Frequently Asked Questions and Member Support
# Popular FAQs
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Privacy is having the power to choose who can contact or observe you and the power to control how your personal information is collected, used, and shared. That includes everything from choosing who can see your social media profile to choosing whether your medical provider can share your medical information with researchers, or whether tech companies can track your behavior online, and whether your cellular company can share your location.
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IDX was built on the core value of ensuring the privacy of your personal, financial, and health information. We employ leading encryption and security technologies to ensure that every interaction a member has with IDX is secure. Our U.S. based team of experts and recovery advocates undergoes extensive training and is FCRA and HIPAA certified, to ensure that your experience is second to none. Plus, IDX has a 100% identity recovery guarantee or your money back.
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While the U.S. has no national privacy law, all 50 states have at least one privacy law. These laws vary as to what information is considered private and protected and what rights the individual has to control their privacy. There are also privacy laws governing specific industries. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) governs medical privacy and is enforced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Financial privacy is covered by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules and the Gram-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). A number of states have also adopted privacy laws governing the insurance industry based on standards recommended by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
While these laws specify how your privacy should be protected, and many businesses take them seriously, the fact is that criminals don’t follow privacy laws. Data breaches happen because criminals keep finding new ways to steal information. And personal information can be stolen in many ways—even by going through unshredded mail, stealing a mobile device, or just looking over someone’s shoulder in a public place. So, while laws help to protect you, you also need to protect yourself.
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The so-called Incognito mode won’t protect you either. The myth of “Incognito” Mode isn’t really incognito at all and it’s an extremely misleading name. All it does is delete your local browsing history after your session on your device but does nothing from stopping any website you visit, including Google, from tracking you via your IP address and other tracking mechanisms like browser fingerprinting. Here’s the fine print: “Your activity might still be visible to websites you visit, your employer or school, and your internet service provider.”
Want to learn more? Read A Savvy Consumer’s Guide to Privacy and Identity Theft »
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Yes, the ForgetMe removal process is entirely automatic. The IDX Privacy platform is capable of processing removals digitally on all the data broker websites it is connected to. Once the automatic removal process is started, ForgetMe tracks process of the removal and confirms with you when it is complete.
# IDX Privacy
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Privacy is possible, but in our information-driven economy and with our current laws, it’s something you often have to provide for yourself. For example, in many states, it’s legal for businesses to sell information they collect about you unless you specifically opt out. They make money selling information, and many won’t voluntarily offer you the choice to opt out, so you need to read privacy policies and find out how to opt out of data collection or, better yet, use a tracking blocker to stop them from tracking your behavior online. You also have to protect your privacy against criminals who would misuse personal information, with steps such as using a VPN to protect yourself from cyber spying when using public Wi-Fi networks.
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The terms “personal information” and “personal data” are often used interchangeably. When you’re talking about privacy, the term “personal information” refers to Personally Identifiable Information (PII), information that can be used to identify a specific person and is protected by law. What’s considered PII varies from state to state and industry to industry—for example, the medical and insurance industries have specific privacy laws—but, at a minimum, PII includes items like your Social Security number, name, birthdate, mailing address, and phone number. Some state privacy laws protect other personal and “sensitive” information, including biometric and behavioral data, geolocation information, and more. “Personal data” can include PII but also includes your behavior online, for example the sites you visit and the posts you like in social media.
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Protecting your privacy can protect you from embarrassment, identity theft and fraud, and even potential discrimination. For example, what if information were made public that you had had a sensitive medical procedure, or an embarrassing photo were stolen from your phone or computer and made public. Criminals can use stolen personal information to impersonate you, steal financial accounts, run up debts, or even commit crimes in your name. Protecting your privacy protects every aspect of your life.
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Yes. What information can be sold depends on the laws in your state and what industry the business is in, but the bottom line is that it is not illegal for tech and communications companies, retailers, data brokers, people search sites, and other businesses to gather and sell information about you. Some state laws give consumers more control than others over whether or how their information is gathered and shared or sold, and some businesses are more proactive than others in giving consumers privacy choices. Some businesses, such as people search sites, compile information from public records, so the only control you have is to request that your information be removed. (For the record, IDX does not sell or share your personal information.)
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Data trackers are pieces of software embedded in mobile applications and websites that gather behavior, location, and other information that then is used to target advertising to the user. Data tracking is supposed to keep the user’s identity anonymous, but it doesn’t always, and the data that is gathered can be stolen in a breach or criminals can anonymously buy advertising and use it to target victims for scams. Ad tracking is hard to detect or stop by yourself but there are tools you can use to stop it. Using a VPN helps to prevent tracking of your location. And the best way to stop tracking is by using a tracking blocker such as the advanced Privacy Tracking Blocker included with IDX Privacy.
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It depends what you mean by “private browsing.” Setting the browser to private or “incognito” mode helps protect your information when you use a shared or public computer. Selecting the “Do Not Track” privacy feature in your preferences tells web sites that you don’t want them to gather data on you, but not all websites respect this preference. A privacy-first browser should actively prevent websites from tracking your information and activities, and using a VPN to connect to the internet can help hide your location and other data. IDX Privacy includes a VPN, a tracking blocker, and a private search engine.
