A LifeLock Review – From a User:
Many years ago, I gave my first LifeLock review, as a real actual user. The LifeLock service has changed quite a bit since then, including getting purchased by identity and security giant Norton Symantec, and I have updated this LifeLock review as recently as early 2022.
Before signing up for LifeLock here (that link offers the best price I’ve ever seen with up to 25% off for the first year – terms apply), it’s important to understand what you’re paying for. There are many ways to protect yourself from identity theft that are free, but they do take some effort. In some ways these free identity protection measures can go above and beyond the paid services, such as LifeLock, that are out there. In other ways, they fall short, and in order to keep up with them, it takes more manual work on your part.
Let’s take a look at what LifeLock has to offer for $8.99 per month for its discounted “Standard” plan in addition to the pricier higher service “Advantage” and “Ultimate Plus” as noted below, and whether you can achieve the same results for free on your own in this LifeLock review. I’ll go through each LifeLock benefit claim and let you know if there are free alternatives.
Benefit Claim: LifeLock Identity Alert System, One-Bureau Credit Monitoring, & Identity Restoration Support
LifeLock Identity Alert System: “It’s the foundation for all LifeLock services. We send alerts through the patented LifeLock Identity Alert system by text, phone, or email and our Identity Restoration Specialists are there to help.”
One-Bureau Credit Monitoring: “We monitor key changes to your credit file at a leading credit bureau and alert you to help detect fraud.”
Identity Restoration Support: “If your identity is compromised, an Identity Restoration Specialist will personally handle your case and help restore your identity.”
Free Alternative? Partially. You can go to any of the 3 credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and request fraud alerts of varying lengths. You only have to do this with one bureau and they will notify the others. Here’s the link to Experian’s fraud alert. Also, Credit Karma offers free credit monitoring alerts. The value-add here is the “Identity Restoration Specialists” that can help if a problem is detected. Having someone to guide you through an issue, once detected, could be valuable.
Benefit Claim: Dark Web Monitoring
“Identity thieves can sell your personal information on hard-to-find dark websites and forums. LifeLock patrols the dark web and notifies you if we find your information.”
Free Alternative? No. I am not aware of a free alternative to this benefit. I do know that credit monitoring services will alert you if your information is improperly used (or attempted to be used) and maybe that is enough. I suppose it would also be helpful to know proactively if your information is out there on the “dark web”.
Benefit Claim: LifeLock Privacy Monitor™ Tool
“The Privacy Monitor tool provides reduced public exposure of your personal information to help you keep your private information private.”
Free Alternative? Partially. You can opt out of pre-approved credit card offers at optoutprescreen.com. Beyond that, it’s difficult to determine how far and to what extent the privacy monitoring benefit goes, given that it appears to be a proprietary technology.
Benefit Claim: Annual Credit Reports and Monitoring
The “Standard” and “Advantage” (Equifax) plans offer 1 credit bureau monitoring, while the “Ultimate Plus” (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) plan offers that from all 3 credit bureaus:
“The credit scores provided are VantageScore 3.0 credit scores based on data from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion respectively. Third parties use many different types of credit scores and are likely to use a different type of credit score to assess your creditworthiness.”
Free Alternative? Yes. You can do this on your own for free at annualcreditreport.com (scores) and Credit Karma (scores and reports). See my articles “Smart Planning will get you 3 Free Credit Reports Per Year” and “Credit Karma Now Offers Free Credit Report Access!” on how to take advantage of this.
Benefit Claim: Lost Wallet Protection
“A lost wallet can mean a lost identity. Call us if your wallet is lost or stolen and we’ll help cancel or replace credit cards, driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, insurance cards and more.”
Free Alternative? Partially. These all seem like things you can do on your own with a few phone calls (this would be a good time to recommend that you keep a list of everything in your wallet, along with service phone numbers). The benefit summary does say that LifeLock will cover “Up to $25,000 per Member Per Annum (Maximum of $500 for replacement of stolen cash” (Standard) in document replacement costs – which could be a nice benefit.
Benefit Claim: USPS Address Change Verification
“Identity thieves try to divert mail to get important financial information. LifeLock lets you know of changes in USPS address requests linked to your identity.”
Free Alternative? Yes. Address changes should show in your credit reports, and if you have credit monitoring, you should be alerted. Credit Karma is a good one for this. Additionally, you could set up USPS Informed Delivery.
Benefit Claim: Coverage for Lawyers and Experts
“If you become a victim of identity theft while a LifeLock member, we will provide the necessary lawyers and experts if needed to help resolve your case.
Reimbursement and Expense Compensation, each with limits of up to $25,000 for Standard, up to $100,000 for Advantage and up to $1 million for Ultimate Plus. And up to $1 million for coverage for lawyers and experts if needed, for all plans. Benefits provided by Master Policy issued by United Specialty Insurance Company, Inc. (State National Insurance Company, Inc. for NY State members). Policy terms, conditions and exclusions at: LifeLock.com/legal.”
This could include reimbursement for certain out-of-pocket costs and expenses in the following categories:
- Replacement of Documents
- Traveling Expenses
- Loss of Income
- Stolen Handbag, Purse, or Wallet
- Childcare and Elderly Care
- Travel Assistance
- Arrest Related Expenses
- Fraudulent Withdrawals
- Legal Costs
- Remediation Services Costs
- Case Management Services Costs
Free Alternative? No. It’s hard to determine how much this is all worth, but if this gives you some peace of mind, then it might be worth the cost.
Benefit Claim: Stolen Funds Reimbursement
“If you have money stolen due to identity theft, LifeLock will reimburse you dollar for dollar-up to $25,000, up to $100,000, or up to $1 million-based on the limits of your plan.”
