More than a million American consumers have chosen LifeLock for identity theft protection. But millions more without Life Lock protection become identity theft victims every year.

The following article illustrates the value of LifeLock’s comprehensive identity theft protection.

Kimberly Foulks joined the legions of criminals caught by law enforcement officials after being pulled over for simple traffic violations. In her case, Fort Wayne, Indiana police found identification, checkbooks and gift cards, all bearing several different names. As if that wasn’t enough, Foulks also had outstanding warrants.

As the investigation against her progressed, police searched storage units rented by Foulks and discovered altered birth certificates and more IDs. They also found DVDs, electronics and jewelry.

County prosecutors charged Foulks with 66 counts of check fraud, theft and forgery.

But then the feds stepped in. Foulks, who also went by the name Kimberly Snyder, was charged in federal court with aggravated identity theft, securities fraud and bank fraud. Federal prosecutors say that over a period of roughly 18 months, she cashed about 900 counterfeit checks and used the money to make purchases worth more than $125,000.

Foulks will be sentenced in January 2009, and has made a plea agreement with the federal prosecutors.

Earlier this year, Ashley Snyder, Foulks’ daughter, admitted to participating in identity theft schemes with her mother. After pleading guilty to three counts of forgery, Snyder was given a suspended prison sentence, but will remain on probation for four years. She is also required to make $541 in restitution.

LifeLock helps protect their members’ credit, finances and reputations with a full slate of tools and strategies, including several Life Lock exclusives like WalletLock™, TrueAddress™ and eRecon™.

Visit LifeLock.com to find out how LifeLock can help you. Use the LifeLock promo code Defense and get their award-winning service for only $9 a month.

Consumers want to prevent becoming identity theft victims. They want comprehensive protection of their finances, their personal information and their good names, but they don’t get that with credit monitoring.

Here’s how credit monitoring works: The service provider watches action on the customer’s credit cards and credit report. If they see unusual activity–a sudden rash of new credit cards or new credit card charges in New Jersey for a customer in New Mexico—they contact the customer to let them know someone is New Jersey has stolen their identity.

Credit monitoring services sound the alarm after the thief has obtained and used the customer’s credit information.

At LifeLock, they know all about how identity thieves work, and they employ a comprehensive variety of tools to stop them.

• Fraud alerts: Once the fraud alert is in place, the consumer is notified anytime their information is used to obtain new credit.
• Cutting off the types of mail thieves look for: LifeLock will work with marketing associations to take the customer’s name off their lists. No more junk mail, and no more pre-approved credit offers for thieves to steal.
• WalletLock™: Lost and stolen wallets are still the most common source of information for thieves. When it happens to LifeLock customers, Wallet Lock™ helps them cancel and replace all official documents, credit cards and checks before thieves can use them.
• TrueAddress™: A common ploy used by thieves is the diversion of mail to a new address. If an address change is ever submitted for a customer’s address, the customer will be notified immediately.
• eRecon™: Identity thieves buy, sell and trade their victims’ information on the Internet. eRecon monitors all known websites used for those transactions. If a customer’s name, birth date, address, SSN, driver’s license or account numbers are detected, the customer is immediately notified, and a customer service representative helps them cancel and replace documents and works with law enforcement to catch the criminals and close down the website.

LifeLock protection is comprehensive, complete and reliable. Credit monitoring is incomplete, ineffective and unreliable.

Visit LifeLock.com to learn more about their many innovative and exclusive identity theft protection tools. If you decide you’re ready for complete protection of your credit and your good name, enroll using the LifeLock promotional code Defense and get the lowest price available.