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In theory, you can control who sees your information on social media by setting your privacy preferences. However, other people who have access to your information can make some of your information public by tagging you, etc. The social media provider also has access to all the information you post because it is on their website, and companies such as Facebook can track your other online activities to gather more information about you, which they will use to sell advertising targeted at you.
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Any number of organizations can legally track what you do on the internet. Mobile applications, websites, social media companies, and others can use software called app trackers or data trackers to track where you go and what you do. The owner of a Wi-Fi network you connect to can see what websites you visit while using WiFi as well as the things that you search on the Internet. Your internet service provider and mobile provider can also track your online browsing and activities.
If a criminal is able to place spyware on your computer or device or tap into a network you’re using, they can illegally track your activities and steal data. The best ways to protect yourself are to use a tracking blocker and a private search engine, like the ones included with IDX Privacy, and to use a VPN if you have to connect over a public Wi-Fi network.
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The U.S. government collects personal data on citizens for a number of reasons. Some personal information, such as Social Security numbers, is government-issued and combined with information such as your date of birth and address to administer government benefits such as Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid, as well as to collect taxes. Your military service is also a matter of government record, as are your driver’s license, passport, and the new Real ID identification cards.
The government may also gather other information for specific purposes. For example, with a warrant, law enforcement or national security can request information from employers, cellular providers, and other organizations. Other information doesn’t require a warrant. For example, in May 2020, the U.S. Senate rejected by one vote a proposal to require a search warrant to investigate a citizen’s history on search engines and web browsers. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has sometimes used information from mobile providers to do contact tracing and warn people who have potentially been infected.
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Different companies collect different types of data, depending on their business, their privacy policies, and your privacy choices. Most websites collect some information to improve the performance of the site and improve how they communicate with visitors. Applications also collect performance data like this and also any data that is necessary to the application itself. For example, a map app needs to know where you are, and a fitness tracking app may need to track weight or exercise data.
However, many companies also collect information on you that they can sell for a profit, and that can include where you go, what you buy, what device(s) you use, your interests, tastes, and your political or religious affiliations plus medical, financial, and other personal data. You usually have the right to opt out of tracking and have the collected data deleted, but companies that profit from this kind of data collection don’t typically make plain what data they collect or how to opt out, so you need to do your research to stop it. IDX uses third-party cookies to improve our site experience and better serve our customers but we don’t sell any customer data.
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You can request that your information be removed from people search sites, but because they compile profiles from information in public records, it is likely to reappear. If you use the ForgetMe feature that is part of IDX Privacy, it will watch for your profile to reappear and request removal as many times as necessary until the people search site stops reposting it.
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Digital personal assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and the Echo Dot are connected to the internet in order to provide their services, so they are vulnerable to hacking, just like any other connected device. They can allow a hacker to listen in on conversations, capture data that’s transmitted for purchases, and even monitor movements inside the home. The companies that make these devices also gather and analyze audio data from them, which means their employees also can have access to private information and communications.
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Email addresses are considered protected personal information under many privacy laws, however email is never 100% secure. It can be intercepted, and as of April 2021, major providers such as Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo weren’t encrypting email messages. In addition, companies such as Google will scan your emails for keywords that help them to target ads.
Email can also be accessed by law enforcement or homeland security agencies with a warrant, and it can be obtained with a subpoena as evidence in court cases.
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A number of mobile applications rely on location data from your cell phone, and the makers of other apps will try to gather location data for advertising purposes. You can use the settings on your phone to control what apps can access location data and when. As a rule, allow location services only for apps that require them and only when you’re using the app. Your cellular providers also has your location information, and they can profit from it by using it to sell targeted advertising.
With a warrant, law enforcement and national security agencies can also get location information from cellular providers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has sometimes used information from mobile providers to do contact tracing and warn people who have potentially been infected.
# IDX Privacy Mobile App
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The IDX Privacy mobile app is available for both Android and iOS mobile devices. The mobile app features Tracking Blocker for your mobile device’s native internet browser and a Safe WiFi so that you can browse the web anonymously and securely on the go.
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The IDX Privacy mobile app works on Android and iOS mobile devices. Links to download the mobile app are provided in your IDX Privacy dashboard when you access it from your mobile device.
Click on the Get (App Store) or Install (Google Play) button to begin the download process. The application will install and its icon will appear on your mobile device’s home screen. Touch the IDX Privacy mobile app icon to open the mobile app.
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Activating IDX Privacy mobile app requires a valid license key. Valid license keys are provided with your paid subscription of IDX Privacy and are made available through the IDX Privacy dashboard.
Once you have downloaded the mobile app and opened it for the first time, fill in the activation prompt with the valid license key provided to you in the IDX Privacy dashboard.
It is recommended to use the copy button rather than manual typing to avoid typos.
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Find the IDX Privacy mobile app icon on your mobile device’s home screen. Touch and hold the icon until a menu appears. Select Delete App from the list of menu options.
# Private Search
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Private search is our way to help members understand there is a privacy-focused alternative to Google Search. Provided by DuckDuckGo, this search engine is based on privacy policies that restrict the collection and sale of personal information that could be otherwise gathered and sold during a Google search.
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You share your most intimate secrets with your search engine without even thinking: medical, financial, and personal issues, along with all the day to day things that make you, well, you. All of that personal information should be private, but on Google, it’s not. On Google, your searches are tracked, mined, and packaged up into a data profile for advertisers to follow you around the Internet through those intrusive and annoying ever-present banner ads, using Google’s massive ad network, embedded across millions of sites and apps.
