Comments on: Lifelock http://www.thegeekprofessor.com Making tech easy for everyone Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:53:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Financially Irresponsible http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/guides/identity-theft/lifelock/comment-page-1/#comment-5030 Financially Irresponsible Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:53:33 +0000 http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/?page_id=246#comment-5030 That's what I did! Sorta. I'm in debt up to my eyeballs with a little consumer debt and a mountain of uninsured medical expenses. If a thief were to steal my ID, I'd tell him, sorry sucker, it's your problem now. Why don't you go get us a secured credit card so we can start rebuilding our credit? That’s what I did! Sorta.
I’m in debt up to my eyeballs with a little consumer debt and a mountain of uninsured medical expenses. If a thief were to steal my ID, I’d tell him, sorry sucker, it’s your problem now. Why don’t you go get us a secured credit card so we can start rebuilding our credit?

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]]> By: Jeremy http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/guides/identity-theft/lifelock/comment-page-1/#comment-2047 Jeremy Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:33:45 +0000 http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/?page_id=246#comment-2047 I want to point out that after evaluating this service and trying it myself, I do actually endorse <a href=http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/rps/opt-out-detectives/ rel="nofollow">The Opt-Out Detectives</a>. You can manually remove yourself from all those data brokers yourself, but this one-time service (not a monthly plan) can help save you time. It's worth checking out. I want to point out that after evaluating this service and trying it myself, I do actually endorse The Opt-Out Detectives. You can manually remove yourself from all those data brokers yourself, but this one-time service (not a monthly plan) can help save you time. It’s worth checking out.

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]]> By: Thomas Ryan http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/guides/identity-theft/lifelock/comment-page-1/#comment-2046 Thomas Ryan Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:44:50 +0000 http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/?page_id=246#comment-2046 Jeremy, Keep fighting the good fight. As a Phoenix area resident, I am all too familiar with Lifelock and its disreputable CEO, and its business practices. I was actually hopeful that the $35 million fine the FTC gave them, it would be game over for them, but new investment has given them a short reprieve from the grim reaper. Ordinarily I would champion a company in my area, but Todd Davis' company deserves all of the bad press it has received. The company is a mess and employees would be wise to look elsewhere for employment, and customers to look elsewhere for ID theft protection (there are reputable competitors out there). It will be a brighter day when justice, however delay, is finally served and Lifelock closes its doors forever. -CT Jeremy,

Keep fighting the good fight. As a Phoenix area resident, I am all too familiar with Lifelock and its disreputable CEO, and its business practices. I was actually hopeful that the $35 million fine the FTC gave them, it would be game over for them, but new investment has given them a short reprieve from the grim reaper.

Ordinarily I would champion a company in my area, but Todd Davis’ company deserves all of the bad press it has received. The company is a mess and employees would be wise to look elsewhere for employment, and customers to look elsewhere for ID theft protection (there are reputable competitors out there).

It will be a brighter day when justice, however delay, is finally served and Lifelock closes its doors forever.

-CT

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]]> By: Zeke http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/guides/identity-theft/lifelock/comment-page-1/#comment-2045 Zeke Tue, 04 May 2010 15:53:42 +0000 http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/?page_id=246#comment-2045 Here's the updated Equifax Online Freeze link: https://www.freeze.equifax.com/Freeze/jsp/SFF_PersonalIDInfo.jsp Here’s the updated Equifax Online Freeze link:

https://www.freeze.equifax.com/Freeze/jsp/SFF_PersonalIDInfo.jsp

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]]> By: Jeremy http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/guides/identity-theft/lifelock/comment-page-1/#comment-2044 Jeremy Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:24:22 +0000 http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/?page_id=246#comment-2044 Based on what's written here: http://www.lifelock.com/about-us/about-lifelock/terms-and-conditions they claim not to. I have no other information to the contrary at this time. Based on what’s written here:

http://www.lifelock.com/about-us/about-lifelock/terms-and-conditions

they claim not to. I have no other information to the contrary at this time.

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]]> By: Roycematson http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/guides/identity-theft/lifelock/comment-page-1/#comment-2043 Roycematson Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:38:18 +0000 http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/?page_id=246#comment-2043 Ok so I was a little in left field with my last comment about Paul Harvey. But I have a new question Jeremy. Do they sell our personal information Like I heard? Ok so I was a little in left field with my last comment about Paul Harvey. But I have a new question Jeremy. Do they sell our personal information Like I heard?

