There are are a variety of sources that you can find that say that insurance doesn't work, but some people feel some peace of mind by having it, necessary or not.
Fair enough. But consider that when you are paying for a service, you should get your money's worth or it's nothing but a rip off. What do you really get for ID theft insurance? Granted the details vary by the service, but once you freeze your credit, what do you need the insurance for?
If you must pay for a service you don't need, at least pick one that's not tricking you out of your money. Do some research before pulling out the checkbook so-to-speak. As an example, take a close look at Lifelock and what they offer, and you'll quickly see it's not all it's cracked up to be.
Tags: Identity Theft, Lifelock
Jtag diagnostic: For best performance, put a 'no_image.gif' generic image for missing images in your root graphics folder I reported before about the large amount of bogus Lifelock review sites and blogs that are everywhere on the net and they just won't quit. I set up some web alerts to tell me whenever a new site or post is created mentioning Lifelock and that led me to this article:
First of all, it's highly insulting to our collective intelligence to suggest that Lifelock is actively pursuing the "cure" to ID theft just like it was insulting when OJ Simpson claimed to be actively looking for the "real" killer. The answer is already out there and they are either ignoring it on purpose or they are unaware of it. That makes them incompetent at best, and dishonest at worst.
But my feelings for Lifelock aside, the real issue here is that the company they name in the article is Melaleuca, an Amway-like direct sales company that has a fairly decent line of products that I buy from time to time. I have always liked their philosophy and assumed that they were one of those companies who was run by real people who actually care about the world, their customers or both.
I'd like to think that they just don't know anything about Lifelock which disappoints me in that they clearly didn't do their homework. Alternatively, perhaps they don't care and it's only the bottom line that counts. Either way, I'm not thrilled by this partnership and I'm sending Melaluca corporation an e-mail to that effect. I expect a similar response to all the other e-mails I've sent in the past, but at least I can hope for the best.
At least it will give me the chance to use the skills I've been reading about in one of my new favorite books: How to Complain for Fun and Profit.
Tags: Identity Theft, Lifelock, Utter Failure
Jtag diagnostic: For best performance, put a 'no_image.gif' generic image for missing images in your root graphics folder Most credit reporting companies have made it as difficult and cumbersome as possible to get a credit freeze because they desperately hope that by putting barriers in your way, they can discourage you from doing it (in my opinion). That said, Transunion has suddenly decided to offer FREE freezes to everyone, even people who live in a state that allow them to charge a fee. Not only that, but they are also allowing you to do it through an ONLINE system rather than a cumbersome certified mail system.
I'm so shocked I had to to confirm it and here it is:
There's no telling how long this will be the case so make sure you get it done now while you can.
Tags: Identity Theft
The Georgia law caps fees for freezing or unfreezing credit records at $3, lower than most states, and requires the service to be free for people over age 65. The law also requires credit bureaus to lift the freeze within 15 minutes when a customer makes a request to buy big-ticket items like cars and TVs using credit.
Not bad at all. The only way the terms could have been better is if the freezes were entirely free.
Tags: Identity Theft
I've written about Lifelock's morally dubious advertising techniques before, but this is certainly new. Lifelock has been accused of paying for sponsored links to their competitor NAMESAFE which, when clicked, take you not to NAME SAFE, but Lifelock.
I would be very surprised if this wasn't considered fraud and I'm interested to see what happens as a result.
Tags: Identity Theft, Lifelock
A commenter pointed out this checklist of tips for controlling your data and your privacy and I agree that it’s got some good advice so here’s the link. Most of all, I credit them for being one of the first articles I’ve found online about ID theft that actually mentions credit freezes (other than mine of course).
Tags: Identity Theft
This Thursday, I’ll be doing an interview on Techtips blog radio. You can listen or call in to talk with me about Identity Theft issues. Link here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/bc/TechTips/2008/06/05/How-to-avoid-becoming-an-ID-Theft-victim
Tags: Identity Theft, Radio
I have been challenging the value of Lifelock for a while based on the fact that they claim to prevent ID theft, but can't. It looks like several other people have come to that conclusion and are busy suing him for as much of his millions that they can get.
That's why I've decided to challenge Todd Davis directly The problem is that even with CNN, Wired, and Yahoo finally getting around to spreading the word, Lifelock is still going very strong.
Even though I've been chasing lifelock postings around on the net and posting comments letting people know the truth, I don't think my efforts are going to amount to much in the long-run.
That's why I've decided to challenge Todd Davis directly. He's obviously a showy type that feels comfortable challenging others so now it's time to turn the tables.
I've looked into Lifelock's features and found them useful, but far from worth the money spent. But with only one feature addition, that could all change. So let's get to it:
Dear Todd Davis,
You appear at first glance to be quite the swift talker. You've promised to prevent ID Theft, but for some reason, you ignore the one and only tool that can actually do that: credit freezes.
I don't know why, perhaps you didn't know about them. But leaving your motivations and ID Theft experience aside, you can and should include credit freezes into your service immediately. Not only would you actually be able to prevent ID theft as you originally claimed, but you'd be able to help your customers in a very real way.
If you were to include both the freezing and as-needed thawing of freezes into your service, even I will agree that Lifelock has value.
Sure, I won't recommend it to everyone I know and I won't use it myself, but I would be able to honestly recommend it to people who would otherwise never get or use a freeze if they didn't have your service's help.
So pay attention Mr. Davis: If you want to turn public opinion toward your company and prevent the inevitable tide of negativity that threatens to drown you, perhaps you should consider making good on your word and actually prevent identity theft.
Sincerely,
-Jeremy Duffy
Awareness Advocate
P.S. If you don't know what credit freezes are, click here.
So there you have it. What are the odds that he'll actually respond? We shall see…
Tags: Identity Theft, Lifelock, Todd Davis
Last year, credit reporting companies “voluntarily” implemented credit freezes in all states in a desperate attempt to prevent more states from passing laws with worse terms than they wanted (that’s my theory anyway).
Now Georgia has passed just such a law. Starting August 1st, people will be able to freeze their credit for only $3, a full $7 less than the $10 the credit reporting companies allowed in their “voluntary” plan.
Even better:
The new law also eliminates a major objection of retailers and other grantors of instant credit: that freezing a file was too much of a hassle for someone applying for an in-store credit card or car loan on the spot. Under the law, consumers will be able to “thaw” their files temporarily, and credit bureaus are required to comply within 15 minutes of the request — a first in the country.
Good. Now they have no excuse for making the thawing process more difficult for any other state.
Tags: Identity Theft
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