Want to learn more? Read A Savvy Consumer’s Guide to Privacy and Identity Theft »
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DuckDuckGo is an Internet privacy company that empowers you to seamlessly take control of your personal information online, without any tradeoffs.
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You can, and should live Google-free if you want the best possible chance at keeping your digital information private. You can continue to use Private Search from your IDX Privacy dashboard, but you can also make DuckDuckGo your default search engine in your internet browser.
# Safe WiFi
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Safe WiFi is a service that enables the user to access the internet through a private, encrypted (protected) connection so that a user’s browsing behaviors and data are not accessible to anyone watching. For the more technical audience, Safe WiFi is merely a VPN. This service is available as a Windows and Mac desktop application. It is also included in the IDX Privacy mobile app on both the iOS and Google Play app stores.
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Activating IDX Privacy Safe WiFi requires a valid license key. Valid license keys are provided with your paid subscription of IDX Privacy and are made available through the IDX Privacy dashboard.
Once you have downloaded Safe WiFi and opened it for the first time, fill in the activation prompt with the valid license key provided to you in the IDX Privacy dashboard.
It is recommended to use the copy button rather than manual typing to avoid typos.
As soon as the activation process is complete, follow the on-screen prompts to configure Safe WiFi.
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Download Safe WiFi by clicking on the download link that has been made available to you in the IDX Privacy dashboard.
Select a destination for saving the installation file and when chosen click the save button. When the download process is completed, click on the downloaded Safe WiFi installation file to open it. Click the yes button to begin the installation process.
After IDX Privacy Safe WiFi installs on your computer, the program will open automatically.
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For Windows PCs, begin by clicking Start or the Windows icon on the Windows home screen. Select Add or remove programs. You may need to type “Add or remove programs” in the search bar if the option is not readily available. Find IDX Privacy VPN on the list, click on it, and select Uninstall.
For Macintosh, begin by opening the Finder application which is in the dock. Find and select the Applications folder then find IDX Privacy VPN on the list of applications. Right-click on IDX Privacy VPN and select Move to Trash from the menu items.
# Tracking Blocker
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Tracking Blocker is an internet browser extension that can be added to desktop versions of Chrome (Google) or Edge (Microsoft) to disable tracking scripts that load and run when a website is visited. Website creators (owners) add these trackers to collect information about you and your behaviors as you roam their website. Sometimes they can continue to collect information about you long after you leave the website. The tracking blocker detects these trackers and stops them from activating when you visit a website on which they are loaded.
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Many ad and marketing companies thrive on collecting your information so that they can be more efficient with selling ads. Google and Facebook are the two largest ad networks by far, but there are dozens of others.
Google tracks you on more than their search engine. They also track you on YouTube, Gmail, Chrome, Android, Google Maps, and all their other popular services. What you need to realize is Google, Facebook, and dozens of others – trackers lurk behind the scenes on 75% of the top 1 million websites. These trackers siphon your personal information which is pumped into these ad networks and sold to others who will use your information in ways you never intended it to be used. Tracking Blocker detects and stops these trackers from activating when you surf the web.
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The IDX Privacy Tracking Blocker works on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge desktop internet browsers. Links to download the Tracking Blocker extension are provided in your IDX Privacy dashboard.
They are also available here:
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Activating IDX Privacy Tracking Blocker requires a valid license key. Valid license keys are provided with your paid subscription of IDX Privacy and are made available through the IDX Privacy dashboard.
Once you have downloaded the Tracking Blocker and opened it for the first time, fill in the activation prompt with the valid license key provided to you in the IDX Privacy dashboard.
It is recommended to use the copy button rather than manual typing to avoid typos.
As soon as the activation process is complete, follow the on-screen prompts to configure Tracking Blocker.
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To uninstall the Tracking Blocker extension from your browser, right-click the extension icon in your browser’s top right corner and select “Remove Extension” from the menu items.
# ForgetMe
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ForgetMe scans over 100 data broker websites to discover profiles selling your personal information profile. When it discovers a profile of you, ForgetMe works 24/7 to remove your information from these data broker websites so that it can’t continue to be sold and distributed. However, because data brokers create profiles automatically from publicly available information, they often simply create a new profile on you. So, ForgetMe will watch for your profile to reappear and request removal as many times as necessary until the people search site stops reposting it. Without a service like ForgetMe, you would need to go to over 100 data broker websites every month to search for your profile, then go through the confusing process of asking the data broker website to remove your information.
