So, you are concerned with identity theft, but how do you choose the right company? Afterall, there are many choose from these days, right? LifeLock is no longer the only game in town…with new identity theft service companies emerging such as Identity Guard, Trusted ID and ProtectMyID. Lifelock continues to be a leader in the identity theft service industry and is still a great choice. However, there are other choices that are good too. Have a look at the identity theft comparison chart to compare the more popular identity theft services available.
Currently, Identity Guard is currently our number one choice with the following deal it is a no brainer.
- Free 30-day trial; $14.99/mo (after our limited time discount)
- Monitors 3-bureau credit report, credit cards, public records, Social Security number, applications, Internet security
- $1,000,000 insurance
- All 3 bureau credit scores and a public record report each quarter ZoneAlarm Internet security suite; anti-keylogging software
Overall, Identity Guard offers the most complete ID theft protection service; full credit report monitoring; free Internet security suite; 18% discount & free 30-day trial.
Believe it or not, some people naively think that crooks would find it difficult to steal their identity. Sure, you may be doing your best to protect yourself from these criminals but, unless you aren’t doing any business transactions, monetary or no, you are definitely not completely safe from identity theft.
Think about it. With the technology today, crooks do not need to steal your wallet just to get the information that they need. Some call you on the phone pretending to be in some company. Others can send you an e-mail or messages in social network sites offering something where you need to provide them with banking statements and so much more. Some people can just hack your accounts. What you need is something more pro-active, something that can take the necessary action if your identity has been stolen, indeed. That something is LifeLock. This identity protection service is one of the best in the business. Here are some of the reasons why:
Wide Range of Monitoring
This is one of the major things why people go to LifeLock for help. If other companies monitor only credit transactions, LifeLock takes it all to the next level. They check out utilities, bank statements, mortgage and car loans, wireless services and so much more. If your name, address or other digits (like social security number) comes up, they will make sure nothing happens to your identity.
Scanning the Net for Threats
The company knows how hard it is to regain back what you’ve lost. With LifeLock, you definitely can, but imagine all the things that you have to go through to be able to do that. LifeLock is more proactive. They already scan the net for possible threats and deal with that so you need not be troubled at all.
For Individuals, Families and Businesses
Most identity protection companies provide services to individuals. Others include the whole family. LifeLock, for instance, has offers for children. However, one thing that other companies do not have that LifeLock does is fortification for businesses. Imagine your company getting breached and all the files left open for any criminals’ eyes to see. How many people’s identities will be stolen then? With this company, you have nothing to worry about.
Rapid Response to Theft
LifeLock’s customer service department is located in Tempe, Arizona. They have a 24 hour customer service who will deal with all your troubles and problems 7 days a week.
When you think about it, $10 a month isn’t much when you are safeguarding hundreds or thousands of dollars in your bank account. It isn’t much when you are protecting yourself and your family from dangers and unlawful activities. If you sign up for the whole year, you can get LifeLock on your side for only $99. If you are persistent enough, you will find discounted promos.
There is also LifeLock for children. It may sound completely far-fetched but children are sometimes victims of identity theft as well. When you reflect on it, you will realize that it is easier after all to take advantage of them. LifeLock’s protection offer for their younger clients costs $25 a month. Again, always be on the lookout for the best deals. You do not want to be one of the 10 million people who are annual victims of identity theft. Go ahead and enroll as soon as you can.
There is no doubt that identity fraud is on the rise. Just as crime prevention organizations begin identifying the most recent scams, newer fraud techniques are developed. According to a report made by Equifax, Cifas (a UK fraud prevention agency), indicated that there was an increase in identity fraud by 32% in 2009. The best way in stopping identity fraud is to prevent it before it even begins; however, if you find yourself victimized, there are steps that you can take.
Upon discovering the fraud, it is important to immediately contact your local police department, credit and banking account companies, the social security office, and credit reporting agencies. Under the Consumer Credit Act of 1974, you are not liable for debts incurred by a fraudster, if you have acted honestly and have used reasonable care.
After informing the credit reporting agencies, a block will be placed by all reporting agencies to provide further protection. You should always check over all reports and notify the agencies of any suspicious or inaccurate information and activity.
Other steps you should take would be to keep a record of all personal transactions you make. Also, if you haven’t already begun shredding personal documents, letters, and other sources of information, it is never too late to begin. If you cannot afford a shredder, be sure to at least tear, burn, or destroy them. This will help to stop fraudsters in their tracks as they find a lot of information by digging through discarded trash and papers.
Finally, use extreme caution when giving out personal information online. The internet has become a huge arena for professional con artists and thieves who look for vulnerable people to scam and steal from. Phishing is a very common way for identity thieves to capture and steal your information. Never give out any personal information on websites or links that you are not familiar with or do not trust. Lastly, using an identity theft service company, such as Lifelock, can be the best solution in stopping identity fraud.
Recently, Todd Davis, the CEO of LifeLock announced an upcoming release of new technology to fight fraud in real time, thus offering even better identity theft protection. According to Mr. Davis, this new technology will provide better and broader protection to their clients. It will include doing deep forensic analysis of the entire credit network, by monitoring millions of data sources, including retailers, banks, mortgage lenders, utilities and auto lenders. Additionally, this is considerably more than the credit bureaus monitor. This new system will replace fraud alerts, while they will continue to offer their suite of identity theft protection services including WalletLock, eRecon TrueAddress and the $1 million total service guarantee.
As criminals become increasing sly by devising more complex schemes to defraud people, this improved technology is important in continuing to protect consumers. This clearly shows LifeLocks commitment to providing the best service to their clients. Since 2005, LifeLock has been the industry leader in identity theft protection and it appears they will continue to be the leader. They protect over 1.5 million people now and continue to grow everyday.
Go ahead and compare LifeLock with the other identity theft protection services, because as a smart consumer you should. But, at the end of the day you will come to realize that LifeLock is the industry leader for a reason.
One Million Dollars
So what is the million dollar guarantee about? If someone does steal your identity while you are a customer of LifeLock, the company will pay professionals to assist in restoring any losses or recover expenses. In addition, if an attorney is required to represent you, LifeLock will be right by your side in the litigation efforts.
The one million dollar guarantee is another sign that LifeLock is extremely confident in their ability to stop identity theft before it can occur.
It seems that credit unions are turning to LifeLock in droves to help stop identity theft services at their establishments. Credit unions and other businesses recognize that it is much easier to prevent identity theft than to deal with the after affects of a stolen identity.
Why enroll in LifeLock Protection?
LifeLock openly states that every step they take to protect your identity is something each one of us could do for free. The difficult part for individuals is working through the process required by the credit bureaus, keeping up to date with news laws, and keeping our information up to date. What this company offers is the management and administrative work in dealing with the credit bureaus.
In addition, when someone does apply for credit in your name, the Fraud Alert program at LifeLock will contact you at the number you wish to be contacted at and ensure that the credit request is valid.
