Identity Theft, Is It Real?

April 3, 2016

Identity theft is very real--it’s the fastest growing crime in the United States. Identity theft refers to crimes in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal information in ways that involve fraud or deception, typically for economic gain according to the United States Department of Justice. A thief can steal your personal information in many different ways. An Continue Reading

A thief can steal your personal information in many different ways. An identity thief might steal your mail or garbage to get your account numbers or your Social Security number, trick you into sending personal information in an email or over the phone, steal your account numbers from a business or medical office, or even steal your wallet or purse to get your personal information.

An identity thief can use your identity in many different ways: buying expensive things with your credit cards, obtaining more credit cards in your name, stealing your tax refund, getting medical care, pretending to be you if they are arrested and more.

According to TransUnion, it can take the average victim an estimated $500 and 30 hours to resolve each identity theft crime.

Protect yourself from identity theft by trying these tips:

An example of identity theft from the United States Department of Justice:

“A woman was indicted and pleaded guilty to federal charges involving her obtaining a fraudulent driver's license in the name of the victim, using the license to withdraw more than $13,000 from the victim's bank account, and obtaining five department store credit cards in the victim's name and charging approximately $4,000 on those cards.”

Another example from the Department of Justice:

“In one notorious case of identity theft, the criminal, a convicted felon, not only incurred more than $100,000 of credit card debt, obtained a federal home loan, and bought homes, motorcycles, and handguns in the victim's name, but called his victim to taunt him -- saying that he could continue to pose as the victim for as long as he wanted because identity theft was not a federal crime at that time -- before filing for bankruptcy, also in the victim's name.”

Protect yourself from identity theft by keeping your personal information private, monitoring your credit statements.

Your homeowners policy may also offer an optional endorsement that will provide funds to reconstruct your credit following an ID Theft. Give us a call (607-324-7500) or email us ( Service@RyanAgency.com ) for more information!

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Auto Rates and Finger Prints: Both are Unique to You!

By Jeff Ryan • April 7, 2026

Factors You Can’t Easily Control These factors are built into your profile, but still play a major role: Your location: Claim trends, traffic, and weather patterns where you principally drive. Your age and driving experience: Especially for younger drivers. Other drivers in your household: Their age and driving history. The vehicle you own: Unique to the Year, Make, Model, and Sub-model’s damageability and cost of parts/labor. These factors significantly influence price differences, but they don’t tell the whole story. Factors You Can Control This is where habits and wise decisions can make a real difference: Your driving habits: Minimizing tickets and accidents can have a direct impact. Your coverage choices: Liability limits, deductibles, and optional coverages can vary widely. Your insurance consistency: Avoiding lapses in coverage. Your annual mileage: How much and how often you drive. Discount opportunities: Bundling, pay-in-full, NYS defensive driving course. Your Insurance Score (Yes—You Can Influence It) Insurance companies use a credit-based insurance score as part of their rating process. While it’s based on financial behaviors, it is not permanent—and it can be improved over time. Simple habits like: Paying bills on time Reducing outstanding debt Avoiding excessive credit inquiries… can positively impact your score—and in turn, your insurance rates. Your insurance score is under your control and a worthy mid to long-term project in and of itself. For more information on what you can do to positively influence your score, see: Great 8 Tip #8 - What's Credit Got to Do with Insurance? How Can I Improve My Auto Insurance Score Why Comparing Rates Doesn’t Work When someone says, “I only pay…” , the uniqueness of their fingerprint is missing. What are their: Deductibles Driving history Insurance score Household profile Coverage limits: what they may be giving up in terms of protection. Price without context can be misleading and discouraging.