Note: $25,000 is for the “Standard” plan, $100,000 is for the “Advantage” plan, and $1,000,000 is for the “Ultimate Plus” plan.
Free Alternative? Not that I am aware of.
Added LifeLock “Advantage” Plan Benefits Review:
The middle-tier “Advantage” plan ($22.99/month, before discount) adds the following benefits to the Standard plan benefits above.
- Identity Lock: TransUnion Credit File Lock and Payday Loan Lock: TransUnion typically charges $24.95/month alone for their credit “lock” service. Credit “freezes” are free (see my credit lock vs credit freeze article).
- Phone Takeover Monitoring: I’m not aware of another monitoring service here, but each phone service provider should have safeguards in place. If someone has taken over your phone number, reach out to your service provider ASAP.
- Bank Account & Credit Card Activity Alerts: banks and credit card issuers have all kinds of alerts in place. The key benefit here would be consolidating across multiple accounts.
- Alerts on Crimes in your Name: If you’ve committed a crime, you’re probably keenly aware of it. I think the value here would be if someone stole your identity and was then convicted of a crime. I’m not aware of another service that does this.
- Credit Reports and Scores (1 bureau – Equifax): you can do this for free as highlighted above.
- Up to $100,000 Stolen Funds Reimbursement and Personal Expense Compensation (vs $25,000 for Standard): increased perk not available elsewhere.
- Fictitious Identity Monitoring: credit reports should do this, to some extent, but you’ll have to actively monitor.
Added LifeLock “Ultimate Plus” Plan Benefits Review:
The top-tier “Ultimate Plus” plan ($34.99/month, before discount) adds the following benefits to the Standard plan benefits and the Advantage plan benefits above.
- Credit Reports and Scores (3 bureaus – Equifax, TransUnion, Experian): you can do this for free as highlighted above.
- 401(K) & Investment Account Activity Alerts: each broker is going to have their own alerts in place, the key here is consolidation.
- Up to $1,000,000 Stolen Funds Reimbursement and Personal Expense Compensation (vs $25,000 for Standard and $100,000 for Advantage): increased perk not available elsewhere.
- Checking & Savings Account Activity & Application Alerts: the application part could be valuable.
- Sex Offender Registry Reports: if your neighborhood doesn’t alert you first.
- Priority Live Member Support: skipping to the front of the line could be helpful, if you have an issue.
LifeLock Review Summary
As you can see, LifeLock offers a lot of stuff in 1 package. You can do some of what LifeLock does for free, with effort and discipline (to keep doing it periodically). And there are some benefits that you cannot get otherwise. LifeLock seems worth it if you have the attitude “well, I could do this stuff for free, but I don’t want the hassle, and I’ll probably forget, so I’ll just let someone else handle it for a small price”. You’re basically paying for organization, peace of mind, and to set it and forget it plus some other benefits you can’t get elsewhere (e.g. restoration specialists, reimbursement).
Is LifeLock a scam? No, it is not. In fact, LifeLock’s recent purchase by Norton Symantec proves and adds to its legitimacy.
Note: Signing up for LifeLock is low risk. If you decide to cancel, and are an annual member and request a refund within 60-days after being billed, you are entitled to a complete refund. Otherwise, you are eligible for a pro-rated refund on any unused months through the end of your term.
If you’re interested in LifeLock, you can get up to 25% off membership here.
LifeLock Review
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Price
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Features
Review Summary:
LifeLock has done quite a bit to improve its service offering over the years, and the Norton Symantec purchase adds to that. While there are many features that LifeLock offers that can be done for free, there are now a good number of features that cannot. Additionally, there is value in peace of mind and not having to worry about keeping up with everything on your own. With plans starting at $8.99 per month (with 25% off promo discount for the first year of service), there is not much to lose if you feel like you aren’t getting enough value to justify the price. You can cancel any time and get a full refund within the first 60 days.
Another great post, G.E! The Pre-approved credit junk mail tip alone made it worth the time to read. ;)
Lol. I agree.
I agree.
Although, I didn’t see anything in this article regarding VPN and public WIFI.
Hey Michael, it definitely cuts down on time wasted sifting through as well as it saves a few trees over your lifetime, I’m sure.
If you opt-out of pre-approved, will that keep you from getting offers from legit offers? I ask because a few years back, I got a really great offer from Wells Fargo in the mail. It was for a better mortgage rate than I had at the time. Just wondering.
I was redundant there. Legit offers.
If you opt out, you opt out of everything.
It’s not worth it. You can’t get into their system after you join. It’s too complicated for me. I spent 20 minutes and talked to 2 service reps before I was finally able to cancel it. If this is the best service, then I don’t need protection.
What do you mean you “cant get into their system after you join?”
I have updated some of my information and received an email from Lifelock instructing me to update my Premium account online. I have been unable to get into my account for three days. Calling Lifelock gets me nowhere. If I get through at all eventually every call ended in a dropped call. No one has tried to call me from Lifelock. If it isn’t fixed by the time my annual renewal comes up I guess I’ll cancel.
Save a few trees? Tree hugger! :) Good post, nice site. I will definitely be back to read more.
@ Trevor – all in good conscience, my friend.
@ Duane – The fraud alert feature that you can activate does make it so if someone attempts to create a new credit account with your SS #, you must first be contacted by phone – but you are correct, there’s a lot of theft out there that you sometimes cannot prevent.
Is this a credit alert fraud feature setup through life lock or somewhere else?
Excuse me…what does the 1st person mean when he said you cant get into the system after you join? Also, my son is active duty, has limited time and availability to watch over his stuff. Recently it looks like someone may have gotten info, we’re not sure and wont know til Monday. Should I sign him up now to protect him or wait..what should i do?
