Identity Theft and the Second Amendment

There's been a lot of identity theft in the news. Most of us recall what happened at Target, and now it's happened again. Big time.  Home Depot has been hacked. People who made purchases as far back as last April could have been affected. I buy a lot of stuff at Home Depot.

A lot.

For both home and work, and it's all on little plastic cards. But, contrary to my nature, I'm not that worried about it. Let me tell you why.

I had a false alarm about a month ago. I thought my identity had been stolen. I came home one Friday night to a couple of very strange pieces of mail, which at least suggested that my identity might have been stolen and perhaps, a number of accounts fraudulently opened in my name. And because it was a Friday night, I knew I wasn't going to be able to do anything at all about it until Monday.

So, I spent a couple of days stewing over what I would do, what the consequences might be, and remembering tales of people who struggled for years to restore their good credit.  I would also think back to times I had considered protection against identity theft, figured it might not be worth the money, and kicking myself for not having done it sooner.

When I made a few calls and discovered Monday that it was truly a false alarm, I was relieved, but now, that ten dollars a month for fraud protection was looking like a pretty good deal.
I also recalled that I was eligible for a discount through my membership with the NRA. They'd sent me a letter, which I filed away to look at...later. Okay, now it's later.

And that's what brings me to the purpose of this post. If you are not currently using some form of credit monitoring service, you might want to reconsider. And if you are not currently a member of the NRA, you might want to join. Now.

A one year membership in the NRA, typically $35, can be obtained for $25/ yr.  Sign up today, and in addition to a nice little NRA duffel bag, you'll get a one year subscription to an NRA magazine of your choice. (I get the American Rifleman, like my daddy did before me.) The NRA is the premiere organization protecting our Second Amendment rights. They monitor the voting records of politicians and keep track of those who are pro and anti Second Amendment. They send alerts to pending gun legislation in your state, should you care to take some action. They provide services to gun owners, training for police officers, safety programs for children...lots of good stuff.

As an NRA member, you get a 10% discount off Life-Lock. When I heard that Home Depot had been hacked, and I thought of all the credit transactions I've had there, I didn't break a sweat. I figure, I'm covered. One of the things Life-Lock has done for me, that I hadn't even considered, was they sent my name to be removed from the list of people who send you those "You are pre-approved" credit card applications. Life-Lock can reduce your junk mail.

In case you're wondering, this is an unpaid endorsement. Neither the NRA or Life-Lock is giving me one thin dime. (Stick with me and you can be a hard hitting negotiator, too!) But, with the NRA promotion and bennies, if you sign up for the NRA, and then Life-lock, the discount will effectively reduce your NRA membership to about $14/yr. A little over a dollar a month to protect your Second Amendment rights. Such a deal!

If you've been an NRA member in the past and let it lapse, try it again for a year.  If you've never joined, try it for a year and get the full low down on who the NRA is and what they stand for. Don't be surprised if it's 180 degrees different than what you get in the mainstream press.

You can sign up for NRA membership here. Then, go to the NRA homepage and click on "Member benefits" and get yourself a little credit and fraud protection.

Like the old Alka Seltzer commercial...Try it! You'll like it! 

And if anyone asks who referred you, tell 'em it was ol'  Proof Positive, and that although I cannot be bought, but I can be successfully rented from time to time!