Posted on 12/07/2015 6:40:51 PM PST by Jed Eckert
Ok Freepers, so my question is are these services (LifeLock and others) worth it? Or are they just a waste of money?
Can anyone recommend a particular one based on personal experiences?
Reason I ask is one of my credit cards was apparently hijacked today. No fraudulent charges but they did manage to change my profile info and password for online access.
Received an email from the bank saying my personal info was changed and if I didn't do the changes contact the bank at the number on the card.
Sure enough they had successfully changed all the info including the password. This in effect locked me out from online access.
After calling and answering several questions to confirm my ID they cancelled the card and are now sending a new card.(Indian guy of course and bit hard to understand at times)
The troubling part is, the thief or hacker was probably able to login online and see things such as my full name, address, additional cardholders, recent charges and the bank (but not the account number) I use to make my payments. My SS number is not in the profile so that should be safe.
It's insurance. Thankfully I haven't needed it yet.
You don’t need a service.
Put a credit freeze on all accounts.
Get an IRS pin.
Check all bills carefully.
I personally believe that the main thing LifeLock does is freeze your credit reports, which you can do yourself for free.
They say right up front that nobody can prevent all identity theft, so they’re pretty much saying that it could still happen.
In my opinion, the two most important things you can do is:
1) Freeze your credit reports
2) Store all your username/passwords/URLs in a password safe like KeePass.info and NEVER type any of those three pieces of information. Always copy and paste them from the password safe.
Keyloggers are your primary online danger, and if you never type in a user name or password they are safe from keyloggers.
Ditto, this.
I have had LifeLock for several years .. and they really do pay attention to what is happening with all your accounts. They also send me a month end report which also shows my credit score.
And, I have Norton Anti-Virus on my computer, so I rarely have anybody trying to mess with my stuff.
I pay $25.00/mo.
Lifelock.
Cheap compared to the agony, time and money needed to try to restore your credit if your identity is stolen.
So cheap I don’t think of it as a cost.
I have always been suspicious of ‘who’s watching the watchers’.
Should I get Lifelock!
Are you sure that this call is not a scam in itself????
I had my credit stolen some time ago....the thieves keep calling me, begging me to take it back....they cry that they don’t want to be me....too bad for them, they’re stuck with my credit now.....so sad!!!!!
I split the difference. I use an offbrand service, but I let the taxpayers pick up the bill for me.
My initial reaction, as well, but if the passwords had already been re-set before he got the contact, it may well have been legitimate.
I called the card company at the number on the card. My first thought was the email alert I received was a scam but turns out it wasn't, as confirmed by my conversation with the credit card people.
I use Equifax, one of the big-three credit reporting agencies. Have used them for years. Costly (I’m rather cheap), but a lot cheaper than others, such as mentioned here. I also use a PO Box. Identity thieves don’t like them. Too much exposure I guess.
$3,000 at a nightclub in Korea?
I think a passport would bring you a lot more fun than LifeLock.
And, I have Norton Anti-Virus on my computer, so I rarely have anybody trying to mess with my stuff.
I pay $25.00/mo.
Not a criticism, just an observation... you can 'freeze' your accounts yourself, by calling any of the credit reporting agencies and placing a 'fraud alert'. It's free and good for 3 months. If you've reported a suspected case to the police (and have a case number) the alert lasts 90 days. You just have to renew it; that's the basic service LifeLock provides.
As for the credit score, you can get it for free from CreditKarma.com.
Some credit card companies are now offering it for free as well (DiscoverCard and Chase are two that I've seen).
I had Life Lock for several years. My credit card was hit for $400. My credit card company contacted me- not Life Lock. Costco.com has an Identity Protection Service that is much cheaper than Life Lock and as complete. The main advantage with both services is the $1 million credit restoration services they provide if you need them. Most credit card companies are pretty alert to spot fraudulent services and protect you.
Yes. Chain of events as follows:
Received email alert from bank that a profile change had been requested. Call the number on the card at once if I did not make the request.
Called the number and sure enough everything had been changed, including password. Confirmed by trying to log on unsuccessfully. After confirming my ID, card was cancelled, new card on the way to my real address.
Asked them if they would tell me the address the thief had used in the new fake profile but they said they couldn't divulge that info. :-) Oh well, I tried.
Well .. you can do what you please.
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