Now that I’m a subscriber G.E., I look forward to more postings with regards to identity theft. All the best.
I am really surprised that in the 21st century many people don’t really know what identity theft is. Rather, they get tiny clusters of information and piece it together to come up with something truly strange. Most of my 20 something friends don’t even know that they can obtain a free credit report at http://www.annualcreditreport.com or when they are denied for credit.
Great info!
“Ignatz Yablonski says:
July 15, 2014 at 10:06 pm
Actually, “would have” in this case is also incorrect. This is an instance of mixing up subjunctive and and conditional cases. The correct construction follows this format: “If I had known, then I would have acted.””
‘and and’? Also in your example: “If I had known, then I would have acted.”, ‘then’ is superfluous.
We know it’s difficult to take risk, but Life lock give us more security, good services and more about related life lock. Life Lock improve quality day by day they know they are responsible for our life so they give us good quality service and every day they improve security option to protect people life.
I had four checks stolen out of my checkbook way out of numerical order from my other checks and $4000 of fraudulent checks cashed, no notification whatsoever & after many many years of being with LifeLock they basically said too bad & turned their backs on me, they are worse than the criminals that steal your hard earned money! Do not waste your money this company is fraudulent in their claims!
I think your disdain is misdirected, to be honest.
The bank? Maybe they can look into it further and remedy with tracking details. Lifelock? No. They don’t have access to your checking account.
I am puzzled by your losses. You have 30 days after receiving your bank statement to notify your bank about the forged checks. Bank then gives you a temporary credit and charges back the bank that presented these instruments. In addition, your own bank is liable for not catching the forged signatures, However, you have no recourse if you negligently left your checkbook where the thief had access to it, your cleaning man for example, or a tradesman working in your home or place of business. I suspect that you did not act within the 30 day grace period.
raymond- good info on opt out detectives. i used them. i actually called them and asked to talk to one of the officers. i wasn’t sure on all the terms and ways to protect your identity but found them to know their stuff and anwsered my questions. i now agree anyone can protect themselves but they just made the paper process and weblinks easier to complete without worry it was being done right.
so, worth it?
i am one of those 20 something girls who doesnt know how to completely protect myself for free on my own because was never taught what my options were and how to find them. i think alot of people who are in their 20 somethings and take this opportunity to sign up for something such as lifelock are doing it because lifelock already claims to know how to go about it and they know the steps to take. i dont even know what i would look for if doing this by myself. now im not saying lifelock is a good idea im glad i didnt sign up for it. but now that i have not is there anyone out there who DOES know ALL the steps in doing it for themselves and how to get it done. im only 28 and i have been a victim twice and the first time i was only 9 mos old. in 1981 someone wrote a bad check to toys r us using my social security number to open a bank account and i was only born in 1981 im pretty sure i didnt write that check.
LifeLock left me in the lurch with my problem and I am now trying to fix it. The problem was LifeLock notified me that someone had opened an account with Wells Fargo using my SS#. After my having furnished them 27 pages to give them the information they required about me, as well as having to do the same with another company that would handle my problem and then having to do the same with Wells Fargo, LifeLock informed me my case was closed. Here I sit with my SS# floating around. The bank finally did inform me that someone had opened a business account with an ID# that was the same as my SS#, suggesting I notify the IRS and Social Security. Both said they would send me the forms which they haven’t done yet after several weeks. It now is my problem, not LifeLock’s or the bank’s. It has been a most frustrating experience. I am sad to learn that LifeLock did not carry this to it’s finish and I still have to fix my problem. I was first contacted by LifeLock six months ago, a long time to be dealing with this problem. I am 89 years old and need to get this taken care of. Is their service worth it?? They did inform me I had a problem and put a fraud alert with the three credit companies. The bank shares some of the blame. Why didn’t they immediately notify their customer that they had used an incorrect ID number. It would have been so simple to fix unless there is something we don’t know about this. Maybe LifeLock didn’t look deep enough.
I had a major problem $190,000 worth before Wells Fargo purchased Wachovia. I reported to the police and provided the name and phone number as well as the address. I received this information from Wachovia. Nothing was done. The local police said it was too large for them to tackle and would forward it to their detective. Numerous months went by with no action. If I would of known that would be the results, I would of gone to that person house myself. Sometimes you have to take the law in your own hands. I am very disappointed. To add insult to injury, Wachovia refused to pay for the Equifax that I have had for about ten years since that incident.
THe reason I am bringing this forward is that perhaps the best thing to do is to report it, but also do some of the work yourself. Keep in mind some of these police officers (not all) are afraid of getting involved.
say ‘would have’ not ‘would of’
geez laweeze
Or how about “wuddah?”
Could have
Actually, “would have” in this case is also incorrect. This is an instance of mixing up subjunctive and and conditional cases. The correct construction follows this format: “If I had known, then I would have acted.”
Seriously, people are looking for answers and you are acting as grammar king.
Jack, if your SSN has been compromised, contact the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), Social Security, 1 of the credit bureaus, and go to IRS.gov and print form 14039 to have a “flag” put on your tax return information. The form will provide the mailing address for submitting the necessary documents to the IRS. Or you can take the form in to an IRS office, hand it to a real person and they will mail it in for you. The IRS site has an entire page dedicated to ID theft, which is a sad commentary on our society today. Good luck and I hope this helps.
The key is the alerts.
I never got alerted when someone tried to use my name and ID when they were in an appartment complex, until I went and looked at my credit report years later.
Soooo… at least lifelock will alert me when something suspicious happens, then i can take the necessary steps needed.
lifeLock doesnt actually noti, the credit bereus notify.
