WE all have seen the commercial where the guy offers up his own social security number to would be ID thieves.  Well, they won.  In a story posted on Yahoo this morning, the CEO acknowledges 87 attepts on his social security and 1 guy getting away with it.  His excuse is that the company did not go through the 3 credit bereuas. 

His service is $10 a month even though you can do it for free.  Which is what I do!  I had my class ring stolen nearly 8 years ago and it had my social security number on the inside of it.  I cannot apply for credit in a store unless they call and talk to me at home first.  Yes, it is very frustrating as the case three years ago in a Best Buy when I was rejected since they had to call me at home and a failed attempt to get my wife to call them and tell them in a deep voice that she was me. 

I had to come back to the store the next day to buy the camera.  And, yes, everyone still laughs at me trying to get my wife to talk deep into the phone a real "king of queens" moment.  Which if I look like anyone famous that is who I look like. 

The service does not guard against other types of identity theft such as using your Social Security number on a job app or for medical services, or even an arrestee giving police a stolen Social Security number to protect their identity.  I can role out story after story about each of those examples, but the one that sticks out is the teacher being dismissed for prostitition in 5 other states beacuse of someone using her Social Security number on her arrest paperwork. 

How to protect yourself:

1. You can contact the 3 credit bereaus yourself and place yourself on a credit freeze

2. SHRED - with a good cross cut shredder, once you place your garbage on the street it is public domain

3. Go over your credit card bill everymonth very carefully

4. Destroy reciepts that you do not need anymore.  I had a friend that would be a garbage bag full of old papers to the camp every year to burn. 

Those are just some expamples of what you can do.  I am sure there are many more and we each have our own way of doing it.

Dave Woodson

Northwest Indiana's #1 Mortgage Consultant

 
Post is included in group: Porter County Indiana
Post is included in group: Indiana Real Estate Professionals

5 Comments on LifeLock ID Protection Fails

MAY
22
2008
152,384 Points 19 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router

You know, I wondered if that Lifelock thing worked?  I wrote a post about it some time ago, but never investigated much further?  Is it that the credit bureaus have to call you for new credit?  Maybe there should be some sort of code or something to open new accounts? 

I think the punishment should be right up there with rape and murder, maybe that would make folks think twice about stealing someones identity?

9:07am • #1
277,800 Points 3 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

It may be a great gimmick, but I always thought it was insane that the LifeLock guy announces his SSN.  I wonder how much hassle he now has to go through now that someone out of the 87 attempts successfully stole it.

9:26am • #2
155,460 Points Outside Blog

Brian - I agree with your 100%, just think if your child had their id stolen and used in a medical scam claim with someon who has AIDS.  That is very hard to get off of their records and very well could be on there for LIFE

9:28am • #3
223,220 Points 1 Featured Post Outside Blog

Great tips for identity security dave - thanks for sharing

Sincerely,

Grace

4:00pm • #4
MAY
27
2008

Good advice Dave,

I am in the business of credit restoration and I am currently working with 5 people right now that cant prove it has happened to them in the time of being a life lock customer but it is really close to it and they each have multiple things on their credit that were stolen. No matter who you use it can still happen so do it yourself and save some money.

3:18pm • #5

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Dave Woodson

Chesterton, IN

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Dave Woodson

Address: Portage``, IN, 46368

Office Phone: (219) 872-8000

Cell Phone: (219) 608-9790

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