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]]> By: Don’t Waste Money on ID Theft Protection « Spout! http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/guides/identity-theft/lifelock/comment-page-1/#comment-2042 Don’t Waste Money on ID Theft Protection « Spout! Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:50:59 +0000 http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/?page_id=246#comment-2042 [...] They prey on the uninformed to make a buck and that’s what ticks me off about them. Here is a link for more detailed information on how to better protect yourself for free. View This Pollpolls [...] [...] They prey on the uninformed to make a buck and that’s what ticks me off about them. Here is a link for more detailed information on how to better protect yourself for free. View This Pollpolls [...]

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]]> By: Jeremy http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/guides/identity-theft/lifelock/comment-page-1/#comment-2041 Jeremy Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:46:23 +0000 http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/?page_id=246#comment-2041 Yes absolutely get a freeze. They are cheap because they only charge when you lock them initially and then every time you need to get new credit (credit checks) which for most people isn't that often. It doesn't affect your score, you don't have to have a reason, you receive notification every time someone tries to get in, but they DO NOT see it. They can ONLY have access when you let them. There are types of ID theft that have nothing to do with credit and freezes won't help that as much. As for Opting in, I don't really know, but I wouldn't do it. You can just browse online for good offers, but you'll never get as good a deal as you would through a credit union (if you're part of one or can become part of one). Anyway, almost all these answers (and more) are on my credit freeze page here: http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/credit-freeze Yes absolutely get a freeze. They are cheap because they only charge when you lock them initially and then every time you need to get new credit (credit checks) which for most people isn’t that often. It doesn’t affect your score, you don’t have to have a reason, you receive notification every time someone tries to get in, but they DO NOT see it. They can ONLY have access when you let them. There are types of ID theft that have nothing to do with credit and freezes won’t help that as much. As for Opting in, I don’t really know, but I wouldn’t do it. You can just browse online for good offers, but you’ll never get as good a deal as you would through a credit union (if you’re part of one or can become part of one).

Anyway, almost all these answers (and more) are on my credit freeze page here: http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/credit-freeze