Swanker,you couldn’t be more incorrect Lifelock DOES Alert by notification, if your SSN is connected with ANY NAME (even yours) and ANY ADDRESS that they can find in public records. The bureaus do not call people when a new address is reported; they simply added to the personal info they have on file for you and don’t give it a second glance. Get your facts straight!!!
Important to examine your bank statements for unauthorized checks or other type of debit. You have 30 days to do so. Your bank will take it from there. you do not need lifelock for this type of self help.
@Amber – I just highlighted all of the steps in this post – did you read it? =)
Thanks for the post. I was just considering signing up for the annual plan with a 10% discount, but now it looks pretty useless. I’ll spread the word not to sign up.
I have to say I know more than I would like to know about the world of Identity theft. To date though the most complete work on getting the word out on the epidemic possibilities of Identity theft is the book: The Silent Crime by Michael McCoy. A must read for anyone who knows the warnings of these posts and want to take responsible possitive steps to protecting themselves from all 5 areas of Identity theft!
So, for $120 bucks a year, I can have someone do all this mundane crap for me? What is so bad about this service? There is a lot of things I can do on my own for free or for much less money… however, what is wrong with paying someone else to do it so I can persue the things I am meant to do?
I don’t get the bashing of this company?
If you dont get it, it’s because you haven’t read the comments.
Nothing wrong with paying the fee provided you get the service. I would ask them what happens if you report unauthorized charges to an account based on forged checks, for example.
Two points: First my time is far too valuable to let ten dollars a month keep me from having this service.
Second: In August of 08 my wallet was stolen. I made one call to LifeLock which was followed up by a return call from them to notify me they had taken care of my credit cards etc: It worked for me and I’m a statisfied customer.
the comments i wanted or rather, was looking for, have in fact convinced me, not a 20something anymore lol, to get this service…. thanks
Here is what I know. Several years ago my identity was stolen and I when through a year of trying to recover. It was a mess. Five years ago I purchased lifelock and have not had anymore issues. You can say they are misleading, but all I know is the impact they’ve had on me and that is my identity has been totally protected since I’ve joined them. I have nothing to gain but to tell the truth….Miles in Illinois.
I have experienced Identity Theft twice… in both cases, they were inside jobs from the credit card company. The first time was a nightmare… and more hassle than one can imagine… had to go back to every credit card I ever had, even those that we “pac-maned” up by other banks… was advised to cancel bank accounts as well as savings accounts and open new ones… Our local police were great and helped with the process… and thank God, I kept monthly statements for years past. Knowing what it takes… I am signing up for Lifelock but am still keeping my documentation. Also make sure you read your statements and follow all charges…No more surprises please!
brilliant!!! great info!!!!!
Great article, I’m going to try to do this all on my own. I was wondering though, will adding a fraud alert through Experian have any negative affect on my credit report? Does it make it seem like you fear someone has already compromised your ID? I like the idea of proactively going in and having creditors confirm your identity before extending credit in my name, but only if it doesn’t make me look risky or anything.
I had my Identity stolen and Citibank was very helpful in sending me all of the required paper work to advise the three credit companies, to place a fraud alert on my credit file, and any other steps necessary to clean up the theft. But I find that I can no longer get credit. Even though I have never defaulted on credit and have always had a clean history, and i completely own my home outright, every time i apply for a credit card I’m denied. I finally was able to get at $2000 line of credit from the bank where I have a checking account (but was denied a credit increase.) I feel humiliated, frustrated, and I feel like all my years of doing things the right way was all for nothing. I’m 52 years old and feel as if I’m starting from scratch. Any advice out there?
Even with a fraud alert put on your file, you can still get credit. Contact one of the 3 companies and explain your situation. They’ll help you out. It will be extra steps involved when applying for credit it, but it’s not like you’re jumping through hoops our anything.
My house was recently broken into and in the process, mine and my 3 children’s social security cards where stolen as well as birth certificates. What can be done to protect my children from someone using there SS#s? I took the steps needed for myself, but not sure what to do for them.
get a safe you dope!
Our safe was broken into when we were robbed. Safes aren’t a guarantee. Don’t be such a jerk!
Don’t buy $20 safes at Walmart … duh …. And your banking institutions have better safes than you can buy. Why does this common sense seem like rocket science to so many people?
Banks are safe?’ Need to read “U.S. Big Banks – Culture of Crime” by Jeff Nielson.
That was a silly response.
Put the social security cards, the birth certificates and any information that can be stolen in your home, in a safe deposit box at your bank.
Lifelock like so many sponsors pay to have their protect endorsed by a Rush Limbaugh…this is how he makes money. It doesn’t mean he uses it (although he sez he does)..it just a sponsor paying big bucks to advertise. Don’t blame Rush, he’s got bills to pay too…
You are so right. No company seems to be doing a good job of protecting our data these days. How many times do we see stories about someone hacking into system and getting all of our email addresses, information, etc. Last thing I want to do is to give anyone my social security number!
Thanks for the tip on optoutprescreen.com!
Do not want your SS nr known? It already is, every body and their brother have it. You rent a house; landlords make a credit check. Accounts I established years ago, without SS nr, they now ask me for the number just to talk to me. Insurance, hospitals and clinics, Water Company, Power Company, ect. all have your number. They did credit checks too. And just think how many offices hold your numbers in their files, just ripe for an abusive boy friend to say, “Get me some account numbers or you do not love me….” And how do you know that somebody next door is not recording your cell phone and cordless phone calls for numbers you might give to your bank when you call? And then there is the US Government, with access to everything, and millions of employees, some of which you some times in the paper when they finally are caught. No Virginia, there is no Santa Claus.