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ForgetMe processes automatic data removals using the following steps:
- Scans data broker websites to find your records
- Performs an “opt-out” on each data broker website, including:
- Complete opt-out forms
- Solve CAPTCHAs
- Confirm the removal request by email
- Submit completed PDF forms
- Receive confirmation codes and submit them to the data broker website
- Continued scanning of the data broker sites to confirm removal
- Scheduled, monthly monitoring of all sites from the list to detect reappearing records
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- 24counter.com
- 411.com
- 411locate.com
- absolutepeoplesearch.com
- address.us.com
- addressbook.com
- addresses.com
- advanced-people-search.com
- advancedbackgroundchecks.com
- allareacodes.com
- allexposed.com
- allpeople.com
- americaphonebook.com
- anywho.com
- arivify.com
- arrestfacts.com
- azerch.com
- backgroundalert.com
- backgroundcheck.run
- backgroundcheckers.net
- beenverified.com
- bumper.com
- callercenter.com
- calltruth.com
- cellrevealer.com
- centeda.com
- checksecrets.com
- checkthem.com
- clicksearch.us
- clubset.com
- clustrmaps.com
- confidentialphonelookup.com
- corporationwiki.com
- councilon.com
- cyberbackgroundchecks.com
- dataveria.com
- familytreenow.com
- fastbackgroundcheck.com
- fastpeoplesearch.com
- findpeoplesearch.com
- findrec.com
- freepeopledirectory.com
- golookup.com
- hodges-directory.us
- homedescription.com
- homemetry.com
- hpcc-usa.org
- idtrue.com
- inforver.com
- inmatessearcher.com
- instantcheckmate.com
- intelius.com
- knowthycustomer.com
- kwold.com
- mashpanel.com
- mugshotlook.com
- mylife.com
- neighbor.report
- neighborwho.com
- newenglandfacts.com
- northcarolinaresidentdatabase.com
- numberguru.com
- nuwber.com
- officialusa.com
- ohioresidentdatabase.com
- onlinesearches.com
- ownerly.com
- peekyou.com
- people-background-check.com
- people-searchers.com
- people.yellowpages.com
- peoplebyname.com
- peoplebyphone.com
- peoplefinders.com
- peoplelooker.com
- peoplesearch123.com
- peoplesearcher.com
- peoplesearchnow.com
- peoplesearchusa.org
- peoplesmart.com
- peoplewhiz.com
- peoplewhiz.net
- peoplewhizr.com
- peoplewhizr.net
- peoplewin.com
- peoplewizard.net
- personsearchers.com
- phonebooks.com
- premium.telephonedirectories.us
- privateeye.com
- privatenumberchecker.com
- privaterecords.net
- privatereports.com
- propeoplesearch.com
- pub360.com
- publicdatadigger.com
- publicdatausa.com
- publicrecordsnow.com
- publicreports.com
- publicsearcher.com
- quickpeopletrace.com
- radaris.com
- rehold.com
- revealname.com
- reversephonelookup.com
- sealedrecords.net
- searchpeoplefree.com
- searchsystems.net
- secretinfo.org
- smartbackgroundchecks.com
- spokeo.com
- telephonedirectories.us
- tennhelp.com
- thatsthem.com
- thisnumber.com
- topwa.org
- truepeoplesearch.com
- trustifo.com
- truthfinder.com
- truthrecord.org
- unitedstatesphonebook.com
- usa-people-search.com
- usapeopledata.com
- usatrace.com
- usphonebook.com
- ussearch.com
- verecor.com
- vericora.com
- veriforia.com
- veripages.com
- virtory.com
- weinform.org
- wellnut.com
- whitepages.com
- yellowbook.com
- yellowpagesdirectory.com
- zabasearch.com
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You can, but the process is time-consuming and complicated. First, you’ll face the daunting task of dealing with hundreds of data broker websites, each one with different removal processes and requirements. Some data broker websites require you to complete forms, others require email correspondence, and the rest require a phone call.
The work doesn’t stop there. After you submit your removal request, you will need to continue to monitor its progress. Some sites are good about removing your information quickly, but most of them will take days or weeks to remove it and some require a reminder.
Once your information is removed, data broker websites are back to work re-collecting your information. You will need to continuously monitor hundreds of data broker websites and be ready to resubmit a removal request when your information reappears.
This is where ForgetMe shines because it handles this whole process for you.
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Information about the removal process is located on the IDX Privacy dashboard. In the ForgetMe widget, you can select from the Removals in Progress and Completed Removals options to review a list of data broker websites your information is currently being removed from and data broker websites where your information has been successfully removed.
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Yes, data broker websites are relentless information scavengers. The more information they have on you, the more money they can make. ForgetMe doesn’t stop the first time it successfully removes your information. It scans every month and when it detects that your information has reappeared, it will automatically begin the removal process.
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Removing your profile from these data broker websites does not equal immediate removal from Google search results. The links to your removed profiles can remain visible in Google search results for about 2 weeks after ForgetMe has confirmed their successful removal. Additionally, it takes several days for Google to update its own search results index to exclude links to your deleted profiles.
# Password Manager
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All your data are always encrypted using your login credentials as a private key with AES-256 encryption algorithms. Even if a hacker were able to get access to your information, they would not be able to unlock it.
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Passwords are the first line of defense for your online accounts and personal information, so it’s important to set up strong passwords that can’t be easily guessed. We recommend you follow these guidelines in creating passwords:
- Create a unique password for every account. The danger with reusing passwords is that as soon as one site has a security issue, it's very easy for hackers to try the same username and password combination on other websites. Also avoid using similar passwords that change only a single word or character.
- Avoid weak, commonly used passwords like 123456, abcdef, or 111111. Some examples of a strong password include: Dw3Tty#$12fv! or CV98J#Bkdr!*V. Better yet, use IDX Password Manager to generate, store, and manage unique, strong passwords like this for you.
- Don't use any personally identifiable information in your passwords. Names and birthdays may be easy to remember but they're also easily found online by criminals who could use them to guess your passwords.
