The LoudSiren Debix Identity Protection Network has added another beneficial feature to their offering and it is one we are very happy about. As an addition to their leading edge and patent pending fraud alert technology system Debix has implemented an Incident Response Specialist to act immediately upon the notice of a fraudulent credit application as a coordinator between you the lending institution and law enforcement. This is how the LoudSiren Debix system works.
1. You enroll in their services and pay them $99/year.
2. You give a quick recording of your voice, give up to three phone numbers you can be contacted at and choose a personal identification number (PIN) as you would for a bank card. (explained later)
3. LoudSiren Debix will set your fraud alerts at all three credit bureaus and place their phone number (explained later), not yours, in your credit file. LoudSiren ensures that the fraud alert is set correctly and in the event it is not, or a lending institution fails to follow their legal requirement to call you or verify your identity, you are protected by their $25,000 insurance policy and 1 million dollar guarantee. Please note: A study by Debix in August 2006 showed that 40% of fraud alerts placed by consumers on their own were not set properly at all three bureaus.
4. LoudSiren will remove you from pre-approved credit offers, junk mail and unwanted telemarketing lists in addition to your yearly 3 bureau credit report. Note: Removal from the National Do Not Call List is optional.
5. You apply for credit so the loan officer or car salesman pulls your credit file from one of the bureaus and notices it has been flagged with a fraud alert requiring him to verify the identity of the person he is dealing with by calling the phone number in your credit file. This will be the LoudSiren Debix Safe phone number that they placed in your file on your behalf. When the loan officer calls that number it will automatically ring all three of your phone numbers (usually home, work and cell phone). You answer and will hear your own voice recording so you know this is a legitimate call. You will then hear the requested credit application and you simply enter your PIN and approve the transaction.
6. An identity thief applies for credit and as above you get a call and hear your voice but this time, since you know it is a credit fraud attempt, you simply hit the star button to decline the credit request and you are immediately connected to an Incident Response Specialist in Austin, Texas from Debix. They will investigate the attack instantly and will work with the lender in addition to engaging law enforcement when appropriate. Note: We absolutely love this feature as it can put the predator who was attempting to use your private information right where he belongs. Behind bars.
Without a doubt this is the best fraud alert system available giving the LoudSiren Debix team many advantages over other identity theft protection companies. These advantages are:
- They keep your cell phone number out of the hands of the credit bureaus and all creditors by giving them the LoudSiren Debix Safe phone number. Since you will recognize the Safe Number it also ensures you don’t miss a call from a creditor phone number you don’t recognize.
- Since you will hear your pre-recorded voice you will know if any call asking you to provide authorization for credit is legitimate and not a phone scam.
- The LoudSiren Debix system has an extra level of security due to a PIN that must be entered to approve credit.
- All calls to the LoudSiren Safenumber are automatically forwarded to three phone numbers and if you don’t answer you are informed by voice mail and email of a pending request. This not only gives you instant credit when you want it but also avoids any phone tag between you and a creditor.
- There is an audit trail of all calls placed to you which can prove very useful in a dispute resolution.
- In an identity theft attempt an incident response specialist is there with you from the beginning when you need them most. They will contact the lender ensuring that they know the application is fraudulent and find out if the identity thief is present. They will involve the appropriate law enforcement agency depending on the location of the attempted fraud and the nature of the case.
We love the addition of an incident response specialist and believe it will not only catch criminals red handed but more importantly will deter them from committing the crime in the first place as the risk of getting caught increases dramatically.
Fraud alerts are the single best weapon we have against identity theft and the system employed by the Loudsiren Debix team is the best fraud alert system on the market. It may not be for everyone as some people prefer to receive a phone call directly from the lender but we believe the advantages of their system is significant. When you combine this with a stellar reputation in the identity theft protection industry and add $25,000 worth of insurance and a $1,000,000 guarantee you know you have a winner. This is why states and cities who have experienced large data breaches hired Debix to protect the identity of their affected residents and this is why we gave the Loudsiren Debix team our highest rating. If you are worried at all about identity theft, and we believe every American should be, then we suggest you put your mind at ease by protecting your reputation, good name, hard earned money and future credit opportunities.