MetLife Auto & Home(R) Enhances Identity Protection Services to Provide Customers with Assistance for Marital Status Changes

WARWICK, R.I., Aug. 6  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MetLife Auto & Home has announced that it is enhancing its Identity Protection Services, to include assistance for marital status changes, such as marriage, separation, or divorce. The enhancement also extends assistance to civil union partners, domestic partners, and reciprocal beneficiaries who are insured on the policy. The assistance is offered as part of the company's Identity Protection Services provided to renters, condominium, homeowners, and automobile customers in most states, and is offered to customers at no additional cost, in states where approved by regulators.

"Marriage is a time of great happiness and excitement, but it's also a period when consumers are particularly vulnerable to identity theft," said Bob Lundgren, vice president of product marketing at MetLife Auto & Home. "During this time, name and address changes are common, and the consolidation of credit and other accounts take place. Similar changes occur during a separation or divorce. We're proud to offer this enhanced service to customers, which provides a proactive solution designed to help protect against identity theft."

Through this service, customers planning ceremonies can contact MetLife Auto & Home to conduct an identity check-up, reviewing the credit files of the customer for fraudulent activity, and taking action to correct any problems that may be identified, including placing fraud alerts as a safeguard for unauthorized activity. A similar process can be requested in the event of separation, divorce, or dissolution.

The addition is the latest in a suite of Identity Protection Services at every life stage that MetLife Auto & Home offers, which help consumers take proactive action during periods when they are most susceptible to becoming victims of identity theft. Assistance is also offered for medical identity theft, child risk identity services, military identity theft, relocation and notification assistance, estate identity services, identity travel services, and disaster recovery services.

Identity Protection Services have been a popular enhancement for MetLife Auto & Home, which was the first national insurer to provide Identify Protection Services with its automobile, renters, condominium, and standard homeowners policies in states where approved. The service is available in most states -- excluding auto policies in New Hampshire and auto and home policies in North Carolina. The assistance differs from "ID theft insurance" coverage, which typically focuses on ID theft reimbursement of expenses and losses arising from identity theft, and can be sold for $35 - $45 or more annually. MetLife Auto & Home's service helps customers regain their identities, and comes at no additional cost.

The services are provided by IdentityTheft 911(TM), one of the nation's foremost providers of identity-theft crisis resolution, defense, and education services. To initiate a request for assistance, MetLife Auto & Home customers call the company's toll-free number. The company will transfer the customer directly to IdentityTheft 911, where a representative will be assigned to the case.

For more information about preventing identity theft, including tips and a downloadable checklist to avoid being victimized, visit http://www.metlife.com/identitytheft.

The MetLife Auto & Home companies, subsidiaries of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), are collectively one of the nation's leading personal lines property and casualty insurance providers, insuring over 3.8 million autos and homes.  Their affiliate, MetLife , is a leading provider of insurance and financial services with operations throughout the U.S. and Latin America, Europe, and Asia's Pacific regions. For more information, please visit http://www.metlife.com/.

MetLife Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and its affiliates, Warwick, RI.

Contact:  David Hammarstrom [phone]    Ted Mitchell [phone]

             

DATASOURCE: MetLife Auto & Home



CONTACT:  David Hammarstrom, [phone], ,

or Ted Mitchell, [phone], , both for MetLife

Auto & Home



Web Site:  http://www.metlife.com/identitytheft 

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