LifeLock Blog

TopTenReviews.com is a highly respected and revered website that provides reviews on just about everything from electronics to online services like LifeLock. For specific categories of products TopTenReviews.com will do a top ten in the category for that year. In 2010 even with all the bad press LifeLock has been getting they were still ranked number one by TopTenReviews.com. That is really saying something, even though the press wants to make LifeLock out to be the bad guy.  When you look at the facts and services offered by LifeLock, they still blows the other services out of the water.

TopTenReviews wrote “LifeLock is well-equipped with the right tools to help you prevent identity theft before it happens, detect thieves in their attempts and resolve any problems that may occur to defend your good name. Their service is well-rounded, providing all of the essentials in security, recovery and some unique additional features. Their distinctive WalletLock service is one example of innovation aimed to help make protecting your identity easier.”

I have to agree with TopTenReviews and will add that LifeLock has the advantage of coming to market first. They have had time to work out the kinks in the system and provide a very robust service that has features that other services wouldn’t dream of implementing.

It takes time to develop and get good at discovering and remediating identity theft situations, and LifeLock has done that. They provide service like no other and have been doing so for longer than anyone else. I am sure LifeLock will continue topping the identity theft protection charts for years to come. They continue to add and make their features better every year.

The FTC has busted a huge online payment scam where more than $10 Million in bogus charges were made to more than 1 million customers credit and debit cards. The Federal Trade Commission has halted the scam pending a trial.

More than a million customers here hit with charges of $10 or less, which where then routed through several fake businesses and dummy corporations in the US. The money was then transferred to bank accounts in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The defendants started companies with names similar to real businesses using information stolen from identity theft victims. There were more than 100 business accounts opened using the stolen information used to process the online transactions. It is believed the the identity theft victims where chosen by the thieves after a credit checked to ensure they were creditworthy of starting the bogus businesses.

The thieves then gave each of the fake merchants an address similar to a real companies location. They also added phone numbers and website address that pretended to sell products. According to the FTC the thieves then recruited at least 14 people in the US to open 16 dummy corporations, who then opened associated bank accounts to receive the credit card payments. The payments were than transferred over seas to bank accounts in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Kyrgyzstan.

It is still unclear how the defendants got their hands on the stolen identities or consumer credit cards and debit card numbers. None of the identity theft victims would have had direct contact with any of the defendants. Victims mostly likely didn’t notice the charges to their accounts because of the small amounts that were charged. All of the charges were between $10 and .20 cents, but if a consumer was to call about the charge they would simple be hung up on or left with a recording.

This is a pretty good scam in my opinion. I have to say I haven’t heard of anything white like it before, and it seemed to work pretty well. Making large charges would have brought a lot of attention, but small charges which were routed through dummy businesses who then got routed through other fake businesses, who were started by identity theft victims, was very smart indeed. The FTC caught the scam but they still don’t know who the people are behind it. I guess that was the point of the scam to prevent a paper trail from leading to the real master minds of it. The sad thing is if they don’t find the people responsible they could just start all over again with new companies.

LifeLock is the industry leader in identity theft protection. They offer a service that towers over all the others on the market. LifeLock was the first service of it’s kind and has had time to mature into a great company, which has an unparalleled series of features. I would like to review Lifelock’s Personal Breach Protection service.

The LifeLock Personal Breach Detection service is part of the LifeLock Command Center and sets out to monitor unregulated internet and file-sharing networks for your personal data. If they find anything that could put you at risk you will be informed via email. LifeLock will then help you protect yourself from accidental personal information disclosures.

What does that exactly mean, and how does something like that happen? There are several large file-sharing websites out there and they all have their security flaws. Because there isn’t a primary beneficiary of such networks there’s no one trying to patch up the security loop holes. What does that  means for you? When you use those file-sharing networks like Limewire and bit-torrent, hackers and identity thieves have the ability to run amuck in your computer salvaging files that could lead to your identity theft.

LifeLock will search these networks for anything floating around that has your personal information in it. People will often trade information via these networks, which means it’s discoverable if you’re looking for it. LifeLock will also search known black market information sites, where your personal information might end up after a breach.

I have read several identity theft stories of people having there information stolen from their computer because they used some form of file-sharing network. It’s a fairly common occurrence and it’s something to think about before using such a service.

Other than file-sharing networks you could also have your information stolen by computer viruses and other kinds of malware. Many of them are designed to relay website logins and personal information back to thief. If the thief isn’t planning on using the information himself then that too could end out on the black market where LifeLock might just find out about it before real damage is done.