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]]> By: Carlos http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/guides/identity-theft/lifelock/comment-page-1/#comment-2040 Carlos Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:53:15 +0000 http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/?page_id=246#comment-2040 Thanks Jeremy. I knew from the jump that LifeLock did nothing but "automate" (if you can even call it that) a consistent request for fraud alerts on your credit. Honestly, for something that can be done on one creditor's site in a matter of 60 seconds, it's not worth $10/mo. All the rest is fluff; a gimmick. The FTC sent me a cool little pamphlet recently which outlined all of the steps that LifeLock takes on your (paid) behalf. They didn't expressly mention any of these pseudo-credit-protection companies by name, but they certainly explained everything you can do and emphasized how easy things are to handle yourself (such as opting out of pre-screened offers). Even though I knew most of what they were explaining, I was pleased to see a strong move toward spreading awareness of available DIY alternatives to these costly, and useless, services. This is a bit off topic, but it's the reason why I'm visiting your site today. Just yesterday while at Best Buy, my girlfriend and I were attempting to apply for their credit card. Normally (I assume) they would handle this at the desk, but during system down-times (or maybe high-loads), they send customers to a little computer to apply on their own. The computer is designed to navigate the Best Buy website and do some product research, but since it does have internet connectivity you can apply via their online application located on the site. So, the representative requested that my girlfriend apply for credit on the product search terminal, openly visible on the store-room floor. We proceeded to apply for the card, and just as she began filling out her information, a well-dressed couple walked passed and glanced at the screen. Me, being oblivious to what was going on, hadn't noticed them taking a peek. My girlfriend saw it, though, and told me to move to her right side to block their view. Within a split second the couple walked passed/behind me and began to engage me in conversation (keep in mind I just thought they were being friendly as they waited for the computer to free-up). He asked about my alma mater (I had on a sweater with the university name), congratulated me on my graduation, and proceeded to ask me: what I studied, what I was doing with my degree, if I lived near by, if I owned a home (which I didn't hear correctly, and answered incorrectly to the question I thought I heard; my girlfriend later informed me to this fact). Long story short, my girlfriend snapped after they walked off: "if my identity is stolen, you know the exact moment they got my information." My mind just flipped. Was I honestly the victim of social engineering? I doubted it, until I saw them casually exiting the store not even 2 minutes later. It hadn't occurred to me that he was attempting to keep my attention while his girlfriend was looking over *my* girlfriend's shoulder as she was filling out the credit application form. Of course, my girlfriend was kicking herself over the fact that she should/could have either (a) told them to leave while she was handling this business, or (b) not filled out anything while they were there. She said she was trying to cover the screen as best as she could, but, she was still quite paranoid. The important information was visible, her name, SS# and date of birth. It was just amazing how smooth and friendly these people were, and while we might be jumping to conclusions, the conversation was just so awkward after reflecting back on it, that they were surely up to something shady. We returned home and promptly placed the fraud alert on her credit via Experian's website, and then I did so as well (I've been wanting to anyway). I planned to renew the alerts every 90 days after they expire, but after reading your wonderful site, I'm wondering if a credit freeze is more appropriate. I have a few questions that are lingering that I was hoping you could answer.: 1.) I understand that it can cost roughly ~$10 to place a freeze on your credit through each agency, is this a one time fee? (This question might make more sense after reading #2) 2.) You mentioned that to "lift" the freeze, it would also cost roughly ~$10. How does lifting work? Does it lift forever, requiring another $30 to re-establish a freeze? Or, is the lift temporary? 3.) If it is temporary, how quickly can it be lifted (hours, days, weeks), and how do you allow a specific person to access it; or put another way: how does the credit bureau know who to let access the credit? 4.) Does placing a freeze on your credit negatively affect your credit score? 5.) Do I need a reason to place the freeze, such as recently being a victim, having a police report, or knowing for *certain* my information has been stolen? 6.) Do we receive any notification when an individual attempts to access our credit? If not, how do we really know if our data has been compromised? Does this simply keep you secure in the fact that they can't use it at will? I mean that's nice, but I'd like to know if people are applying for credit under my name/information. 7.) I understand that identity theft is almost exclusively committed for financial gain. However, if they were to sell the identity to say, an illegal immigrant, how would we find out that there is another individual living and using our social? They could be filing income taxes, etc. How would a credit freeze affect this matter? Logically, they'd realize they couldn't do much in terms of credit, but if they're content living without credit they could still hurt my reputation/cause me financial distress. 8.) Opting out of the pre-screened offers sounds nice, however I've received a few that were enticing. Is there a way to opt back in? I can't even recall the last offer I've actually pursued, but having the option available might be beneficial during hard times (like if God-forbid I needed to make a quick credit transfer to a new card at 0% and no fees that was offering 0% interest for X amount of months). I feel like I had a few more questions, but I can't think of them at the moment. If you'd be so kind, I'd love to get your feedback on the above questions, though. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks again for your work here, it's a positive message that I, too, try to spread to my family and friends. Thanks Jeremy. I knew from the jump that LifeLock did nothing but “automate” (if you can even call it that) a consistent request for fraud alerts on your credit. Honestly, for something that can be done on one creditor’s site in a matter of 60 seconds, it’s not worth $10/mo. All the rest is fluff; a gimmick. The FTC sent me a cool little pamphlet recently which outlined all of the steps that LifeLock takes on your (paid) behalf. They didn’t expressly mention any of these pseudo-credit-protection companies by name, but they certainly explained everything you can do and emphasized how easy things are to handle yourself (such as opting out of pre-screened offers). Even though I knew most of what they were explaining, I was pleased to see a strong move toward spreading awareness of available DIY alternatives to these costly, and useless, services.