- Passwords should be at least 8 characters long and contain letters, numbers, and special characters. It is best to create passwords that are 12 to 20 characters long.
- If you're creating a master password that you'll need to remember, try using phrases from your favorite movie or song, then add random characters.
- Avoid using personal information for your security questions. Information such as the street you grew up on or your father's middle name can be easily found online and used to gain access to your accounts.
- Change your passwords after you've shared them with someone, after a website has had a breach, or if it's been over a year since you last updated them.
- Never share your passwords via email or text message. The secure way to share is IDX Password Manager's data sharing features.
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IDX Password Manager is currently compatible with these mobile device operating systems:
iOS: iOS 9 or later
Android: Android 5.0 or later
Windows Phone: Windows 10 v1511 or later
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IDX Password Manager is currently compatible with these browsers:
Firefox: Firefox version 41 and later on Windows, macOS and Linux
Safari: Safari version 6.1 and later
Chrome: Chrome version 42 and later on Windows; Chrome version 43 and later on MacOS
Opera: On Windows, IDX Password Manager works in Opera from version 29 to its latest public version. On macOS, IDX Password Manager works in Opera from version 30 to its latest public version.
Internet Explorer: Internet Explorer 10 and 11.
Microsoft Edge: Microsoft Edge version 20 and later
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Yes, very secure. IDX Password Manager has all the security your bank does. All communication and information is secured using SSL technology. Your data is always encrypted with a US government-approved algorithm when it is saved or transmitted. Your credentials are the keys to decrypt your data, so we never store them on the cloud. No one can to access your data without logging in to your account using your credentials—not even us.
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If you lost the phone or laptop that was used to access your IDX Password Manager account, don't worry: your password and other personal data is not stored on your devices. It’s securely stored and encrypted in our data centers, so only someone with your IDX Privacy login information can access it.
To further protect your account, you can log into your IDX Privacy account online through another device and change your password.
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Yes! Your IDX Password Manager account can be used on all of your laptops, desktop computers, mobile phones, and tablet devices at no additional cost. However, you are not allowed to share your account with others. For more information about accounts please read our Terms of Service.
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Yes. Virtually all of the browsers and other password managers are able to export password information to a CSV file. You can export, save this file on your computer, and then import the information into IDX Password Manager. Once you’ve successfully imported the passwords, be sure to permanently delete the CSV file.
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No, because IDX Password Manager is cloud-based. That means all your passwords and data are encrypted and securely stored in our enterprise-grade, secure data centers, unlike some other Password Managers, which store your passwords on your local devices. If you create/change a password or other information on one device, IDX Password Manager will instantly reflect that change on all devices.
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IDX Password Manager uses AES-256 as well as PBKDF2. The AES-256 encryption algorithms are approved by the US government for protecting top secret data. AES-256 encryption protects your information and passwords both in our data centers and on your devices. This is important because your sensitive data is always encrypted on the web browser or app before it is even sent to our servers. And we never store your IDX Password Manager account on our servers in any form, so no one at IDX can decrypt your data without your password, and we will never ask you for it.
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IDX Password Manager will lock you out of your account for 20 minutes after five (5) invalid login attempts.
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By default, IDX Password Manager uses the IP address (a unique address that identifies a device on the internet or a local network) to help you see a history of where your account has been accessed from. IP addresses are also used to detect if you're logging into your account from a new location, so that we can prompt to verify that it’s really you.
IDX Password Manager uses third party geolocation databases to identify the country of origin for IP addresses. However, geolocation tools are not 100% accurate because of factors such as the data provided by different Internet service providers (ISPs). So, it may occasionally challenge you with a security question, even though you’re really logging in from the same location.
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To give your accounts the best protection, passwords should be changed regularly, and some websites require you to change your passwords periodically. To help you stay on top of aging passwords, IDX Password Manager provides this tool to remind you of any impending password changes.
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The Password Expiry Reminder will send email notifications and/or SMS notifications to you or other designated people when your password is expiring soon, so you can easily update your password in time.
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No, there is no limit. You can add as many passwords as you want to manage password expiration tasks.
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Unfortunately, it is not possible. If a Password has been deleted from your account it is not retrievable.
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IDX Password Manager has more than 30 built-in categories to help you manage different kinds of information, including bank details, credit card information, travel documents, social security number, tax numbers and much more. If you want to add other kinds of data or create your own categories, you can do it easily.
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When you share a Password with another user, it is sent to them immediately. They will receive an email notification of the shared, and they’ll see the pending Password under the Messages tab when they log into their IDX Password Manager account. They can choose to "Accept" or "Decline" the Password. Once they accept the shared Password, they will have immediate access to it.
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No, you can only share passwords with other people who have an IDX membership that includes Password Manager.
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First, export your existing passwords from your password manager into a .csv file.
Chrome: Enter Settings, select autofill, select passwords, press the 3 small vertical dots beside “Saved Passwords” and then choose export.
Firefox: Click on the menu button to open the menu panel. Click Passwords. Click Firefox menu (3 dots) then click export logins.
Edge: click the 3 dots in the top right corner. Click Settings. Enter the profile section. Click the “Passwords” option. From the “Saved Passwords” section, click the 3 dot menu icon and choose the “Export Passwords” option.
Safari: Choose Safari > Preferences. Click the passwords icon. Enter your password. Click export passwords.