NO ONE except the government, insurance companies and financial institutions can demand them from you anymore. Even utility companies can’t. I refuse to give it out to hospitals, doctors offices, etc as they do not have to have it. They know it and never insist on it. It is a hassle to jump through several of the hoops required to not hand it out to the utility companies, as they made me come in person to show several other proofs of identity, but I did it as I do not need that important number floating around in any more hackable databases than necessary. I NEVER EVER hand out my kids SSNs. They are not needed for anything, but taxes and to be put on our insurances.
Also, any of the reports you are talking about NEVER have the full number printed on them. I have purchased 3 homes in the last 6 years and rented two others. Our numbers were never printed for anyone to see. The last 4 numbers, yes, the whole number, no.
Here are three things that will guarantee that your information is already out there. Computer, smart phone, bank card. They now have a virus that they can send to your email you don’t even have to open email because your computer is already infected. Smartphones have apps now where they don’t even have to touch your phone. It’s remotely done with wireless WiFi and Bluetooth. The reason for aluminum wallets? For the apps created to steal all info off any magnetic strip in your wallet. And they don’t even have to bump you.
If a landlord asked for my social security number, I tell him I won’t give it out; then they usually back down. Every form at the doctor I fill out has a spot for SSN; I always leave it blank. That’s one reason I don’t sign up for the free credit checks, I don’t give out my SSN.
Thanks for all the good input. It may be a great service, but a lot of folks are insurance poor, and the security may not be worth the risk. (One mans’ humble opin.) :)
Excellent post and website in general. Thank you very much for your tips.
Thanks for these helpful tips. Still don’t know about Lifelock but I put several of these security protections in place. A couple of things though: I used the http://www.annualcreditreport.com website and chose the Equifax report. I don’t know if it is specific to them or not but wanted to print my report and leave the site and it wouldn’t let me. There was a choice of Yes or No as to whether I wanted to “print and run” or set up and account to review for 30 days. I kept trying to use the NO button but it wouldn’t accept it. Thinking it might be my computer I tried to move around the page to fill in the info for the 30 part and it was working fine. When I went back up to the Y/N it still wouldn’t accept the no. Then it just went off highlight and wouldn’t even let me get to that question again. That was problem number one. The second was that he site asks us to use the RETURN TO ANNUALREPORT.COM when we are done, but it wouldn’t let me do that either. It kept asking me if I was sure I wanted to return and when I used the button it indicated it just stayed on that page that wanted me to set up the account. Annoyingly, it also kept using the EXCLAMATION point on every page to indicate I had to PAY for an actual score. I had the same problem when my husband did his report with Equifax right after me. My info was correct so I didn’t feel strongly about the need for a copy but if I have to pay for my husband and I for a score each time I use this I think I would prefer the better report and presentation I get from MYFICO.com. Otherwise this was a very helpful aricle and good research.
I appreciated the article. As I read I took a moment to add the fraud alert and to opt out. My question concerns losing a driver’s license: I just realized I lost mine 3 days ago. I’m going to the DMV first thing in the morning. Other than issuing a fraud alert what else should I do to prevent identity theft from someone potentially using my license?
You can’t, no company out there can prevent someone from stealing your identity.
Hi G.E. Miller, I was ready to start all this on my own, fisrt by going to the experian site, but, when I was ready to fill the form, as usual, an insecurity thought came to my head, so I rather ask you (which it might be a stupid question, although the only stupid question is the one has never been asked), is it sage going through this sites filling all your vital information?
Thanks man, I appreciate how someone helps the needy ones.
I have a problem that I have not seen written about, yet. My 38 year-old daughter keeps opening accounts with TV, cell phones, CC
s, etc., over the phone. They only want my name, birthdate, and SS#, and they open the account. Sometimes, it takes years before I find out, at which point my only options are to either pay the bill, or put her in jail. (which I’d love to do, but…) I want to know it putting a credit alert on my SS#, and/or doing Life Lock will protect my SS# from these kinds of situations? In this day of cyber-hell/identity theft, I would think this would be a major problem with family members. Any comments
I got LifeLock because of its advertising in NRA magazines (and maybe AARP). But it is charging my credit card $18 per month for their most basic protection level! I found Bargaineering.com website because AAA is now offering ProtectMyID FREE WITH AAA MEMBERSHIP (YOU MUST ENROLL IN ProtectMyID Essential IN ORDER TO RECEIVE BENEFITS). Or PROVIDES EXTRA SURVEILLANCE THROUGHOUT YOUR DAILY LIFE FOR $6.95/MONTH (56% DISCOUNT FOR AAA MEMBERS) to monitor the other two credit bureaus. Does anyone need this? Does anyone need AAA or any other insurance? I’ve found AAA worthwhile. After the reviews on this Bargaineering and this 20SomethingFinance.com website, I’ve decided to cancel my LifeLock and get the free version of ProtectMyId, since I am gonna keep AAA. I will try OptOutDetectives.com too, after reading the comments on this website.
I just contacted AAA to enroll in ProtectMyID and the rep told me that it is availble if I buy the insurance otherwise I can get a discount at Lifelock. I am a AAA member.
G.E. Miller, Great job! Very succinct and helpful. I remember seeing the first Life Lock commercial with the CEO’s SSN# on the side of the bus. That certainly grabs your attention. I then reviewed not just the claims and advertisements but the fine print as well. That’s where I was quickly turned off. I recall there being so many loop holes in what is covered and the limitations of any expense incurred by them under the Million dollar protection that is seemed to me they could do very little and legally be ok with that. I feel I’m really purchasing is insurance for repair services. Attaching so many limitations is a red flag. This in no way makes it a scam but the potential is certainly there.