This is a bit off topic, but it’s the reason why I’m visiting your site today. Just yesterday while at Best Buy, my girlfriend and I were attempting to apply for their credit card. Normally (I assume) they would handle this at the desk, but during system down-times (or maybe high-loads), they send customers to a little computer to apply on their own. The computer is designed to navigate the Best Buy website and do some product research, but since it does have internet connectivity you can apply via their online application located on the site. So, the representative requested that my girlfriend apply for credit on the product search terminal, openly visible on the store-room floor. We proceeded to apply for the card, and just as she began filling out her information, a well-dressed couple walked passed and glanced at the screen. Me, being oblivious to what was going on, hadn’t noticed them taking a peek. My girlfriend saw it, though, and told me to move to her right side to block their view. Within a split second the couple walked passed/behind me and began to engage me in conversation (keep in mind I just thought they were being friendly as they waited for the computer to free-up). He asked about my alma mater (I had on a sweater with the university name), congratulated me on my graduation, and proceeded to ask me: what I studied, what I was doing with my degree, if I lived near by, if I owned a home (which I didn’t hear correctly, and answered incorrectly to the question I thought I heard; my girlfriend later informed me to this fact). Long story short, my girlfriend snapped after they walked off: “if my identity is stolen, you know the exact moment they got my information.” My mind just flipped. Was I honestly the victim of social engineering? I doubted it, until I saw them casually exiting the store not even 2 minutes later. It hadn’t occurred to me that he was attempting to keep my attention while his girlfriend was looking over *my* girlfriend’s shoulder as she was filling out the credit application form. Of course, my girlfriend was kicking herself over the fact that she should/could have either (a) told them to leave while she was handling this business, or (b) not filled out anything while they were there. She said she was trying to cover the screen as best as she could, but, she was still quite paranoid. The important information was visible, her name, SS# and date of birth. It was just amazing how smooth and friendly these people were, and while we might be jumping to conclusions, the conversation was just so awkward after reflecting back on it, that they were surely up to something shady.

We returned home and promptly placed the fraud alert on her credit via Experian’s website, and then I did so as well (I’ve been wanting to anyway). I planned to renew the alerts every 90 days after they expire, but after reading your wonderful site, I’m wondering if a credit freeze is more appropriate.

I have a few questions that are lingering that I was hoping you could answer.:

1.) I understand that it can cost roughly ~$10 to place a freeze on your credit through each agency, is this a one time fee? (This question might make more sense after reading #2)

2.) You mentioned that to “lift” the freeze, it would also cost roughly ~$10. How does lifting work? Does it lift forever, requiring another $30 to re-establish a freeze? Or, is the lift temporary?

3.) If it is temporary, how quickly can it be lifted (hours, days, weeks), and how do you allow a specific person to access it; or put another way: how does the credit bureau know who to let access the credit?

4.) Does placing a freeze on your credit negatively affect your credit score?

5.) Do I need a reason to place the freeze, such as recently being a victim, having a police report, or knowing for *certain* my information has been stolen?

6.) Do we receive any notification when an individual attempts to access our credit? If not, how do we really know if our data has been compromised? Does this simply keep you secure in the fact that they can’t use it at will? I mean that’s nice, but I’d like to know if people are applying for credit under my name/information.

7.) I understand that identity theft is almost exclusively committed for financial gain. However, if they were to sell the identity to say, an illegal immigrant, how would we find out that there is another individual living and using our social? They could be filing income taxes, etc. How would a credit freeze affect this matter? Logically, they’d realize they couldn’t do much in terms of credit, but if they’re content living without credit they could still hurt my reputation/cause me financial distress.

8.) Opting out of the pre-screened offers sounds nice, however I’ve received a few that were enticing. Is there a way to opt back in? I can’t even recall the last offer I’ve actually pursued, but having the option available might be beneficial during hard times (like if God-forbid I needed to make a quick credit transfer to a new card at 0% and no fees that was offering 0% interest for X amount of months).

I feel like I had a few more questions, but I can’t think of them at the moment. If you’d be so kind, I’d love to get your feedback on the above questions, though. I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again for your work here, it’s a positive message that I, too, try to spread to my family and friends.

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]]> By: Jeremy http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/guides/identity-theft/lifelock/comment-page-1/#comment-2039 Jeremy Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:59:27 +0000 http://www.thegeekprofessor.com/?page_id=246#comment-2039 I would check with Arizona's department of labor to see if what they're doing is even legal. If not, you could file a complaint: http://www.ica.state.az.us/Divisions/labor/index.html I would check with Arizona’s department of labor to see if what they’re doing is even legal. If not, you could file a complaint:

http://www.ica.state.az.us/Divisions/labor/index.html

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