1Password: Open and unlock 1Password. Select items you wish to export. Right click the items and choose export. Choose .csv format.
LastPass: Go to lastpass.com and sign in. Click advanced options in the left-hand menu. Click “Export” and enter your master password if asked.
Nordpass: Open Nordpass. Go to settings and scroll down to the import and export section. Enter master password if asked. You can then export all passwords to .csv.
In the IDX password manager, select “Data Import” from the top. Enter security question if asked. Select the appropriate data source. Click the folder icon to enter file manager and select your downloaded .csv file from above. Click the “Import” button and you are finished.
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Click on “security dashboard” in the lower left corner of the password manager. Then, you will see all of the passwords you’ve added. You can click “scan” on the right side under the section labeled “CHECKED.” You may also click “Exposure Scan” in the lower left corner to scan all at once.
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Click on “Security Features” on the left side. Click on “Security Notification” to bring a dropdown list and select auto-logout. A range from 1 – 300 minutes can be selected.
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If you delete a custom category, all Password Items that are stored in that category will be permanently deleted from your account. However, if you rename a custom category, or adding/deleting fields from a custom category, the contents won't be deleted.
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No, deleting a custom folder will not delete any item in that folder. However, the items in the deleted folder will be marked as uncategorized, so you'll only be able to access them on the Category View mode.
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There is no limit to custom folder levels, but the more levels you create, the more complicated it will be for you to find passwords.
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Yes, deleting a parent folder will delete all subfolders in that folder. However, the Password Items in these folders will not be deleted from your account. They will be marked as uncategorized and you'll be able to access them on the Category View mode.
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There is no limitation on how many versions of a Password Item can be stored in the Restore Points.
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Yes, they are. If a user has changed a shared Password Item on your behalf, the previous version of that Password Item will be stored in the Restore Points, so you can compare what data has been changed by that person and roll back to the previous version if you want to.
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No. At the moment IDX Password Manager does not support exporting data from the Restore Points.
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As long as you have an IDX Privacy account, Restore Points is a permanent repository for securely storing all previous versions of your Password Items. They are never deleted. IDX Password Manager keeps track of all the changes made to your Password Items and stores them as Restore Points.
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In general, there are five scenarios in which an alert can be generated:
- If we detect another account with the same username and profile image ads yours (which we refer to as impersonation).
- If we detect your personally identifiable information (PII) in a post.
- If we detect someone posting content that is potentially damaging to your reputation.
- If we detect anomalous profile activity, such as a sudden change to your profile picture or username.
- If we detect that someone has posted content that contains a known malicious link that either installs malware or takes people to a phishing website.
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SocialSentry is currently part of our Premier individual and family IDX Identity plans.
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SocialSentry monitors Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Plus, we’ll scan thousands of sites and millions of data points, including the dark web looking for compromised credentials.
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Once you’ve created your account, you’ll need to enter the username and password for each social profile you want to protect.
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No, you are only allowed one removal request per alert.
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Yes, SocialSentry is able to scan historical posts and activities. How far back we can scan is dependent on what each of the specific networks allows.
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No, SocialSentry is part of our web-based IDX platform and does not require you to download software to your computer. However, as a member of IDX, you may choose to download our mobile app to your smartphone.
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Report user: Automatically opens a case with the social network asking them to investigate the reported content and the user who authored the content. If the social network’s terms of service have been violated, the social network can take steps to remove the content. In some circumstances, the author of the offending content can also be suspended or removed from the social network platform. This feature applies to all monitored social networks.
Block user: Results in the user being blocked from tweeting, @mentioning you, or sending direct messages to your account. Additionally, any tweets from the blocked user’s account are hidden from your account. This feature only applies to monitored Twitter accounts.
Hide content: Results in the tweet, @mention, or direct message being hidden from view on your account. This feature only applies to monitored Twitter accounts.
Archive: Sends the alert to your archive so you can revisit it later.
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Yes. With our Premier family plan, you can add all your family members’ social media accounts and protect them from one easy-to-use dashboard.
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PII stands for “personally identifiable information,” which includes any data that could potentially identify a specific individual. PII can be used to steal someone’s identity, create a new one, or perpetrate a wide variety of other scams and fraudulent activities. Examples of PII that SocialSentry can find online include your email address, driver license, date of birth, Social Security number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, passport number, and phone numbers.
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In order to have access to the full monitoring and remediation features of SocialSentry, you will need to add your social media accounts to your IDX account. However, if you choose not to, we will still be able to scan for potential impersonating accounts using the email addresses you provide.
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Congratulations! As soon as you activate your accounts, SocialSentry starts scanning the major social media networks and the dark web. If you have compromised accounts or credentials, you can expect to start seeing alerts in the next 48 hours.
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In order to have access to the full monitoring and remediation features of SocialSentry, our platform requires access to certain areas of your social media accounts, such as your profile picture, username, and timeline/newsfeed. Access to this data allows our platform to identify when someone is impersonating you, leaking your personal information, damaging your reputation, or tricking you into their latest scam. Furthermore, connecting your social media accounts gives us a unique ability to remediate any offending content directly from within our alerts.
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With our Premier family plan, you can easily protect all your children’s profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Once you’ve added your children’s social media profiles to your dashboard, we’ll start scanning their social networks for fraudulent and inappropriate content associated with their accounts, and we'll send you actionable alerts if we find anything.