I think this service that LifeLock offers is brilliant and makes a great addiction to premium LifeLock Command Center services. There is so many ways to have your identity stolen that no one can ensure 100% protection from it. However services like LifeLock help protect remediate the effects of identity theft.  

LifeLock is industry leader in identity theft protection. They offer a service that towers over all the others on the market. LifeLock was the first service of it’s kind and has had time to mature into a great company, which has an unparalleled series of features. I would like to take the time to discuss one of the many features offered by LifeLock, WalletLock.

WalletLock is a great feature that has been apart of LifeLock for the last two years. WalletLock remediates a lost wallet situation. If you were to loose your wallet you know that time is of the essence.  You need to get everything in that wallet cancelled to prevent the thief from having the opportunity to use it. Thieves know this as well, so they are going to try and use your credit cards and checkbook as soon as they can. How long would it take you to cancel all your credit card, stop payment on checks, order new insurance cards, order a new drivers license, and cancel any travelers checks?

If you were a member of LifeLock then all you could have to do is call the members services team and tell them what happened. LifeLock will then hand you over to a WalletLock recovery specialist who can cancel credit and debit cards, driver’s license, Social Security card, insurance cards, checkbooks and traveler’s checks.

Because you give LifeLock all your information to monitor they can cancel and have your cards and checks reissued and sent to your house. If you were to do this sort of thing on your own it could take you a while, in the mean time the thief is stealing money from your accounts. There might be a dozen numbers to call and people to talk to get the job done. LifeLock will help you though the process, making everything quicker, which means your information will be secured faster.

I am a member of LifeLock and have not needed to use their WalletLock service yet. I have however called the member services team and they could not have been nicer. When you call LifeLock they are going to take care of you and any problems you may have. WalletLock and other LifeLock services are great to have and depend on.

LifeLock is really stepping up it’s game with one of it’s new features LifeLock Command Center. LifeLock Command Center is the premium level of service that has all the features of the regular award winning LifeLock service but offers a more in-depth protection. There are a lot of ways to detect a identity theft many of the other services on the market only inform you of a couple. With LifeLock Command Center you get a larger search scope of records and registries to ensure no one is using your name or other information fraudulently.

LifeLock Command Center Offers some great features that are worth the upgrade. One of the many great features is the personal breach detection service where LifeLock searches unregulated internet and file sharing networks for any of your identifying information. LifeLock Command Center will also check payday loan records to ensure no one is getting these small loans that often times don’t reach your credit report.

LifeLock Command Center also searches through several public records in order to ensure your information is not being used by criminals to hide their own identities. If a criminal uses your information you could be confused with the criminal, which means potentially being arrested and having prove your are not the one they are looking for. LifeLock Command Center Searches through public records, alias records, and court records to ensure that no one is using your information fraudulently.

I have a LifeLock membership and I think the alerts are great. The tools are easy to use and they send any alerts right to your email address, so you don’t have to always login to check your status. If you ever have any problems you can call there help center which is second to none. It’s not like other call centers, it’s an actually pleasure talking with them. LifeLock doesn’t outsource their call center so you are sure to have a great customer service experience.



Confusion over media coverage of the FTC ruling may cause some consumers to lose sight of LifeLock’s contributions toward the larger issues, such as educating law enforcement personnel on critical identity theft issues.

The FTC and LifeLock have finally settled their dispute over past advertising practices, and the topic has been dissected over and over in the media, in blogs and over social networking sites such as Twitter.

Sure, LifeLock’s rather unique approach to advertising – splashing their CEO’s Social Security number all over billboards – made great copy.  It surely has raised the profile of identity theft in the public consciousness, something LifeLock has been given less credit for than they deserve. And pundits, talk show hosts and bloggers have all had their fun, making light of a very serious and costly problem – one that costs billions of dollars and affects more than 10 million Americans each year.

Now, it’s time for the FTC, the major credit agencies, LifeLock and law enforcement agencies responsible for protecting consumers and businesses from identity theft to renew their efforts toward crime prevention, and the arrest and prosecution of the offenders involved in perpetrating identity theft.

LifeLock has, over the past few years, contributed more to the fight against identity theft than just really cool advertisements and a $10 per month service to consumers.