Having just received a discount offer through an NRA mailing I thought I’d research it now that it’s been out awhile and ran across your article and numerous others. Seeing the lawsuits mostly revolving around my original concern I have decided to continue taking my own precautions regarding ID theft.
As you and other reviewers have pointed out, it may very well be a value if you wouldn’t otherwise do it yourself. Don’t want to make your bed or do the dishes? Hire a maid. Don’t want to mow the lawn hire out for that too. Protect my identity? Ok I’ll spare some time.
Only in America!!!!! I have been in this country for 7 years and my experience opened my eyes. When I make payment with my purchase of goods or service with my credit, no one would check my signature (why sign??), rarely someone would ask for my ID. I wrote a company check to settle payment with another company, the check was lost in the mail and some other company deposited it. It means my bank release the fund to a company that is not on the check. I could deposit a check which was wrote to my mom into my bank account!!! No questions asked!!!!I went to court to fight for a traffic ticket, the court attendant didn’t even check my ID!!!! I could have sent a friend so I could save a day!!!!!!!! Amazing!!! I traveled around the world and these only happen in third world country. If everyone is serious about their job and be more professional, a lot of these problem could have avoided.
Angel —
Well said! Best comment I have seen on this whole thing!
During the Christmas Holidays 2012, my apartment was burglarized by tenants living in the building who got my keys from the maintenance man. The thieves took my dead mother’s and dead grandmother’s jewelry, personal things of mine, and information. The police did nothing- not even to interrogate the people responsible for this. They live on the 2nd floor (including the maintenance man and his wife). I suffer with those responsible for the burglary smirking at me daily as I go in and out. However, one officer did mention that I should subscribe to LifeLock. My question, after reading the comments, is what can LifeLock do for me since the burglary and Id Theft has already occurred.Protection for the future, perhaps, but anything retro?
(Or is the Landlord responsible for compensation?)I want to try
LifeLock. I am just not sure of what they can do in my situation.
I too am one of those ready to be victimized. But first I would like to address those who criticize the original article (James, 4/3/13) for “railing against a company”, etc: The O.P. did NOT rail against anything, in fact, he states repeatedly that they do for you what you must SPEND TIME doing for free. And, he said you need to figure out for yourself if it’s worth it to you. Like an ADULT, you know?
Of course they should get paid. And the people filing suit against Lifelock have no valid complaint if they did as most do: not spend the TIME and mental effort, to read ALL the “Terms and Conditions” to discover what they’re purchasing.
Meanwhile the … people? … at the IRS just mailed me a letter, business sized so folded in thirds, in a cellophane envelope so that they can “save taxpayer money” (and expend less personal energy, ya think?) from typing on an envelope too.
so, those … people? … whom I now have livid hatred for, also typed my full SSN in the top third of their letter. I am done for now.
To Dee (6/6/13), with your upstairs neighbors, you are trapped unless you move. If I were you, I would have never said a word to anyone, and just move or murder the offenders. I really mean that. Those are really your only two choices, and in both cases, you should have never complained to even one person.
Same for Debbie (2/12/13) with the daughter-that-needs-to-be-dead: IT is a dangerous predator, and you know IT has other victims, and you released IT upon this world.
Something comes to mind about Civic responsibility and taking out the trash.
As for me, God has kept me from finding those who victimize me, and so, like many, I just eat it and smile!
To: NoJustice, thank you.
Equifax locks your identity so that any time someone tries to open an account with your identity, they are disallowed and you are contacted to verify. Expensive – $20/month.
Thanks for the post. Was getting ready to sign up for LifeLock as our home was broken into today along with several others in the neighborhood. No valuables stolen but drugs were taken and possibly identity information. Canceling credit cards, bank accounts, etc., was easy as you indicate. Got the alert set up on Experian and opted out of the offers. And in case anyone is considering an alarm to prevent this, one of the houses that was broken into had an alarm, it went off, the thief went in anyway and was out and gone before the police had a chance to get there. Get to spend tomorrow changing locks and securing things even more than they are now. Again, thanks for a great post.
Investing in a number of carefully placed disguised day and night vision video cameras and a video recorder for them (and of course a back-up power supply for them) is worthwhile.
THIS ARTICLE (and comments) IS 6-SIX-YEARS OLD. I can’t see what was supposedly updated as the info I read still wasn’t current.
Please understand that as the issues/problems with LifeLock that are complained about it 2008 have actually been addressed or made more clear in writing. They specifically say that they DO pay for document replacement and fees, even days off of work to get them filed, etc.
That said, I agree with the several people who have said even though this can be done for free (and lots of time) they just want the peace of mind that someone else is ALSO looking out for them.
RE: SSNs… NO ONE except the government, insurance companies and financial institutions can demand them from you anymore. Even utility companies can’t. I refuse to give it out to hospitals, doctors offices, etc as they do not have to have it. They know it and never insist on it. It is a hassle to jump through several of the hoops required to not hand it out to the utility companies, as they made me come in person to show several other proofs of identity, but I did it as I do not need that important number floating around in any more hackable databases than necessary. I NEVER EVER hand out my kids SSNs. They are not needed for anything, but taxes and to be put on our insurances.
I have 5 in-laws whose SSNs were stolen from their bank and it took close to 10 years for them to get everything taken care of. If I can save myself from that, I will sign up for several companies.
I had my debit card # stolen TWICE this Dec (2013) and my Citibank # was used just two days ago. I have not yet signed up for LifeLock, as I am still researching and several of our insurance companies are offering similar services, but as it seems like I am so very close to having a large identity breach, I am on the hunt for the best protection service/s out there.
How would you know on your own if someone at any time uses your SS# at random to open a credit card? How would you receive this alert on your own? Do you just keep locking down your 3 agencies every 90 days?