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No, account take-downs are at the sole discretion of the social network.
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Acceptance of your request to remove content or a user is subject to each social network’s terms of service agreements, and each request has a probability of being accepted. Probabilities are based on our past experience in dealing with these networks. In general, content that contains nudity, hate speech, disclosure of personally identifiable information, or malicious links has a high probability of removal. In cases where the removal request is denied by the social network, we provide a direct link to the offending content where you can access additional tools on the social network to remove, block, or hide the offending content.
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No, the only exception is that if you block someone. If they try to look at your profile after you block them, they’ll no longer have access.
# IDX Identity
Outsmarting identity thieves
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Identity theft is a crime that occurs when your personal identifying information (PII) is used by someone else without your consent. Criminals have found numerous ways to use a person’s name, Social Security number, address, date of birth, credit card, financial and medical account information driver’s license, and even social media accounts for their own gain. They've also become better and better at committing these crimes without detection for longer periods, increasing the potential harm to their victims.
Want to learn more? Read A Savvy Consumer’s Guide to Privacy and Identity Theft »
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In the U.S., there’s a new victim of identity theft every 2 seconds.
Want to learn more? Read A Savvy Consumer’s Guide to Privacy and Identity Theft »
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Personally identifiable information (PII) can be stolen through data breaches at financial, medical, or government organizations or through employers or other companies a person does business with. They can also steal information from lost or stolen devices, by hacking into someone's computer or home network. They can trick people out of personal information with phishing emails or scam calls pretending to be the IRS or a debt collector. Or they can get PII through means as simple as going through trash or looking over someone's shoulder in a public place. Once the personal information is in criminal hands, they can use it to make financial transactions, get medical or government benefits, or even as a cover to commit crimes.
Want to learn more? Read A Savvy Consumer’s Guide to Privacy and Identity Theft »
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The results of identity theft can range from bothersome to life-altering. The thief could damage your reputation by posting inappropriate content or even committing crimes in your name. You could be held financially responsible for purchases, loans, rentals or other transactions the thief makes in your name. Unpaid bills could damage your credit rating, making it impossible for you to get a home, auto, or college loan or to rent housing. You could be turned down for a job if a background check or online search turned up debts, crimes, or inappropriate web content posted by a thief. You could even be denied medical services if your medical identity is stolen.
Want to learn more? Read A Savvy Consumer’s Guide to Privacy and Identity Theft »
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Once an identity thief gains access to your personal information, they can make purchases, take out loans, open accounts, get medical treatment or government benefits, or even commit crimes in your name. They can also create a "synthetic identity" pieced together with information from multiple individuals and use that identity to commit fraud.
Want to learn more? Read A Savvy Consumer’s Guide to Privacy and Identity Theft »
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Identity thieves are using increasingly sophisticated methods to get your personal information and misuse it in ways that are hard to detect. You can take steps to protect your own identity, from using strong passwords to installing security software on your devices, checking your credit reports, and always shredding documents with personal information. But you can't prevent corporate data breaches or even control the security of smart devices in your home. Even safe-seeming apps from an official app store can contain spyware or other malware. And anyone can unwittingly give up personal information if they fall prey to some of today's very sophisticated phishing attacks. One in four Americans had their identity exposed in 2019 alone, some more than once. And the longer identity theft goes undetected, the more difficult it is to prove your innocence, recover your identity, and reverse any damages. So, to fully protect yourself, you need identity protection that can alert you to problems, and that can guarantee 100% recovery with expert help.
Want to learn more? Read A Savvy Consumer’s Guide to Privacy and Identity Theft »
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IDX was built on the core value of ensuring the privacy of your personal, financial, and health information. We employ leading encryption and security technologies to ensure that every interaction a member has with IDX is secure. Our U.S. based team of experts and recovery advocates undergoes extensive training and is FCRA and HIPAA certified, to ensure that your experience is second to none. Plus, IDX has a 100% identity recovery guarantee or your money back.
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Should identity theft occur, the IDX team can dramatically reduce the hours spent getting you back to pre-theft status. If you are an identity theft victim, you are matched with one of our recovery experts as soon as you reach out to us. This means you’re always connected with the same person, who will know your case inside and out. No repeating yourself again and again to different customer service representatives. It also prevents details from falling through the cracks and enables our professionals to get a big picture view of what’s happening, which is vital to finding patterns and getting to the root of identity theft.
Without IDX, you could burn through countless hours just in researching identity theft solutions, waiting on hold, and waiting to hear back from businesses, government, and law enforcement organizations. Meanwhile, the extent of the theft could be growing at a rate you can’t keep up with.
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A child’s identity is like pure gold to identity thieves because children tend to have little or no financial history, and most likely no one is checking a child’s credit report. Criminals can use a child’s Social Security Number to falsely claim dependent children or welfare payments from the government. They can even use a child’s identity to apply for loans or open accounts. By the time the child is old enough to be financially independent, they may find their credit rating is ruined, making it difficult for them to get a student or other loans, rent housing, or even get a job.
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Two adults and up to five minor dependents under the age of 18 are covered on the family plan. Credit monitoring can be activated by the two adults, and all other features are accessible to everyone on the plan.
# CyberScan™
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CyberScan is a proactive surveillance engine that alerts our members when their personal information has been exposed in a data breach. The service also provides ongoing monitoring of the personal information and a cumulative report on all your personal information that has been exposed by data breaches.
