include this feature in their basic plans. However, ReliaShield’s plans cost less than most others offered by the competition.

Plan	Identity Theft Protection
ReliaShield Essential $7.99/mo $87.99/year	ID theft monitoring: unauthorized personal information use, darknet, Social Security number, change of address, court records and data breaches. Other services: 24-hour customer service, unlimited identity restoration services, wallet protection and credit report reminders. Funds reimbursement: $1 million for stolen funds and expenses.
ReliaShield Prime $14.99/mo $164.99/year	Everything in ReliaShield Essential plus: Monitoring for loan activity, neighborhood predator, social media and one credit bureau.
ReliaShield Elite $23.99/mo $263.99/year	All Prime coverage plus: monitoring at all three credit bureaus, monthly credit score, bank account takeover notifications, new financial and credit account applications.

ReliaShield Identity Theft Protection Cost

ReliaShield fees range from about $8 a month for an individual on the Essential plan, to $24 a month for an individual on the Elite program. You can save a little by purchasing a full year of service, with savings roughly equal to getting one month free.

ReliaShield Family Plans

Family plans are double the cost of those sold to individuals. A ReliaShield Family plan covers you and your spouse or domestic partner and all children under the age of 18 in the household. Children receive limited free services, including Social Security and personal information monitoring, wallet protection, recovery services and reimbursement.

Canceling ReliaShield Services

Whether you buy an annual plan or decide to pay month-to-month, both automatically renew unless you cancel the service in advance of your next payment. Cancel a monthly ReliaShield plan, and identity theft protection stops at the end of that month with no refund. ReliaShield refunds the remainder of an annual plan if canceled early, starting the month after you cancel and you remain protected through the end of the month.

How to Buy ReliaShield Identity Theft Protection Services

Signing up for identity theft protection with ReliaShield is easy to do on the website. Choose a monthly or annual plan that works best for you, provide some information about yourself and make a payment. Credit monitoring services require you to take some additional steps so that ReliaShield can verify and monitor credit accounts on your behalf. It can take a little longer for credit monitoring services to become active, and regardless of the plan you choose, you will receive an email or letter to let you know when your account is active.

ReliaShield Identity Theft Protection Complaints

We found numerous positive ReliaShield reviews from consumer watchdog organizations and customers. The company receives 4 out of 5 stars from BestCompany, 9.3 out of 10 from ConsumersAdvocate, and an “A-” rating from the Better Business Bureau. ReliaShield receives exceptionally high ratings for providing excellent customer service, a perfect resolution record and low cost relative to other identity theft protection companies.

ReliaShield Q&A

• Do I have to provide my Social Security number to ReliaShield to enroll in a plan?
  ReliaShield does not require a Social Security number at enrollment. However, without that information, the company can’t fully protect you against identity theft.

• What does ReliaShield include in the Lost Wallet Protection?
  If someone steals your wallet, ReliaShield will cancel your credit card, health insurance card and other accounts associated with the contents of your billfold. A highly-trained representative will also order new cards for you.

• What does ReliaShield’s $1 Million Theft and Recovery Reimbursement include?
  Recovery and Theft Reimbursement is an insurance policy that provides up to $1 million for any money or property stolen from you through identity theft. ReliaShield also reimburses expenses incurred as you restore your identity. For instance, if you had to take off from work to make calls or visit the police, you can be reimbursed for lost wages. Other reimbursed expenses include notary fees, child care costs and lawyer fees directly related to your case. Be sure to read the Policy Summary published on the ReliaShield website to see everything that is covered.

• What do I do If I discover I’m a victim of identity theft while using ReliaShield?
  It’s most likely that ReliaShield will inform you about security breaches and other identity theft threats before you learn about them elsewhere. If you discover identity theft activity, you must report it to ReliaShield no later than 60 days after you become aware of it. Of course, we recommend reporting the incident immediately, so your situation is resolved sooner, and the criminals don’t gain access to your other accounts. You should also report identity theft to the police or other authorities.

• How do I contact ReliaShield?
  Fill out the form or call to speak to a ReliaShield representative using the contact information listed on the website.

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Conclusion

ReliaShield provides affordable identity theft protection, and the company holds a 100% success record for resolving identity theft cases. With more children using social media, it’s critical for families to have a comprehensive identity theft plan like ReliaShield’s services.