Texas Legal Adds Identity Theft Restoration

AUSTIN, Texas—Texas Legal, the statewide nonprofit legal insurance plan founded by the State Bar of Texas in 1972, recently added identity theft restoration as a benefit to its members. The nonprofit has partnered with AllClear ID, the technology leader in the identity protection market, to provide Texas Legal members 12 months of automatic access to identity repair services.

According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), there are more than nine million victims of identity theft in the U.S. every year. That’s about nine out of every 300 people, so there is a good chance you or someone you know has been affected or will be affected. There are various ways a thief can use your personal information, including misusing your Social Security number, making purchases with your lost or stolen credit cards, using your checking account or fraudulently opening an account in your name, among others.

“With the rise in identity theft, we have taken a proactive approach to ensure our members are safeguarded if their identity has been compromised,” James “Jim” Buck, president of Texas Legal, said. “The necessary steps to reinstate one’s good name and credit can be overwhelming, and we wanted to be able to ease that burden for our members. We are proud to add identity theft restoration to our extensive list of benefits.”

If a Texas Legal member experiences identity theft, they simply call the AllClear ID customer support team and provide proof of Texas Legal coverage. From there, a licensed investigator goes to work on the customer’s behalf to restore their credit to its accurate state. No matter where or how the fraud occurs, the team is ready to assist.

Personal information is a valuable commodity. Knowing how to protect your information — and your identity — is a must in the 21st century and can help reduce your risk of identity theft. Texas Legal shares five tips on doing this effectively.

1. Keep your personal information secure offline. When you order new checks, don’t have them mailed to your home, unless you have a secure mailbox with a lock. Destroy labels on prescription bottles before you throw them out.
2. Keep your personal information secure online. If you post too much information about yourself on social media networking sites, an identity thief can find information about your life, use it to answer ‘challenge’ questions on your accounts, and get access to your bank accounts and other information.
3. Properly dispose of devices. Before you dispose of a computer, use a wipe utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive. Before you dispose of a mobile device, check the service provider’s website or device manufacturer’s website on how to delete information permanently.
4. Safeguard your Social Security number. Ask questions before deciding to share it, including if you can use a different kind of identification.
5. Keep your devices secure. Don’t use an automatic log-in feature that saves your username and password. Always log off your laptop when you are finished. Before you send personal information over your laptop, tablet or smart phone on a public wireless network, see if your information is protected. If you use an encrypted website, it protects only the information you send to and from that site. If you use a secure wireless network, all the information you send on that network is protected.

Texas Legal membership covers legal expenses much like health insurance covers medical expenses. A low monthly fee gives members access to a network of attorneys throughout the state and also identity theft restoration through All Clear ID. To learn more about Texas Legal or to become a member, please visit www.texaslegal.org.

About Texas Legal

Formerly known as Texas Legal Protection Plan, Texas Legal is a statewide, nonprofit legal insurance plan that was founded by the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Legislature in 1972 as an effort to better serve the legal needs of Texans. Texas Legal is the preferred provider of the State Bar of Texas. The nonprofit offers plans for companies, group and individuals.

For more information, please visit www.texaslegal.org.

Contact: Ivonne Snavely or Katherine Harris, 512-472-9599 isnavely@echristianpr.com or kharris@echristianpr.com