LifeLock Encourages A False Sense Of Security
One of the problems of the LifeLock service, according to its critics, is the false sense of security it brings to its customers due mostly to the company’s advertising campaigns. Broadcasting statements such as: “You’ll find out how to lock down your identity, making it virtually impossible for identity thieves to wreak havoc on your good name” imply “sign up and you’re worries are over.”
The fraud alert LifeLock places in your name can help bring attention to someone trying to open a new line of credit in your name but it does nothing whatsoever to protect existing credit cards or bank accounts, and it certainly does not stop a criminal from wreaking havoc with your good name by using it to obtain employment and then stealing from the company. This is true, no matter who places the fraud alert.
Another criticism is that LifeLock could be causing fraud alerts to become the “norm” and therefore the practice becomes watered down and ineffective.
The law states that when a credit firm sees a fraud alert on a credit file it should use “reasonable policies and procedures” to verify the identity before they open a new line of credit. With more and more credit files having the fraud alert though, critics say there is a real danger the loan and credit industry will become immune to the fraud alert and simply start ignoring them.
You can place your own fraud alert and get your credit report without paying LifeLock. But be aware that identity theft prevention requires much more than this simple step.
Purchase a lockable mail box, get a good shredder, and don’t carry your Social Security number with you. These and other common sense precautions will help prevent identity theft.
But you can’t monitor the Internet yourself 24/7, and that’s where LifeLock comes in. LifeLock looks for your personal information among hundreds of sites, and if there’s any compromise, you’ll be notified immediately so that action can be taken to stop the theft in its tracks. LifeLock members aren’t lulled into a false sense of security – they just know that they’ve done all they can to protect themselves.
Your proactive actions, along with LifeLock’s services, can work to help prevent you from becoming a victim of identity theft.
