Fraud Protection services

Timbeck2

Final Approach
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Nov 4, 2015
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Timbeck2
Who uses LifeLock or other (please advise) fraud protection services? I just got yet another notice that someone used my social and name to apply for a credit card. What raised the red flag was that they used my last name in place of my mother's maiden name which prompted them to send the letter to me in order to contact them and verify. This is the 4th time this year I've had to call someone to let them know I didn't order any credit card or apply for disability benefits.

I'm interested in what you guys are doing because I have to do something.
 
Who uses LifeLock or other (please advise) fraud protection services? I just got yet another notice that someone used my social and name to apply for a credit card. What raised the red flag was that they used my last name in place of my mother's maiden name which prompted them to send the letter to me in order to contact them and verify. This is the 4th time this year I've had to call someone to let them know I didn't order any credit card or apply for disability benefits.

I'm interested in what you guys are doing because I have to do something.

Well, there's this.

https://www.wired.com/2010/05/lifelock-identity-theft/

LifeLock CEO's Identity Stolen 13 Times
Apparently, when you publish your Social Security number prominently on your website and billboards, people take it as an invitation to steal your identity. LifeLock CEO Todd Davis, whose number is displayed in the company’s ubiquitous advertisements, has by now learned that lesson. He’s been a victim of identity theft at least 13 times...


I had the same issue, but did the free credit freeze on the big 3 bureaus.

Haven't seen a repeat make it through since. Just don't lose your "unfreeze" passwords!
 
I had the same issue, but did the free credit freeze on the big 3 bureaus.

Haven't seen a repeat make it through since. Just don't lose your "unfreeze" passwords!

How did you go about that if you don't mind sharing?
 
Ditto @ElPaso Pilot

I froze all my credit reports after my information was leaked. I don't apply for new credit cards (not in a long time, anyway) and if I do need to unlock my credit, I always inquire which bureau they intend to use and will unlock it for a short period of time. (Usually 24 hours, but for me, no more than 3 days. If they need more time than that, then they weren't ready to pull my credit information when requested.)
 
I use Experian. The State of Alaska got hacked so they provide it for free. I, too, lock my credit.
 
My credit is frozen as well. All three make it easy to create a temporary window of time where they'll unfreeze the reports, so it's really not even that much of a hassle on the off chance I need someone to make a hard pull on my credit.
 
I use Life Lock. No issues in the 10 years I’ve had them. Just upgraded to Advantage at I think $121 a year. They send me monthly statements about my SS number and other personal info that might be compromised. Basically data breaches at different businesses and such.
 
I generally have a HAWK alert on my credit reports that disable any new credit be granted without my approval.. That said I have not looked at any of the services, however, talking to one of our IT people recently and she told me that doesn't mean I haven't been compromised and I may want to consider something in the near future... these thieves are getting better and better at this crap. She recommended one called Aura Identity Guard.
 
Lifelock and its incestuous bastard brother Norton aren't worth the effort. They're so-called million-dollar warranty will mean nothing if you actually get compromised and they really don't do anything to prevent such that you couldn't do yourself.

Best to have something that's actively watching your credit rather than just locking down the accounts.
 
Ditto on the credit freeze. Just went to each of the 3 bureaus sites and followed the instructions.

That stopped all sorts of nuisance activity related to credit cards, credit offers, and more.

And I think I recall my credit score ticking upwards a very small amount from the reduction of pings to my credit reporting accounts from the automatic systems seeing if I am worthy for their next "fabulous offer".
 
With credit reports locked with all 3 credit bureaus, I still had an 2 accounts opened in my name with different retailers because the companies never bothered to check my credit report. I suspect the cause was an employee at each company in on the theft from their employer. At one retailer I already had an active credit card and a second was opened in my name and address.
 
Sorry that you're having to go through all of that. There are a number of reasons, which are almost never the fault of the individual.

ElPaso Pilot is correct. Some companies may still extend credit to someone impersonating you anyway, but this should be the exception, and as Clip4 points out could easily be an insider threat or external compromise of a company that won't be prevented by any outside solution.

For those that haven't had a problem yet, two things you can do to reduce the odds of having the problem are: First, and probably obviously, get credit from as few places as possible. You need a bank, a mortgage, a credit card, sure. But having a bunch of random store cards just increases the odds you'll be hit. Sure, Citibank might be hit, but you can be pretty sure they have better security than the typical discount store. If they do, it's way better if all the bad guys get is your credit card number, not your social and address. Second, if you have a business don't use your personal SSN as your business tax ID. Get a different number to use for whatever permits and licenses you have, and for the tax ID your employee has. People setup businesses with their own SSN all the time, but it's not a good plan.

No solution is perfect, as states and the feds are terrible at security, in general, and unfortunately you have to give them sensitive information in many cases.

Eventually this will go away, but not until SSN stops being used as a secret code.
 
My thanks to everyone. I've frozen my credit with all three credit bureaus. Hopefully all this nonsense will cease.
 
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