“You Are Not Alone,” The Atlantic Companies® Assures Consumers About Identity Theft

NEW YORK, NY, (September 21, 2007) -- Affluent individuals and families are targets for identity thieves, who are striking at the alarming rate of 19,000 times per day in the United States. Identity thieves often use stolen data to open new accounts and obtain goods or services in the victim’s name that can negatively impact a person’s assets, income, and credit reports.

“The nightmare of identity theft gets even more frightening when victims realize they must immediately devote their own time and resources to undo the damage,” noted Dan Olmsted, president and CEO of The Atlantic Companies, the insurance group best known for the Atlantic Master Plan® package policy for homeowners.

While financial institutions, retailers and other companies try to prevent identity fraud and can investigate information after a crime has occurred, their powers are limited. Only the affected person or his/her representative can take on the responsibility of restoring the victim’s assets or good name.

Industry data shows victims can spend more than $1,000 and 60 hours trying to restore their identities. But 25 percent fail to fix all damage.

Fortunately, consumers do not have to be “alone” if they become victims. They can get timely assistance to fix credit and fraud issues due to identity theft. For instance, Atlantic Master Plan home coverage provides up to $25,000 for identity fraud expenses resulting from identity fraud and also gives victims access to free identity-theft-restoration services.

The Atlantic Companies explores identity theft prevention and correction in the fall 2007 issue of its free SafetyWise consumer newsletter, which can be found at www.atlanticmasterplan.com.

The SafetyWise newsletter also discusses how to create a home inventory and how to drive safely at night.

About The Atlantic Companies

The Atlantic Companies, also known as Atlantic Mutual, is a group of diversified financial services companies with a Wall Street heritage dating back to 1842. The group is widely known for the Atlantic Master Plan insurance program, which is designed specifically for affluent individuals and sold through a select group of independent agents. The Atlantic Companies acts as a property-casualty insurer, manages claims for commercial insurance, and helps other business partners target profitable niches in the insurance marketplace. Additional information about The Atlantic Companies and the Atlantic Master Plan can be found at www.atlanticmasterplan.com.


Contact: Peter G. Scott
Corporate Marketing & Communications
973-408-6044