Living Life Free with LifeLock While Enjoying Summer Vacation #LifeLocksafety #Sponsored

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post through FindYourInfluence, in which I will be compensated for my time in sharing about LifeLock.  However, all views shared are mine and mine alone.

"LifeLock® offers proactive and professional identity theft protection for today’s always-connected world."

How is your summer going so far?  This summer is turning out much better than last year, due in part to my due diligence this summer in making a point to protect my identity, especially during this busy travel season.  Last summer was such a headache and one I don't want to relive again.

I used to always be on top of checking credit reports annually, as well as made a point to take out cash and try to leave as many credit cards at home while traveling.  But, after we had our girls, I always found myself rushing around at the last minute to pack for our trips, even if they were overnight or for the weekend.  I finally realized why so many parents including my own talked about you need a vacation after a vacation, as the one you have planned which includes kids is never a vacation.  Yes, you have fun and share great memories, but you are always looking to entertain and keep the kids happy, or fighting with them to move on to the next activity or go to bed.   After experiencing this firsthand, we make a point to stay local or travel within New England -- that way if the girls act up or get sick, we are within driving distance to our house.  So, you can imagine how confused I was when we returned home last summer from a weekend in NH to find charges in excess of $5000 charged to my credit/debit card from TX.   A few days letter I received my monthly statement from Paypal, only to find additional purchases were made from another credit card I had stored online for purchases at the Dell store and E-Bay.  I don't want to tell you how much was charged -- but, it got my blood boiling.  

Someone had stolen my identity while I was away on vacation, and without my knowing until the statements came in.  I never received phone calls from the credit card companies, as I opted not to carry their identity theft protection coverage, which carried a monthly fee.  Now, I am kicking myself for not signing up, as I would have saved myself a lot of headaches, sleepless nights and phone calls and letters back and forth to the creditors, BBB and credit report companies.  It took over 6 months to fix the fraudulent charges, and I have to have all my credit cards cancelled and wait for the reissued ones.  I also had to go online and change all my passwords, which I should have been doing anyways every month or so. But, with little ones, the few spare moments you find yourself with, you don't want to be online checking your bank or credit card statements, or resetting passwords.  If only there was a service that could help protect my identity, monitor my bank and credit card transactions, and notify me if a suspicious charge or threat to my identity is made.  Well, there is such a service -- LifeLock®.

What is LifeLock® you ask?  I hadn't heard about it until recently, when I was asked to be a brand ambassador and share my personal story with you.  Within minutes of visiting their website, I signed up, and found myself able to breath a little easier knowing that someone was watching over my identity, as well as my husband's.  

With a membership to LifeLock you will be provided with 3 layers of protection, which most credit monitoring, banks and credit card companies can't/don't offer...

"LifeLock provides 3 layers of protection...

• 1. Detect
  We monitor over a trillion data points 24/7/365, searching for identity threats to our members.
• 2. Alert
  With the patented LifeLock Identity Alert® system, as soon as we detect a threat to your identity you’ll be notified by text, phone or email, to help stop criminals before they do damage to your identity.† **
• 3. Restore
  If your identity is ever compromised, our Certified Resolution Specialists will handle your case every step of the way. And it’s all backed by our $1 Million Total Service Guarantee.‡

Enrollment takes only minutes and your protection starts immediately."

My husband has issues in the past with people using his credit card, as he has the same as his father, who lives outside the US.  Legally, they didn't use Jr. or Sr. to differentiate between to the two.  So, whenever either of them signed up for credit cards, etc., the name on the card was the same.  And, when my father-in-law lost his credit card, not only did he have to deal with fraudulent charges, but so did my husband.  We spent months tracking my husband's credit reports and writing up written disputes and showing legal documents that even though the names were the same, the credit cards were opened under my father-in-law's SSN, and thus my husband's credit should not be ruined.  

Identity theft is not something to take lightly, or to not think about.  It can happen to anyone, especially if you do online banking, make purchases online, wire money online, or simply store your personal information online.  From passwords to your email and other personal accounts, to stored credit card, banking and even SSN information from  W9 forms and other legal documents you store over the Cloud, in Dropbox or other online storage, as well as your hard drive -- all these personal pieces of information that tie in with your identity can be comprised and stolen in a blink of an eye.  And, oftentimes, you don't find out until the damage is done.  Then, if you are lucky, it will take months or sometimes even years to fix.  

One of my close friend's had her identity stolen years ago and ended up having to file bankruptcy, after needing to seek expensive legal guidance to fix what ended up to be irreversible damage to her credit.  She is slowly building her credit back and watches her personal identity and credit like a hawk.  When I shared with her information and the services available from LifeLock®, she too, was happy to learn that there are services out there to help her monitor and catch things that banks and credit card companies may miss.  Without hesitation she enrolled her family into the program, including her children, as LifeLock® offers a LifeLock Junior™ Identity Theft Protection, to help keep your children's credit files clean while they are young.

With some many financial transactions and personal information being shared online daily, it is no wonder people experience identity theft and have their credit card information stolen and used to made fraudulent charges.  Maybe people are busy and don't have the time to monitor their personal accounts and identity, like I found myself last year.  But, it needs to be done, as you don't want to go through the hassles, stress and financial hardships trying to correct your credit or identity. 

I am so happy to have LifeLock® looking out for my family, especially as we enjoy the final few weeks of summer vacation, traveling throughout New England.  It is a great feeling to feel safe when it comes to having LifeLock® offering identity theft and fraud protection while I am travelling with my family.  And, if anything suspicious arises, I will get a phone call right away.  It can't get any better than that!

So, don't leave yourself open to having your identity or credit stolen while enjoying summer travel with family, as well as all the year through.  Visit the LifeLock Site today, and learn about the different membership levels, and determine which is best for you and your family.  

You can choose to sign up and pay on a monthly or annual basis with each membership.  LifeLock® offers you peace of mind while traveling or simply enjoying activities and local attractions with your family.

--SAVE 10% Off a New LifeLock Membership NOW!!!--

And, just for Inspired by Savannah readers, receive 10% off a new LifeLock® membership by using the lifelock promotion code "LifeLockSafety" at checkout.  Act fast as this unique code/savings offer is only valid for a limited time. Visit the LifeLock Site to take advantage of this offer today!

--Book and $100 Amazon GC 
GIVEAWAY--

Thanks to the kind folks at LifeLock, one lucky reader will win their new book,  "Stolen Identity: What Anyone with a Name, Birthdate and Social Security Number Needs to Know Now," which you can also purchase on Amazon (in case you don't want to wait and see if you win my giveaway...I wouldn't blame you of wanting to charge of protecting your identity now. :-)

About the Book:

"Identity theft is one of the most widespread and fast-evolving crimes, but many people don’t realize that it goes far beyond having a credit card number stolen. It can jeopardize your healthcare, block you from receiving the tax refund you’re due, interfere with a job or loan, and even run up debt for your children or elderly parents. Learn more about the alarming ways identity in which thieves operate today and what you can do to reduce your chances of having your identity stolen."

In addition to the book giveaway,  I will also be throwing in a $100 Amazon gift card so that you can buy last minute travel necessities or just a treat for yourself. :-)

To enter this book + $100 Amazon GC giveaway, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post through FindYourInfluence, in which I will be compensated for my time in sharing about LifeLock.  However, all views shared are mine and mine alone.