Within the last 3 weeks, my one credit card was fraudulently misused which I was fortunate enough that the cc company called me regarding the purchases. They cancelled that account and reopened (of course they want my business) . Then I received a letter from the IRS that my info was in the recent breach – all my info. Now I am quite upset that the government an agency supposedly with high regards to protect identity theft allowed this to happen. Who am I kidding? So I am researching LifeLock although I always have monitored my credit report for the free annual report and I have placed a fraud alert on my accounts. So I am not quite sure if LifeLock is worth it?
We have LifeLock and maybe it is not for everyone, but they do one thing that we have found very useful and comforting. Whenever a new credit account is opened in your name, or a credit inquiry is performed, they notify you immediately (within hours and sometimes minutes) on your cell phone. In our case, the new accounts and inquiries have always been legitimate. If they are not legitimate, LifeLock will help you lock down your credit immediately and notify the applicable creditor that it is not you seeking the credit.
Good article, it prompted me to make my own research and here is some more information that could be useful. a) A security freeze has to be placed in all three credit bureaus separately. They DON’T share the information, according to Experian as of 05/20/2014.
b) The fees differ per state, but for Florida residents its $10 to place a freeze (with Experian only) and $10 to temporarily or permanently lift the freeze.
c) It doesn’t say anywhere in Experian’s webpage if a security freeze will automatically expire after certain period of time.
d) Its free if you are a victim as states in this article or if you are 65 or older.
I put a freeze on the three credit agencies a few years ago. I’m in NH and it cost $10 each for life. They then each sent me a package with special unlocking passwords. It seems to work great. Even my own bank (TD Bank) could not get my credit reports when I was trying to get an equity loan. Also, I told an independent broker that I had a freeze, and he said just give him my SSN and he was sure he could get my credit – well, he couldn’t. Now my local phone company can’t even switch my phone account because they said my credit was frozen. So, in the cases of the banks, they each requested I unfreeze one given agency for two weeks, which I did for $10 each time, and it was quick and easy. For the phone company, I had to tell them I refused to give an SSN, and then scan and send two proofs of ID, which I did and they are still working on it. So, it sounds like a pain, but I don’t generally need new credit, and if it is a pain for me, then it is going to be a bigger pain for the thief. So, I kind of enjoy the trouble, and I can sleep better at night.
Very nice article, but it seems to me that the freeze is a more certain way to go. You could complement that with alerts from each credit card, which I generally do, but now I think I should take a close look at that too. Same goes for the bank accounts.
Today is June 28, 2017. Equifax only allows you to put two 90-day flags on your credit file with them. For longer lengths of time you need to send them a police report. They say they also share all flags with the other 2 credit reporting agencies. Experian now has its own version of identity theft protection similar to Lifelock and it costs about $20./month.
Six years ago someone took my dog. Last week I signed up for ‘Lifelock.’ and WHAM, yesterday Lifelock got my dog back for me. Thanks again Lifelock!
Worth it for sure if you have something to lose!!!
I have had my identity stolen and i can tell you it sucks.
I think it’s worth it for the Basic package. I had my identity stolen when someone claimed my tax return. I’m not good at keeping up with credit reports and checking things manually so the price of the basic plan is not that expensive.
Looks like you tried to conduct an objective review. Well done, and very refreshing.
I just got two things to say. the fact is, somebody like Discover card that gives you a free FICO score should also as a benefit offer identity theft. But then again any of the credit agencies should give you the same benefits and notify you when your credit is being used. I recommend everybody get their credit report frozen and then if you ever need anything I’m freeze it.
Great article G.E.! Thanks for saving me the time of having to research all this myself!
Was wondering if G.E. (or anyone else following his blog) have looked into the service offered by an outfit called Consumer Information Bureau. They claim to offer services akin to Life Lock but for a one-time fee instead of monthly fee. Any information you would care to share would be appreciated.
I am attempting to go through a rent to own program, but then they wanted all of my personal information. I was also told that it is a requirement of The Rent to Own programs that I had to register for the basic Life Lock plan or they could not help me. Does anyone know if making life lock membreship mandatory legitimate? Their response when I questoned them about this, they said that they had to know that the ‘the money was there’. I was a homeowner for 20 years, and no one verified the money in this fashion.
Eaton, Not sure what Rent to Own agency your working with but it would make sense they need to run a credit check on you. Mandating a Lifelock membership sounds totally bogus! Apart from being a total waste of cash in my opinion what possible reason would this agency have for this requirement? I smell commission.
has anyone out there who has had their identity stolen while covered under lifelock plan and had life lock spend a substantial amount of money to hire lawyers, detectives etc to clear your name
I think if $10 a month is just an inconsequential amount to you, then Lifelock is a decent investment. I mean if you’re making a $1 million+ a year, why not? But if you’re living on a budget like most people, I’d say just play it safe and use the free resources available – identity theft isn’t really THAT big of a threat, especially if you aren’t foolish when you use a computer.
You might be unpleasantly surprised then. This can happen without anything that you personally do. For instance, my work had an incident where everyone at the company had their W2 information sent out to an Identity thief, just because he posed as a company executive in an email. Sounds ridiculous, but it happened to ME, with complete disregard to my diligence. So, here I am trying to figure out how to protect myself for Identity theft, for no fault of my own. For reference, I have a credit score of 830, and worked very hard to get it there…don’t want to lose it due to naivety.
Hi G.E.,
Great post! I am a Lifelock member. Is it safe to provide Lifelock with my bank account number?
Thanks,
Chris
Haven’t tried Lifelock before but given these cool features for security, I think I might give it a try sometime.
in Michigan, each bureau charges $10 for *each* action per bureau! I may as well pay for lifelock.
