Vantage Identity Protection FAQs

Payment Card Protection FAQs

Q:  How do I register my payment cards?
A:  It’s easy. Simply complete the registration form included in your New Account Kit and mail it to the address provided.

Q:  What payment cards are eligible for registration?
A:  Any national credit card, major retail chain credit card, ATM card or check card is eligible to be registered with the service.

Q:  Can I register my foreign credit cards?
A:  Yes. Foreign credit cards may be registered. However, the Member Service Center can’t report foreign credit cards lost or stolen. When you report your foreign cards lost or stolen, you will still need to contact foreign credit card issuers yourself to cancel the cards and request replacement cards.

Q:  How will I know my payment cards have been registered?
A:  You will receive a confirmation kit within 4 to 6 weeks. Each kit includes a confirmation letter, and update form and protective warning stickers for each card.

Q:  How is the registration done?
A:  Your information is entered into the Card Registry system located at the Member Service Center at the service provider.

Q:  I’m moving soon, how do I report my change of address?
A:  You may call the Member Service Center toll free at 800.251.2311 (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.–8 p.m. CT), send in an Update form, or write to the Member Service Center to inform them of your address change and its effective date. They will notify your card issuers for you. You’ll receive verification of the card issuers notified.

Q:  What about the first $50 for which many credit card issuers can hold me liable?
A:  If a card issuer charges you the $50 liability, we will reimburse you after receiving a photocopy of your credit card statement showing the assessment of the $50 liability fee. This is subject to verification by the Member Service Center.

Q:  What about the first $500 for which many ATM/check card issuers can hold me liable?
A: If a card issuer charges you the $500 liability, we will reimburse you after receiving a photocopy of your account statement showing the assessment of the $500 liability fee. This is subject to verification by the Member Service Center.

Q:  When can I report lost or stolen cards?
A:  You can report 24/7/365 by calling toll free 800.251.2690. (Outside the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, call collect 614.823.5161.)

Q:  How are the lost or stolen cards canceled?
A:  The Member Service Center will notify each credit card issuer. If you request replacement cards, the Member Service Center will do so as long as the credit card issuer allows it. The Member Service Center will let you know if you need to contact the card issuer to cancel or receive replacements cards.

Q:  I’ve lost my credit cards. I’ve called the Member Service Center within 24 hours of the loss to report it. How much time will it take the credit card center to notify the different card companies of this loss?
A:  MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover will be canceled within two hours from the time you make your call. Independent department stores take a little bit longer. If it’s after business hours, the stores won’t be notified until the next business day. All credit cards will be blocked within a 24-hour period.

Q:  If my cash and credit cards are lost or stolen, are emergency services provided?
A:  Yes. When you report your lost/stolen credit cards and are at least 50 miles from home, the following emergency services may be provided:

1. Prepaid airline tickets home. You can pick these up at the airline counter. There’s a prepaid ticket charge.
2. An emergency cash advance of up to $300. You can pick this up at any Western Union location in 200 countries. There’s no service charge for the advance.

You will be invoiced for emergency cash and/or airline tickets by the Member Service Center. You’re expected to repay the Member Service Center within 30 days of invoice. Please note: Tickets and/or cash are not charged to your reissued credit card.

Q:  What’s my liability for fraudulent charges under federal law?
A:  For credit cards:  If the card issuer has notified you of your maximum potential liability, has provided a means for you to notify the card issuer of credit card loss or theft, and if the credit card contains a way of identifying the you or another authorized user, then your liability for fraudulent charges made to your account before the card issuer is notified is up to $50 for each card.

For debit and ATM cards:  Your liability for fraudulent use of your cards is up to $50 if you notify the card issuer of the loss or theft of the card within two business days after learning of the loss of theft. After that, your liability is up to $500 for each card. Or, if you don’t notify the card issuer within 60 days of receipt of a monthly statement showing unauthorized transfers, then your liability for each card is up to the total amount of unauthorized transfers that occurred after the 60-day period and before notice, provided that the card issuer establishes that the unauthorized transfers wouldn’t have occurred if you had notified the card issuer within the 60-day period. You may also be liable for up to $50 or $500 for each card as described above, as applicable.

