Identity Theft

Identity Theft

An Identity Theft plan can protect you from becoming a victim and alert you to incoming threats to your privacy. Identity theft can happen from using public Wi-Fi or losing a wallet, a company data breach, or a computer virus and can be costly with victims facing an average financial loss of more than $1,300¹. Restoration isn't always easy, with the average victim spending an average of 18 months working to restore their identity¹.

With the Identity Theft plan through IDShield you have the protection and professional assistance you need to protect yourself and your family.

You have the option to participate in either an employee only or family plan with IDShield. The plans provide multiple monitoring services, complete restoration, and unlimited consultations. And, IDShield Identity Theft provides direct access to dedicated Licensed Private Investigators. If your identity is compromised or stolen, you will work directly with them to fully restore your identity back to its pre-theft status. Identity Theft provides a full year of coverage. Your coverage will be renewed automatically each year and may only be cancelled during a Benefits for Life open enrollment period. Please watch the Identity Theft video for more information on this benefit.

Review the IDShield Identity Theft plan descriptions by visiting benefitsforlife.org. Locate the section on the right side of the page called "Benefits for Life (BFL) State of Michigan Voluntary Benefit Program for Active Employees," then select the drop down "Identity Theft - IDShield."

¹Bureau of Justice Statistics, Victims of Identity Theft, 2014.

2022 Plan Enhancements:

• Cybersecurity/Malware Protection: Identity, credit, financial account and social media account monitoring, as well as cybersecurity/malware protection and online privacy reputation management services. Reputation management services provide a scan of participant's social media accounts. Alerting them of posts and images that could be harmful to their reputation.
• VPN: IDShield's Virtual Private Network (VPN) prevents participants' incoming and outgoing internet traffic from being monitored, hacked or censored.
• Password Manager: IDShield's password manager allows participants to create strong and unique passwords and safely secure them. The password manager also securely communicates with browsers to enter passwords from saved accounts.
• Adult Dependent Parent Coverage: In addition to providing consultation and restoration services to dependents aged 18-26, those services are also now available to adult dependent parents with the Family Plan.

Identity Theft IDShield: Covered Services

• Monitored Information: Mother's maiden name, credit/debit/retail cards, date of birth, driver's licenses, email address, name, passport numbers, phone numbers, social security numbers, usernames and passwords, investment account numbers, and more.
• Privacy and Security Monitoring: Internet and dark web monitoring, social media monitoring, child monitoring (with Family plan), credit monitoring, sex offender monitoring, court record monitoring, and more.
• Online Privacy & Reputation Management: VPN, cybersecurity/malware protection, password manager, online reputation management, online reputation score, cyberbullying protection, online privacy management, and more.
• Unlimited Consultation: Child identity theft, credit reports, data breaches, lost/stolen wallet, medical data reports, and more.
• Monitoring & Detection: Public record monitoring, telecom monitoring, credit monitoring, sex offender monitoring, payday loan monitoring, death-index monitoring, online chat rooms & social feed monitoring and more
• Complete Identity Restoration: $1 million protection policy, full service restoration by Licensed Private Investigators, pre-existing Identity Theft restoration, and an unlimited service guarantee.
• General: 24/7 emergency assistance, access to Licensed Private Investigators, monthly credit score tracker, live member support, mobile app, identity and credit theft alerts, and more.
• Alerts: Hard credit inquiry, customizable social media, sex offender, identity and credit threats, and financial transaction alerts.

Coverage Options

IDShield Identity Theft is offered to eligible State of Michigan employees in two options - Employee Only and Family. The Employee plan covers only the member while the Family plan option covers the member, spouse and up to 10 dependent children (under the age of 26).

When may I start using my new IDShield coverage?

If you signed up during the 2022 Benefits for Life enrollment period, you may start using your new plan effective May 1, 2022. Look for a Welcome Kit that will be sent to your home shortly after you enroll. The Welcome Kit from IDShield will provide you with your member number, details on how to activate your coverage and instructions to download/utilize the full featured mobile app.

Note: If you signed up but have not activated the coverage you will not receive alerts. Activation is required to take advantage of the full suite of monitoring solutions. IDShield will send regular account activation reminders to the email provided at the time of enrollment.

Note: IDShield is a product of LegalShield and provides access to identity theft protection and restoration services. For complete terms, coverage and conditions, please see a summary plan description at benefitsforlife.org. Licensed Private Investigators are licensed in the state of Oklahoma. $1 Million protection policy is issued by a leading insurance carrier. Certain limitations apply.