Partnering with InfoArmor, SAFE Security provides a complimentary suite of identity theft, credit monitoring, personal privacy and parental social media monitoring services to customers and their families called SAFEid.
According to SAFE Security, this is the first all-inclusive, complimentary suite of credit and identity theft services to be included with a customer’s monitoring service and is designed to protect customers well beyond their home or business.
SAFEid provides SAFE Security customers with the following benefits at no additional monthly fee:
• identity monitoring: uncovers fraud quickly;
• CreditArmor: simplifies monitoring credit; includes a free monthly credit score and annual credit report;
• social media reputation monitoring: protects an entire family against reputational damage including racist, violent, vulgar or inappropriate comments on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram profiles;
• WalletArmor: provides an online vault for securely storing documents, credit cards and online accounts; includes a lost wallet replacement service; and
• privacy advocates: provides a full-service advocate to restore one’s identity… from start to finish.
“We believe we need to protect the person as well as the home and property,” said Paul Sargenti, SAFE Security president and CEO.
InfoArmor CEO Drew Smith said, “Identity theft claimed 13.1 million victims and $18 billion in damages last year in the U.S. alone; there is a new victim every two seconds. Our identity and credit protection helps detect and correct identity theft before major damage is done.”
Sargenti said, “It is the right kind of security for a security company to offer. Not doing something like this is risking potential damage and destruction to the customers.”
Sargenti said they looked at several major identity theft services before choosing InfoArmor but were never satisfied. “We wanted to provide this in a comprehensive way that was affordable and verifiable. Then we tested protocols on InfoArmor and were very impressed. They understood the security business and the type of menu and the complexities we might have to address in providing service. It’s a bundled service which can lead to operational issues that might frustrate other companies. They designed it with perspective of security customers.”
Sargenti listed several benefits that set SAFEid apart from other identity theft services. First, SAFEid provides privacy advocate remediation in which experts will act as case managers for any issues that arise from identity theft in order to expedite the process of restoring customers’ identities and clearing their names. Additionally, they monitor social media and send alerts whenever something potentially damaging to a family member’s reputation is posted. Customers also have access to a $25,000 insurance policy that can be used by any customer who suffers from identity theft, not just those who suffer because of the mistake of the identity theft protection service. Sargenti explained that some companies offer huge guarantees that aren’t actually available to someone who suffers from identity theft unless the protection service made a mistake. Finally, filters can be added to customers’ accounts and Internet access that reduce junk mail, credit offers and telemarketers by 20 percent.
“The amount most companies would charge an individual for this level of protection would be comparable to the price of basic fire protection and monitoring services,” Sargenti continued. “We offer it free to our customers and extend protection to their entire immediate families.” Sargenti said the same level of protection is available to businesses, and business owners can extend the protection to their employees for as long as the employee remains with the business.
“We are always looking for innovative solutions that enhance our service offerings and improve the customer experience,” said Sargenti. “Unfortunately, data breaches are far too common in today’s digital society. Providing comprehensive identity theft protection illustrates how we look beyond conventional security to protect our customers.”
SAFE Security ran a beta test on about 2,500 customers, then increased that to 10,000, and are working toward efficient customer onboarding by adding customers to the service in waves. The program was launched portfolio-wide at the beginning of June 2015.
So far, customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, said Sargenti, and thanks to helpful feedback, they’ve been able to tailor the service even better to meet their customers’ needs, and privacy advocates are available to answer customer questions as they sign up.
Sargenti said they are in the process of determining the benefits of the program, and then they intend to either keep it complimentary or offer it at a very low cost, “but that would be years down the road.”
For information, visit www.safesecurity.com/safeid.