Q:  I prefer not to give my Social Security Number as a security verification. Can I register my credit cards anyway?
A:  A Social Security Number is no longer required to register credit cards. Members can use their mother’s maiden name as security verification.


Credit Alert FAQs

Q:  Why do I need Credit Alert?
A:  While monitoring your credit on a regular basis will not stop thieves from gaining access to information, it can significantly reduce the damage inflicted by identity thieves. It’s important to know if your credit history is being accessed without your knowledge.

Q:  What is Credit Alert?
A:  Credit Alert is a daily, one bureau monitoring service. You will receive daily alerts if there are certain changes to your credit file or certain derogatory credit information reported to your TransUnion credit file.

Q:  What do you mean by “certain derogatory” information?
A:  Information in a borrower's credit history (credit report) that lenders may legally use to turn down a loan request or application for credit. Included are such things as bankruptcies, late payments, and previously charged-off loans.

Q:  What type of changes will I be notified of?
A:  You’ll receive daily notification if someone has inquired about your credit status or if any new accounts have been opened in your name. You will receive a notification alerting you to the type of activity it was along with the
date it occurred.

Q:  If I never receive any notifications, how can I be sure nothing has changed?
A:  If there is no activity in your file, Credit Alert will inform you of that on a quarterly basis.

Q:  How quickly will I receive the notices?
A:  Daily alerts are mailed First Class via U.S. Mail to ensure prompt delivery. The quarterly No-Hit Alerts are mailed Third Class.

Q:  If I receive a daily alert that something has changed in my file, how can I find out what to do to correct the situation?
A:  Any time you receive a Hit Letter, we will provide you with our toll-free Credit Information Hotline number. The hotline is staffed with representatives trained in the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to assist you with questions regarding Hit Letters.

Q:  If I have Identity Theft Insurance, why do I need credit monitoring?
A:  Monitoring is like having an ‘alarm system’ on your credit record. Early detection of changes to one’s credit file can reduce the damage inflicted by identity thieves.

Q:  What good is credit monitoring if it can’t protect me from becoming a victim of ID theft?
A:  Credit Alert allows you to find out if there are any inquiries to your account. Without credit monitoring, victims of ID theft usually only find out after the damage has already occurred.

Q:  Will having Credit Alert really help once my credit record has already been accessed?
A:  The scope and cost of ID theft is significantly smaller if discovered quickly. Research has shown that no out-of-pocket expenses were incurred by 67% of those who discovered the misuse within 5 months compared to only 40% of victims with no out-of-pocket expenses when the discovery took 6 months or longer*. Additionally, 76% of victims who found out about the fraud within one month spent less than 10 hours resolving it*. Statistics show that victims may spend up to 240 hours to clean up the mess left from an identity theft*. Total U.S. annual identity fraud costs were more than $52.6 billion in 2005*. The median cost per fraud victims is $652*.

Q:  How do I enroll in the monitoring service?
A:  You will need to complete the Credit Record Search form found in your New Account Kit in its entirety. We must have all 9 digits of your Social Security Number and your signature. Mail the form in the attached privacy envelope. Your monitoring will begin in approximately 2 to 4 weeks of receipt of the completed form.

Q:  I only received one Enrollment Form in my New Account Kit. How do joint account holders enroll?
A:  Please call Member Services at 800.251.2311 to request an additional form.

Q:  How long will the monitoring be available to me?
A:  As long as you are a member, your initial Credit Alert enrollment will be valid for one year after enrollment. You will receive a renewal notice as your expiration date approaches providing you with an opportunity to enroll again.

Q:  Will anyone else have access to my information once I fill out the enrollment form?
A:  Credit Alert does not make your confidential information available to anyone but you, other than as necessary to provide you with the Credit Alert service.

_{*Sources: Better Business Bureau and Javelin Strategy & Research, January 2005. Statistics from the Federal Trade Commission’s September 2004 Identity Theft Survey Report.}


Card Patrol FAQs

Q:  What is Card Patrol?
A:  Card Patrol uses advanced proprietary technology to scan billions of Internet records in real-time. If any of your registered debit or credit card numbers are discovered, you will be notified via e-mail within 24 hours.

