Life Lock?

[lem1955]

Is anybody using identity protection service? Life Lock? Credit bureau locks? I have frozen credit bureau services for free but haven't yet subscribed to a service. A friend of mine just had her identity stolen. (She is a public figure, so she was probably targeted.)

 

[Dash man]

I use Experian to monitor all three of the major credit bureaus. Probably not worth it, but I feel a little more comfortable having it.

 

[Chuckanut]

I was given a 'free' one year membership in a credit monitering service offered by one of the Big 3 credit bureaus. This was after a certain MegaCorp found out bad-guys had been in its computer system for months stealing customer data. <---Not so good.

During that year I applied for a got a new credit card. Six weeks after I had received the new card and had been using it I received an email from the protection service warning me that a credit card had been issued in my name. IOW, had it been bad guys they would have had well over a month to charge the card to its limit. Not so good.

After a year the service asked me if I wanted to renew the protection for $XX. I thought "What protection? It's locking the barn door after the horses have got out."

I keep my credit bureau accounts locked. And I monitor two of my credit reports regularly using Credit Karma. It's all free. And it works far better than the warning service.

 

[Montecfo]

I use Credit Karma to monitor. Free.

 

[razztazz]

I used a service like that for a couple of years after one f he more celebrated corporate data hacks. Then I dropped it. All my credit bureau stuff is on hard freeze and I just couldn't see what else I was gaining. ID fraud? They don't really prevent that and I don't know how effective they might actually be in "reclaiming the history that should never have been" in reversing the fraud that's already in progress.

All my accounts send me a email immediately after all transactions. If somebody can schnore enough info on me then go to the trouble of forging a New Jersey, or Florida, or Kansas driver's license, then using that to buy a car, rent an apartment to manufacture meth or something, I don't see how LifeLock can preempt that or make it good with the cops when they come for me here in Iowa. The investigation will sort that out. Besides they can't use my money. They'll have to use theirs or someone else's they've hacked into, so I'm not really losing anything.

Did I miss anything?

 

[Sunset]

I have my accounts frozen. I don't sign up for lifelock as it doesn't prevent the theft.

I have to wonder if home insurance has an option to cover this far cheaper, and more reliable as a payout since it would be an insurance company.

I also shred all papers and use different passwords for all 200+ internet accounts.

 

[teejayevans]

Don’t use it or home title protection. I’m internet savvy enough not to click on phishing emails and have frozen my credit.

 

[foxcreek9]

Credit karma, Mastercard, and Discover all offer free monitoring and every time I get a new cc they alert me within a couple of hours. The Mastercard service also altered me to the fact that docusign had asked me (or potentially someone else) identity questions, which they had for a credit union form.

 

[Chuckanut]

I keep my credit bureau accounts locked. And I monitor two of my credit reports regularly using Credit Karma. It's all free. And it works far better than the warning service.

Bad word choice above by yours truly. I knew better but it slipped out.

I keep my credit bureau information frozen. Some of these places offer a locking service, but it is NOT the same as a freeze and usually it costs money. Freezes are free and better, IMO.

 

[gauss]

Credit Freezes have been sufficient for me.

-gauss

 

[racy]

Besides having my credit frozen, I've elected to have my bank send a text notification every time my credit and debit cards are used. So, I can watch out for unauthorized activity plus see my DW's latest shoe purchases.

 

[euro]

Besides having my credit frozen, I've elected to have my bank send a text notification every time my credit and debit cards are used. So, I can watch out for unauthorized activity plus see my DW's latest shoe purchases.

Nice!

 

[Badger]

After having my pocket picked in Barcelona a number of years back I immediately froze my credit in all 3 bureaus and my 2 credit cards. I have wondered about those services like Life Lock but didn't understand why they were necessary. I also wonder about all those title services to protect your home.

Cheers!

 

[pacergal]

I have both DH and my credit frozen and have instant notifications on all cc and debit cards.

I used CreditKarma for several years also. Had Experian monitoring for a year after a major data breech, but did not continue after free year.

 

[aja8888]

One of my friend's had Lifelock. It notified him a few days after his identity was stolen.

Now he just has his credit frozen at the three big agencies.

 

[Midpack]

Credit Freezes have been sufficient for me.

-gauss

Same here, credit frozen with all three major services. Even though we paid vastly, when we bought our current house in 2019 that was the only time we had to grant access and we put the freeze right back on.

We’re very happy with the quick alerts we get on our (few) credit cards, based on settings we choose. I don’t see a need for LifeLock or similar.

 

[target2019]

MyIDCare from GAO breach.
Discover ID protection cause they like me.
Free Experian protection from thier breach.
And on and on.

I get alerts or email when an account is opened, or inquiry made, but it is not an instant notice.

 

[Golden sunsets]

I received this email recently. I hadn't acted upon it, but it seems legit. Has anyone else signed up? We also froze our credit back when it happened and occasionally have to temporarily unfreeze our credit, even to open deposit accounts.



Dear XXX;

You filed a claim in the Equifax Data Breach Settlement and chose to receive free, three-bureau (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) credit monitoring from Experian for four years. Implementation of the Settlement was delayed by appeals; however, the Settlement is now effective because appellate courts have affirmed it. This email provides additional information about the services provided by Experian as part of the Settlement and how you can enroll.
You are receiving free membership in Experian IdentityWorks℠ for four years.*You must enroll by June 27, 2022.
This service is free for you and provided as a Settlement benefit. You do not need to provide any payment information to enroll and you do not need to cancel the service when it ends. We encourage you to enroll today.


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