CyberScan uses a combination of technology that scans the surface, social, deep, and dark web, along with the human-intelligence of subject matter experts that analyze and monitor chatter in IRCs, semi-restricted forums, and other dark web sources looking for and validating exposed data.
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CyberScan activates automatically when you create an account. Now you can start adding additional data points in your IDX dashboard.
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Absolutely! From the dashboard, click on one of the information categories in the CyberScan widget, then click the “Add new data” button.
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When you add new data to be monitored, CyberScan does a retrospective scan and report. If the newly added data is found in a data breach, the member will receive an alert notification and an updated CyberScan Data Exposure Report.
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When CyberScan finds one of your pieces of monitored information exposed in a data breach, members receive an alert notification to their email account. Furthermore, the CyberScan data exposure report – accessed by clicking on the CyberScan widget on the dashboard – is updated to contain the latest information and recommended actions to take on the data breach exposure.
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Yes. To stop monitoring data, open CyberScan, select the data element you wish to stop monitoring and click on the trash can icon.
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CyberScan monitors up to 10 email addresses, medical ids, passports, and phone numbers, up to 5 bank accounts and credit cards, and 1 driver license.
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All IDX Identity and Privacy member’s user names are their email addresses. Since we care so much about data privacy and keeping your accounts protected, we make sure the email address you use to access your MyIDCare account is always monitored. When you change your IDX user name, we automatically update the email address being monitored too.
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If IDX monitoring finds that your personal information has been exposed in a data breach, you’ll receive an alert through your mobile app or email report. Log into your IDX account and click on the alert in your member dashboard. (You’ll find instructions here.) In the report will be recommendations on how to protect yourself from identity theft and fraud. First, follow the recommendations, for example, changing passwords on any accounts affected by the breach and being on alert for suspicious emails or signs that your accounts have been taken over. If you have additional questions or think you may already be a victim of identity theft, you can always click the help button on your dashboard and request assistance from the IDX Identity Recovery team.
# Credit Monitoring
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Your credit card provider uses algorithms to spot unusual charges on your card that could indicate a stolen card number. These notifications from your bank can help to avoid card fraud on your existing accounts. But your credit card provider can’t identify new account fraud, in which a criminal uses your personal information to open new accounts in your name, because whatever they do with that card will set the pattern for what's normal. And often, these criminals will pay credit balances on time for a while, building up good credit, then make a large purchase or take a cash advance and disappear, leaving you with the debt.
Credit monitoring uses credit bureau data to detect changes to your credit file, like a change of address, a name change, or new accounts being opened in your name. For more about how identity theft protection provides additional coverage beyond your credit card, this article dives deeper into the topic.
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Our system will ask you to provide additional information such as your Social Security number, phone number, and date of birth. You may also be asked multiple-choice questions validating other data from your credit file, such as previous addresses or loan information. Our system uses this information as an additional security step to verify that we are communicating with the correct individual and that we are monitoring your credit file.
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Credit monitoring is an incredibly helpful feature that alerts you to changes with your credit file that could indicate fraudulent activity requiring immediate attention. Think of credit monitoring as an alarm system that can help to detect activity that you’ll want to verify.
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Authentication is IDX’s process of verifying your identity and to ensure our platform is monitoring and protecting your personal information.
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In order for you to receive the full protection of your IDX membership, we recommend that you activate your credit monitoring as quickly as you are able to. Rest assured that if you do not activate your credit monitoring right away, you are still fully covered by the identity restoration benefits.
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No, you will not need to renew your credit monitoring each year.
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You may not be able to activate your credit monitoring services if you have a security freeze in place on your credit file. You can still attempt the authentication process through your online account, but if you are unable to activate, then you may need to temporarily lift the security freeze. If you choose not to activate the monitoring, you will still have access to our identity recovery services.
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Yes. When activating your monitoring, you will need to confirm your identity via our authentication process, which ensures that only you have access to this information. The information that will be asked is information already available to the credit bureaus. This information is used simply as a security measure to help ensure that they are speaking or dealing with you and not an imposter.
# Peace of Mind
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Our U.S. based recovery experts are your dedicated resources and personal advocates to help resolve any identity theft issue that arises. Our recovery experts have helped to resolve thousands of cases of identity theft. If you become a victim of identity theft, you will be assigned a recovery expert who will fight on your behalf (using limited power of attorney) to achieve full recovery of your identity.
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The insurance reimbursement provides coverage for any expenses (e.g., credit reports, legal fees for some civil suits, fees for refiling loan applications, etc.) related to the recovery process and any lost income (time off work) that resulting from an identity theft incident.
# Troubleshooting
Having issues? We're here to help.
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You can always login at https://www.idx.us/login
If you are an IDX member you can login at https://app.idx.us/login
If your membership is through the Office of Personnel Management please login at https://opm.myidcare.com/login
Still got questions? Please contact our Care Team or call us at 800-939-4170.
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Your username is the email address associated with your IDX account. In the event that you forget your IDX credentials, visit the login page at https://app.idx.us/login and select “Can’t log in?” On the next page, you will enter the email address (username) associated with your account and a reset password link will be sent to that email address. Follow the instructions in this email to reset your IDX password.
# SocialSentry™ Social Media Monitoring