LifeLock or similar type protection

[ponder]

Earlier this summer my identity was stolen. Name, address, social, DOB, drivers license, phone number, the whole enchilada. Luckily I was made aware within days and was able to shut it down quickly. Of course it has been a huge hassle, one I don't want to repeat. I also am really concerned about protecting my husbands identity as a compromise there would be a huge complicated mess. I was wondering if anyone uses a monitoring system like LifeLock or other similar service. Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

 

[OCgirl]

Yea there is Lifelock and ProtectmyID, which is an Experian product.
For credit only there is Credit Karma, I believe it's free until you buy any of the upsell products. Experian offers a wide variety of credit protection memberships you can try out for a month for free.
Certain credit cards also offer add-on credit monitoring services at a discount. These are typically white label products offered by one of the credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and Transunion). So the level of service you get will be pretty much the same as a paid membership you get directly from the credit bureaus.

 

[amc80]

I've had Lifelock for years. They alert me when there's any sort of data breach that pertains to me. I've had no issues, and, luckily, have never had my identity stolen.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

I've had Lifelock for years. They alert me when there's any sort of data breach that pertains to me. I've had no issues, and, luckily, have never had my identity stolen.

We've had Lifelock for several years now BUT both times we were hacked our bank noticed first and gave us a quick phone call. Honestly it's a pain in the ass to update all the places where we use EFTs but it's better than losing money.

 

[ame]

There have been several reports on LifeLock not being quite so helpful, the owners own info was hijacked and they couldn't even fix that. Do some more research on it before you sign up. They've been sued several times and fined quite a few as well for not doing what they advertised.

 

[amc80]

I've had Lifelock for years. They alert me when there's any sort of data breach that pertains to me. I've had no issues, and, luckily, have never had my identity stolen.

We've had Lifelock for several years now BUT both times we were hacked our bank noticed first and gave us a quick phone call. Honestly it's a pain in the a$$ to update all the places where we use EFTs but it's better than losing money.

I think the point of Lifelock, though, isn't so much financial crimes as it is true identity theft. Like someone using your SSN to open accounts vs. someone getting a hold of your debit card number.

 

[azstonie]

I was given lifelock 10 years ago after the computers were stolen from my dentists's office.

Worthless, imho. It doesn't stop id theft, just informs you after the fact.

My credit has been frozen for 10 years. Costs $5 per agency (Experian, Transunion and Equifax). If I want new credit somewhere, I give them my 1-time only PIN.

 

[ponder]

I was given lifelock 10 years ago after the computers were stolen from my dentists's office.

Worthless, imho. It doesn't stop id theft, just informs you after the fact.

My credit has been frozen for 10 years. Costs $5 per agency (Experian, Transunion and Equifax). If I want new credit somewhere, I give them my 1-time only PIN.

I'm frozen now too. But honestly I'm really happy that it was me and not DH. He is the head of multiple business entities and financially complex. I was going lucky that I found out within days without a monitoring service. I realize that it can't prevent the theft, but I want to minimize the damage. Maybe next time we won't be so lucky.

 

[azstonie]

Glad you have it handled. I froze DH's at the same time. I see our FICO on a monthly basis.