LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11 CA-Farmers-Cautions
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- An annual American ritual is fast
approaching; millions of parents are preparing to send their children to
school. They'll be waving goodbye with tear-stained handkerchiefs as their
tots take their first bus ride to school; they'll hand car keys to high
schoolers; and they will display proud hugs at airports, train depots and bus
stations as youngsters head to college.
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"Bags are packed, supplies are secured, but one thing that may not be
properly considered at this time of year," cautions Jeff Dailey, Farmers
President of Personal Lines, "is identity protection. Each year millions of
identities are stolen and billions of dollars are lost. Students in
particular, are vulnerable to having their identities stolen because of the
hectic pace they face when they register for classes, buy books, sign up for
dormitories and other essentials necessary to begin classes," Dailey added.
"Parents should make sure that their children attending school follow some
simple rules to help protect their identity. Bank accounts in their child's
name can be discovered when a child first goes for a driver's permit; or a
child can be turned down when applying for college education loans or when
opening a checking account," Dailey notes. "There are some precautionary
steps that parents can take to protect their children and themselves."
-- Teach your son or daughter about Identity Safety, as you would about
personal safety.
-- Make sure to use a Pre-Paid Credit Card when purchasing supplies,
books, or registering at school.
-- If going away with a computer, be sure to have anti-virus and firewall
security installed. Plus, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), a
national ID theft watchdog organization, warns parents and students to
be on the look out for text messages claiming to be from your bank or
other financial institutions. Banking institutions will never alert you
to a problem with your account through a text message. Banks will
either send you notification in the postal mail or will talk to you in
person. If you receive a text message claiming to be from a financial
institution do not respond and do not go to any websites they may
direct you to for personal information.
-- Have a way to safeguard personal information and laptop with a locking
trunk or similar item
-- Do not forward mail, use parents house for banking and finance
statements
-- Do not leave identity papers in your clothing that you hang up in your
dorm, class or room. Make sure you empty your pockets and put any
identification information in a safe place.
-- Leave all credit cards in a safe, or somewhere you know will be safe.
"If students follow the precautions, they should not have any ID problems
while in school," Dailey continued. "Since Identity Theft is the fastest
growing crime in the world today, Farmers insurance has developed
comprehensive identity theft coverage. Farmers Identity Shield not only helps
you restore your identity after an identity fraud, but also provides
protection for your children by alerting you when such activity begins. Those
who have experienced its devastating effects know how hard it is to fix and
how much time it takes," he added.
Dailey explained that Identity Shield includes a 24/7 advocate to guide
and assist victims. An expert also is on call to answer any questions
policyholders may have about children or adult identity theft. "There is much
more, including assistance in replacing lost, stolen or damaged identification
documents and prevention tips," Dailey said.
For more information on identity theft and how to prevent it, contact your
local Farmers agent or visit http://www.Farmers.com
Farmers Group, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Financial
Services, an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network
of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia
Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Farmers(R) is the nation's
third-largest Personal Lines Property & Casualty insurance group. Property
and casualty products are underwritten and issued by the Farmers Exchanges and
their subsidiaries, which Farmers Group, Inc. manages but does not own.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Farmers insurers provide Homeowners, Auto,
Business, Life insurance and financial services to more than 10 million
households. For more information about Farmers, visit our Web site at
http://www.farmers.com.
SOURCE Farmers Group, Inc.