Because LifeLock’s expertise lies in all areas revolving around and effected by identity theft, their community focus has been aimed toward employing their knowledge and skills to assist individuals and agencies that can use it the most. LifeLock has forged a unique partnership with the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI-LEEDA), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. LifeLock and FBI-LEEDA have together presented a series of one-day summits on the topic of identity theft protection. Because identity theft investigations can often be complex and cross jurisdictions and geographic lines, it is crucial that all law enforcement personnel effectively share information. Last year the two organizations jointly held seminars in 12 cities across America, offering training and information to more than a thousand law enforcement officials from more than four hundred different agencies.

LifeLock has also partnered with the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), providing NOVA ( www.TryNOVA.org) staff members personalized training on what steps a victim can take to reduce their risk of being victimized again. This partnership offers assistance with the emotional side of being a victim as well as the steps needed to repair their financial reputation and credit.

LifeLock’s Speaker Series offers customers and consumers across America information and assistance in obtaining the maximum level of personal and financial protection through LifeLock identity theft protection service programs.

Preventative measures, credit monitoring and consumer assistance in repairing the damage done by fraudulent activity will never be enough to achieve a reduction in the incidence and cost of identity theft. In order to achieve significant progress in the fight against identity theft, educating law enforcement personnel on critical identity theft issues has remained a top priority for LifeLock.

Or as CEO Todd Davis commented, “By getting local and statewide law enforcement together … we are empowering officials to understand this crime better and work to help stop it. I strongly believe that with time, this training will have an impact on the future of identity theft.”

More sophisticated tools allow LifeLock to offer more comprehensive protection against identity theft.

Recent news and magazine articles have made much of CEO Todd Davis’ decision to publish his Social Security number in advertising and his reliance on LifeLock’s service for protection. Critics of both Mr. Davis and LifeLock have pointed out that there have been 13 cases where his Social Security number was successfully used to open accounts or take out small loans, despite the protections offered by LifeLock – and cited these 13 cases as “evidence” that LifeLock’s service does not work.

In fact, LifeLock’s service did for Mr. Davis EXACTLY what it does for any LifeLock member, and his credit report remains spotless as a result. The LifeLock member services team made all the necessary phone calls and monitored his credit file. None of the incidents cost Mr. Davis a dime! Contrast this to victims of identity theft who often spend numerous hours, lose money, and suffer stress and frustration as a result.

Since 2005 there have been hundreds of unsuccessful attempts on Mr. Davis’ personal information; attempts that were stopped by the service provided by LifeLock. To his knowledge, there have been zero new incidents occurring over the past year.

For years, LifeLock has made it very clear that although no identity theft protection service can stop all identity theft, continuously developing new and innovative, proactive solutions can help. LifeLock’s most recent innovation is the Identity Alert™ System, developed in part as a response to innovations by identity thieves who work below the radar – not all loan applications or account transactions generate a credit check.

LifeLock Identity Alert™ System offers broader identity coverage and early notification of both credit and non-credit related identity threats by searching more than 45 million data points daily and 30 million consumer transactions each month. This advanced detection system works to identify fraudulent applications for many forms of both credit and non-credit related services, including many retail credit cards, mortgage loans, auto loans, as well as non-credit related transactions such as wireless services, utilities, peer to peer loans, and non-credit related payday loans. Working in concert with LifeLock’s existing services, the systems search for evidence of identity theft from online sources and within public records such as courts, correctional institutions, and sex offender registries.

LifeLock Identity Alerts, designed to be more comprehensive in scope than ever before, have provided more than 310,000 alerts to our members in the last eight months alone.

The case of the FTC vs LifeLock illustrates just why lawmakers at all levels of government to take the threat of identity theft seriously.

Lifelock CEO Todd Davis decided to take a big risk – he was confident enough in the ability of his new firm to protect its customers against the damage done by identity theft that he dared thieves to use his Social Security number – placing it on billboards, trucks and in radio, TV and print advertising.

The FTC determined that he went too far.

In a ruling, the FTC penalized LifeLock for potentially false advertising – assuming that its customers interpret the ads as claiming LifeLock can totally prevent all incidences of identity theft, then they would have been mistaken.

It is very significant that the FTC did not challenge the effectiveness or validity of LifeLock’s  guarantee of service – that in the event one of its customers is victimized, LifeLock representatives will step in to do the time-consuming work of repairing the damage done – what Mr. Davis calls the “curative” aspect of LifeLock’s service. The FTC ruling only addressed advertising wording – claims related to identity theft prevention, such as using the words and phrases, “complete protection,” “prevent,” “constantly monitors,” or “always receive a phone call.” Obviously nothing and no one can entirely prevent identity theft– and LifeLock knows this.