I am wondering whether hackers will try to hack Lifelock. Then where would we be?
ineedonemillondollars
Excellent article! Glad I found this. Thank you for taking the time to research and share!
I have got some pretty werid phone calls saying i owe something but i don’t they had all my personal info i didn’t give them anything over the phone says i got a warrant out for me and call this number to clear everything up and we don’t take checks so i called lifelock and they helped me out told me my info was on the black market so they said to change all my passwords been a member for a month and give it two thumbs up so far
Problem is that those who have medicare as insurance have to put their medicare number at doctord and hospitals and keep it on file at lab services. And medicare numbers are your social security number with a suffix added. Anyone know how to get around this? And what company can you use to check if fraud happened or will happen on bank accounts? Like if someone stole my checkbooks or to see if my account was defrauded in the recent bank scandals. And for those with false reassurance there was a hacking of ssd about 8 yrs ago.
Even though some of the services offered by LifeLock can be done on your own for free, I feel that having a service that takes care of credit monitoring, fund reimbursment, and hires lawyers to get your stolen identy out of the wrong hands for you, gives you peace of mind. My mother has LifeLoc service through her bank, and she says that she would rather have that protection, than trying to protect herself on her own. I haven’t had experience with having credit cards or anything like that stolen, but my google account and my Apple ID was hacked into at one time. I had to constantly change my passwords to protect myself. I wonder if LifeLock has thought of providing a service to protect you from computer hackers.
I’m very confused by this whole topic. So you’re worried about your identity being compromised, and you don’t want your personal, financial information to get all over the Internet. So to combat that problem you sign up for a service, that you pay upwards of $200 per year for, where you personally take your most secretive and hopefully, your most protected information and hand it over to some unknown, third party company named LifeLock. And then, to make matters worse to supposedly get the most of this monitoring service you also give them all of your bank account, and credit card numbers too, so they can “monitor” the activity on these accounts. Who knows who’s working for this company and what their actual security policies are, or how they go about hiring people. I don’t know anything about their operation but no matter what, even if they can be trusted to do what they say, and have protections in place to prevent unscrupulous people from being hired and gaining access to All your personal financial information, your still allowing the possibility of your information being accessed by both internal employees of Lifelock, as well as thousands of hackers, using a whole host of hacking tools to attack vulnerabilities in all communications, and technology systems to gain access to the database of this company, because they know what kind of data it contains, and Lifelock continually challenges them to attack their systems by playing their insane commercial thousands of times a day. Given that the founder of Lifelock was hacked repeatedly in the early days when he used his personal SSN in the company’s commercials, it only seems to make sense that the company would continue to be a common target for all hackers looking to earn a name, and huge money in dark web circles. Please tell me how signing up for Lifelock makes sense, and what they do that mitigates the risk that I’ve mentioned.
From this conversation alone, you can see the amount of frustration we face these days. The thieves have been given more rights than responsible, law-abiding citizens.. We need tougher laws to enforce our rights and our safety. Lifelock, banks, and other financial institutions cannot protect you. Over a one year period of living in Miami, i had my credit cards stolen three times and a passport stolen from my condo as the realtor was showing it. Fraud alerts have been filed with every credit reporting bureau. Keep in mind, it may take DAYS for the credit agency to answer your call for credit verification (no set telephone number or easy method established). Now I pay cash for nearly everything and check my credit reports annually. If the common low-life criminal would get 10 years in prison for a minor offense, crime would drop (i.e. Singapore).
Will Lifelock cover and protect credit cards, bank accounts and identity theft outside the US (e.g. the UK)?
I’m almost 60 years old and have two bank accounts and about 10 credit cards. I have no problem checking all of these accounts at least once a month for errors or theft. If you have 20 or 30 accounts and cards Lifelock may be an option but a fulltime account would probably be more beneficial in many more ways and they’ll do your taxes!
Would you say Costco’s plan is pretty similar to Lifelocks – on the surface it looks about the same – I believe they are just selling experian
So here is my LifeLock experience so far. I signed up with a discount through the company I work for. Good deal! My wife and I have been notified a few times about security beaches at companies that I may or may not have had dealings with in the past. Ok, that’s fine. Recently, I bought a new computer and decided I wanted to use Norton to protect it and went back to LifeLock to see what they had to offer. I talked with an agent who signed me up for Norton and VPN. They told me I needed to sign up for separate accounts and change from the basic service to Advantage. Why was never explained. I was billed for 2 accounts plus Norton and never a word about the VPN program. That was after talking to 2 different agents before being transferred over to another agent for cancellations because Norton plus LifeLock offered a better deal than LifeLock plus Norton. (This all took over 2 1/2 hours.)I have been billed close to $400 for a years Advantage plus Norton without VPN. Today I received and email for me to add my wife to my account for $191.99 per year for LifeLock, which is a far better deal than the almost $400 bucks I will be currently paying. So, tomorrow, I now have to call LifeLock to ask why this offer wasn’t offered to me up front and can you please change my plan to this. If not, I will just ask for a full refund and request the basic service I had through my company and then go to Norton for just Norton and VPN.
There is ways to help yourself and that is by monitoring on the computer your credit card statements also I am a very satisfied Life Lock with Norton protection which cost 34.99 a month I moved they phoned me I got a new credit card they informed me to confirm it was me so they are very good at the job and when I have to call I get someone right away so that also helped. Another thing, I got notice about the dark web thing for an old email even that I haven’t used for over 10 years so they are very good and its worth peace of mind. Also the free credit score and report are not updated that much and the sites try to get you to pay for it. I feel that its worth it and I am glad to have it with the crazy world we are living in and data breaches happening every day.