Lifelock is a company that specializes in helping protect your most private information. They take pro-active measures to protect their customer’s identity behind the scenes. They are an id theft protection company that constantly monitors personal and financial information to stop identity theft before it even happens.
The customer is notified of any suspicious activity via phone or email, depending on customers preference. If fraudulent activity is confirmed, Lifelock shuts down the attempt right away. In the rare event that your identity is compromised a Lifelock representative walks their customers through the recovery process.
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Lifelock Features
Depending on the plan that you choose there are many services that Lifelock has to offer. I will cover a few services in this Lifelock review that I found unique to some of the other identity protection companies I have researched.
- Lost Wallet Protection
- Black Market Surveillance
- Address Change Verification
Lost Wallet Protection
Losing your wallet is a headache and a half these days. Between canceling multiple credit cards and replacing id’s, there is always a chance you will forget to do something. This can leave you and your family vulnerable to a stolen identity.
With even the most basic plan that Lifelock offers you get their lost wallet protection. Simply call the customer service number and speak to one of their US-based agents. These professionals are trained for exactly this and act quickly to resolve the situation.
Black Market Surveillance
Being pro-active is very important when it comes to the best protection for identity theft possible. Many protection companies scour the web making sure that your information is nowhere it shouldn’t be. Lifelock is one of the only companies that searches through the black market as well.
The black market is where most criminals go to trade any personal and financial information that may be tied to your identity. Lifelock has a team dedicated to monitoring thousands of black market websites and other illegal sites to prevent this from happening.
Address Change Verification
If a criminal can change your address that means they will easily be able to ship things to that address, open credit cards in your name and even re-route your mail without your knowledge. Lifelock’s identity theft protection services help alleviate this worry.
Lifelock searches nationwide address databases keeping your address secure. They will notify you via telephone if your information pops up somewhere that doesn’t look legit. When you confirm that the address change is fraudulent, a certified Lifelock agent will be assigned to you. They will then help restore proper address information and prevent any further damage.
Benefits to Choosing Lifelock
There are many different identity theft protection companies out there. They all have pro’s and cons. However today we are going to focus on a Lifelock review. Here are the three main things that really make Lifelock one of the best id theft protection services out there for me personally.
- User Friendly
- 24/7 US Based Agents
- $1 Million Protection
User Friendly
Lifelock provides an easy to use interface that is accessible online or through their app, which is both iOS and Android compatible. This allows you to stay up to date with all of your information at all times. With the app you can do numerous things including viewing alerts, approving or declining transactions, checking your credit score, and even message customer service.
The moment fraudulent activity is suspected you will receive notification via phone, email or text keeping you up to date. You will be given the opportunity to decline any transaction right there on the spot. The identity theft software allows you to prevent identity fraud before it even begins.
24/7 Customer Service
One of the things that make this a truly unique company for me is the amazing customer service. Whether you message them through the mobile app or call the 1-800 number, you receive an actual person. The last thing you want to do when your wallet has gone missing is listen to a bunch of automated messages only to be put on hold forever.
$1 Million in Identity Theft Insurance
Having your identity stolen can be an incredibly expensive undertaking. Between the unexpected and fraudulent expenses added to your accounts and all the underlying fees associated with replacing your missing items it can be daunting.
Nothing speaks louder than cold hard cash when it comes to a guarantee. If the unthinkable were to happen and your identity was stolen, Lifelock offers up to a million dollar service guarantee. This covers all costs that are associated with restoring your identity over your lifetime. Below are some of the expenses Lifelock’s $1,000,000 service guarantee covers.
- Replacing stolen documents
- Re-establishment of credit score
- Hiring a 3rd party recovery specialist
- Reimbursement of stolen funds
With the Good Comes the Bad
Lifelock is no exception to the adage; nobody’s perfect. If you want the best identity theft protection for your family, you need to consider both the good along with the bad. Depending on your needs, some of these issues may not be all that important to you. In this Lifelock review I have listed a couple of things that sour Lifelock’s stellar reputation for me. You can find them below.
FTC Charges
On more than one occasion Lifelock has been in trouble with the Federal Trade Commission. In previous years they have made false claims about the level of protection that they were providing. In fact, they were even forced to refund customers money from the FTC.
One of the biggest claims that they made was that they were protecting their member’s sensitive information with the same high-level safeguards of financial institutions. This was back in 2015, and since then they have not faced any other charges. One can only wonder if they have changed their ways and made good on their promises or if they are still using deceptive practices.
Online Credit Reports and Scores
Lifelock does offer credit reports and scores with their Lifelock Advantage and Lifelock Ultimate Plus packages it is not included in their base package. Online credit reports are extremely important in preventing and catching identity theft before it begins. It should be noted that the budget minded can easily request their credit report from all three bureaus annually, free of charge.
Although Lifelock does offer this service with its higher priced plans, they still only check your score once a year. Other identity theft services request your information multiple times a year, allowing you to truly have an up close look at your situation. Any large fluctuations can easily be noted.
Cost of Lifelock
Lifelock is an identity theft protection company that has a wide range of packages to suit just about any budget. Whether you are an individual that just wants someone watching your back or a family that needs full protection from all fraudulent activity, there is an option for you.
Lifelock Standard Package
At only $9.99 a month (or $109.89 annually), this package is perfect for the budget minded. This package includes the following features for an individual person.
- Lifelock Identity Alert System
- Lost Wallet Protection
- Address Change Verification
- Reduced Pre-approved Credit Card Offers
- Black Market Website Surveillance
- 24/7 US. Based Agents
- $1 Million Service Guarantee
- Reimbursement for Stolen Funds up to $25,000
Lifelock Advantage
This is the package that will give you just about everything the average person could possibly need. Doubling in price at $19.99 a month or $219.89 per year will get you a ton more features. In addition to the services offered in the Lifelock Plus package, you will receive the following.
- Bank and Credit Card Activity Alerts
- Alerts on Crimes in your Name
- Fictitious Identity Monitoring
- Court Records Scanning
- Data Breach Notifications
- Online Annual Credit Reports and Scores – 1 Credit Bureau
- Reimbursement for Stolen Funds up to $100,000
Lifelock Ultimate Plus
Choose this package for a protection unlike any other. The Lifelock Ultimate Plus package ensures you will instantly know about any fraudulent activity in your name. This package is highly recommended for persons with higher net worth as well as business owners.
With this package, you will be spending $29.99 a month with a slight discount for annual purchase at $329.89. In this package, you will get following along with everything previously included in the Lifelock Advantage package.
- Online Annual Credit Reports and Scores – All 3 Credit Bureau’s
- Investment Account Activity Alerts
- Bank Account Takeover Alerts
- Credit Inquiry Activity
- File Sharing Network Searches
- Sex Offender Registry Reports
- Monthly Credit Score Tracking
- Reimbursement for Stolen Funds up to $1,000,000
Is Lifelock Worth it?
In the end, it’s up to each individual to choose the best id protection service to suit their needs. Ultimately, you must decide for yourself if the pros outweigh the cons. For me, the $1 Million service guarantee helps alleviate my worries that the company may not be protecting me to the fullest. Knowing that Lifelock would be forced to pay that much money because of their errors makes be feel a bit better.
When purchasing something as important as identity theft protection services make sure to do your due diligence. Find a company that fulfills your needs and meets your budget. I suggest reading about more than one company before making your final selection. Hopefully, this Lifelock review has shed some light on this particular company for you.