Q:  Am I automatically enrolled in the Card Patrol benefit when I sign up for the benefits package at my financial institution?
A:  No. You must go online to register your debit/credit cards.

Q:  How do I begin the process to monitor my cards?
A:  You will find the website and Access Code on your Membership ID Card, located in your New Account Kit. This Access Code will be used one time, during the original sign-up process. An e-mail will be sent to you containing your login ID, your new secure password assigned by Card Patrol, and an activation link. You must click on this link to register your cards and begin the monitoring process.

Q:  How many cards can I register?
A:  Members can register up to 10 debit or credit cards per account holder.

Q:  How does my joint account holder enroll in Card Patrol?
A:  There is room on each Card Patrol Account for 20 debit or credit cards. Each member can register up to 10 major credit or debit cards. If the joint account holder prefers to set up his/her own account, using his/her own e-mail address for notification, he/she can use the same Access Code as the primary account holder and register using a different e-mail address.

Q:  I tried enrolling in Card Patrol, but it said my e-mail address has already been used. As a joint account holder, how can I enroll in Card Patrol if the primary account holder has already enrolled using our e-mail address?
A:  Two members cannot enroll in Card Patrol using the same e-mail address. If a joint account holder wants to register his/her cards using the same e-mail address, he/she can add his/her cards to the primary account holders Card Patrol account. Each account holder can register up to 10 cards.

Q:  Isn't it dangerous to give you my credit card?
A:  We only ask for the 16 digits––NOT the expiration date OR the security number on the back of the card. Without this information, no one can use your card. We are simply monitoring for those 16 digits.

Q:  Can I register any debit or credit card?
A:  Card Patrol monitors major credit and debit cards that are affiliated with one of the major credit card issuers (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and Diners Club).

Q:  How do I know that the information I give you is secure?
A:  We take two important measures to protect your information:

1. Card Patrol customer information is stored on a secure server that is firewall-protected and encrypted to block unauthorized third-party access.
2. We also restrict downloading of any data on our secure servers to unsecured locations, such as a laptop. Card Patrol is encrypted and protected with industry-standard SSL encryption software. Our site is also certified and regularly scanned by ControlScan to protect against hacker attacks for over 11,500 known website security vulnerabilities. All sensitive information is encrypted prior to storing it in our databases.

Q:  How and when will I be notified if one of my registered numbers is compromised?
A:  If one of your registered card numbers is discovered, an e-mail notification will be sent to you within minutes. Please note that the e-mail notification will be sent to the e-mail address provided in your profile. It is important to keep this information up-to-date.

Q:  What do I do when I receive an e-mail notification?
A:  You will receive a phone number to call Fraud Support as well as the last four digits of the debit or credit card that was compromised. Call this number to find out the details of the compromised card and to determine whether or not further action needs to be taken.

Q:  What if my e-mail is down or I do not respond quickly to the notification regarding the compromise?
A:  If the Card Patrol Fraud Support center does not hear from you, they will attempt to call you using the phone number you provided in your profile.

Q:  How do I know that you are monitoring my registered debit and/or credit cards?
A:  When you log in to your personal account on the Card Patrol website, you can check the status of each of your registered cards by clicking on the “Card Patrol Status” button. Look for the status indicator in the left-hand column of each card you registered. If the status indicator shows “active” then Card Patrol is monitoring that card number. If the status indicator shows “inactive,” you can change it to “active” by clicking the button marked “enable." To change the status from “active” to “inactive," click the button marked “disable."

Q:  I was issued a password by Card Patrol when I initially setup my monitoring. How do I change this password?
A:  The issued password can be regenerated by the system if requested by the member. However, we do not allow members to create their own password.

Q:  Why can’t I create my own password?
A:  This is to ensure that a password you used at another site will not be used by a predator to gain access to your Card Patrol account. We also recommend never reusing a password.

Q:  How often do I need to log in?
A:  Actually, once you have entered the information you would like Card Patrol to monitor, you don’t need to log in unless you want to update your card numbers or contact information. If any of your registered card numbers appear to be compromised, the Card Patrol system will automatically contact you.