The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia Partners with IDT911 and is First Canadian Insurance Company to Offer Identity Protection and Identity Theft Resolution Services

MONTREAL, July 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IDT911, the nation's premier consultative provider of identity and data risk management, resolution and education services, today announced that The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia (MFIBC) has joined forces with IDT911 as the first Canadian insurance company to offer identity protection and identity theft resolution services to eligible policyholders and their families at no charge. MFIBC policyholders can now enjoy IDT911's LifeStages® Identity Management Services throughout the times in life when they are most susceptible to identity theft.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's 2012 Annual Report, the number of identity theft victims increased from 2011 to 2012 attributing to a total annual identity fraud loss of $76 million dollars. Acknowledging this trend, The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia policyholders now have the benefit in knowing their insurance company can help resolve crises ranging from fire loss to property damage, personal law suits and also identity theft.

LifeStages Identity Management Services assist with resolving or preventing instances of identity theft such as: fraudulent medical insurance claims, lost ID when traveling, setting fraud alerts post break-in, replacing ID following natural disaster, proactively protecting personal information that could be compromised while moving, replacement of marriage/civil union documents, securing personal information after death and notifying creditors, prevention of misuse of the personal information of children, privacy and security settings for online accounts, email and social media compromise, external breach victim notification, and more. These services help sort out issues with government agencies, credit companies, and medical providers and helps replace personal documents that were lost, damaged, or stolen.  

"It's with great pride that we announce MFIBC as the first carrier in Canada to offer IDT911's comprehensive identity management services to policyholders," said Darin Nessel, President and Chief Executive Officer, MFIBC. "Providing this service gives policyholders a comprehensive solution to protect all facets of their lives from proactive help with privacy and security settings online, to reactive help should an identity theft situation occur. IDT911's reputation for delivering sound advice and solutions enhances the value of the insurance policies we provide."

IDT911 fraud specialists provide high-touch service to victims from the initial call for help until the case is resolved. Their expertise covers a range of issues, from proactive measures to take throughout a person's life to true identity theft and account takeovers. The fraud specialists work one-on-one with victims and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week until resolution is complete.

"We're excited to partner with MFIBC to provide their policyholders with identity management services," said Matt Cullina, CEO of IDT911. "Consumers face a host of inconveniences when fighting identity theft, including hours spent on the phone trying to fix the issue, as well as the costs associated with clearing any fraud. MFIBC policyholders can now rest assured that any identity theft issue will be properly managed and resolved."

About IDT911

Founded in 2003, IDT911 is North America's premier consultative provider of identity and data risk management, resolution and education services. The company serves over 17.5 million households across North America and provides fraud solutions for a range of organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, North America's largest insurance companies, corporate benefit providers, banks and credit unions and membership organizations. Since 2005, the company has helped more than 600,000 businesses manage their risk of data breaches. IDT911 is the proud recipient of several awards, including the Stevie Award for Sales and Customer Service and the Parent Tested, Parent Approved award for social networking monitoring tool SocialScout. For more information, please visit www.idt911.ca, www.facebook.com/idt911 and www.twitter.com/idt911.

About MFIBC

With over 100 years of experience and a Western Canadian focus, Mutual Fire Insurance has a unique specialty for serving Policyholders in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. As a true Mutual Insurer, we have a customized structure that enables us to ensure the needs of our insured come first. In addition to providing insurance for homes, farms and commercial entities, we recognize the needs of rural people and embrace risks in areas that many of our competitors shy away from. Mutual Fire Insurance utilizes a combination of in-house claims and loss prevention staff, as well as independent claims service providers to ensure that we can meet the needs of a diverse clientele across Western Canada.