Interestingly enough, Davis never lost money and he was saved many hours of invaluable time correcting his credit report. Also, he did not suffer any damage to his credit or financial standing as a result.

In other words – LifeLock’s service worked precisely as it was designed to do.

Davis claims that giving out his Social Security number was “a risk worth taking to alert consumers to the rising tide of identity theft.” As one result, a Texas man was able to take out a $500 loan using that information. Davis’ story very clearly illustrates the looming threat facing millions of consumers every day. And while LifeLock is doing its part to help protect consumers by constantly developing new technologies, no private identity theft company can do it alone.

Major studies conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America, and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors determined that 70 to 80 percent of all credit reports contain significant errors. Consumers with common names are especially vulnerable to mistakes on their credit reports. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act) was intended to provide consumers with the protection of fraud alerts, but fraud alerts are clearly not enough, especially when not all lenders check credit reports!

The lender who gave $500 to a man claiming to be Davis almost certainly did not check a credit report or accurately verify the man’s true identity.

”Fortunately, proactive identity theft protection services evolve more quickly than legislation. Last fall, LifeLock introduced their Identity Alert System™, a multifaceted, technologically advanced service that makes fraud alerts seem quaint. As a company, LifeLock is doing what it can. As a country, we need to make combating identity theft a top national priority – and lawmakers at all levels of government to take the threat of identity theft seriously.

Chances are, you’ve seen this Social Security number!

Todd Davis, the CEO of LifeLock, has published his Social Security number on billboards, over the Internet, and in radio and television advertising beginning in 2005. Since then, his personal information has been reproduced billions of times. Was daring identity thieves to use it a mistake, or a gutsy move to bring LifeLock and the ever-growing problem of identity theft to the forefront of consumer consciousness?

LifeLock contends it has done exactly that.

Since 2005, when the now famous number was first used in advertising, there have been only thirteen successful cases in which Mr. Davis’ personal information has been used to open unauthorized accounts in his name.

Thirteen.

If there were only 13 successful attempts, it is not hard to imagine just how many unsuccessful attempts that were stopped by the service provided by LifeLock. In fact, LifeLock is not aware of any new incidents occurring over the past year.

Each of the 13 instances of theft have been for relatively small dollar amounts, and the accounts were opened despite fraud alerts being present on his credit file – in other words, the amounts involved were either too small, or the companies involved did not check the credit history of the applicant before opening an account!

The truth is, LifeLock’s Member Services Team performed the same services that it would for any LifeLock member. Some have argued that if the CEO of LifeLock can become a victim of identity theft, then how can LifeLock’s service possibly be effective. No service can ever protect against all instances of identity theft, no matter how small. For years, LifeLock has made it very clear that no service can stop all identity theft, and although LifeLock has been leading the industry by continuously developing new and innovative proactive solutions, compromises do still occur. That is why LifeLock is there to assist its members to make sure problems are taken care of.

It worked in Mr. Davis’ case. He was never out any money, he was saved many hours of invaluable time, and his credit report was always corrected. Amazingly, Mr. Davis has not suffered any damage to his credit or financial standing as a result.

Obviously, LifeLock does not encourage consumers to follow in his example. In fact, the LifeLock terms and conditions agreement states that, “…you agree that you will not purposely engage in behavior that will put your personal information at unnecessary risk, such as leaving your PIN or passwords in obvious places or publishing your Social Security number.”

One thing is certain – the debate that has raged since has raised the profile of both LifeLock and the ever-growing problem of identity theft.

Mary Burroughs, 66, a nursing home administrator in Savannah GA, used her position to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer. Burroughs is being brought up on charges of embezzlement, money laundering, credit card fraud and identity theft. Damages are estimated to be over $235,000.

According to the inducement, Burroughs used the companies Wachovia money market accounts to issue checks made out to cash. She then used the cash to purchase cashier’s checks which she made out to Burrough’s Heating & Air and others.  She didn’t stop there, she also used company credit cards from previously terminated employees to purchase personal items. Burroughs even stooped as low as to have copper piping and other metals stripped from the buildings and sold as scrap.

Burroughs faces five counts of stealing from a program receiving federal funds, one count of credit card fraud, four counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft. The penalties for each count are all sever and all carry a pretty heavy fine. If she is convicted let’s just say it will be a while before she can take advantage of another business.