Welcome To Lifelock 2.0

• Read our original Lifelock review

With the introduction of Lifelock Command Center™ Lifelock is moving away from its original business model of placing and renewing fraud alerts to an early warning detection service. Lifelock’s original offerings are still available and currently Command Center is being offered as an additional add-on to their existing service.

So What Is Command Center?

Lifelock Command Center™ - Is It Worth It?

In the past, Lifelock’s critics (justifiably in my opinion) claimed much of Lifelock’s services could be done for free by the consumer themselves. In addition, since it’s universally accepted that no protection service is completely fool proof, many critics also pointed out fraud alerts may create a false sense of security. What consumers really needed, many industry experts argued, was an early warning system designed to alert individuals at the first sign of identity theft. Lifelock’s answer to those critics and countless competitors is the Lifelock Command Center™ Protection Suite. Here is an explanation of the new features:

• Court Records Alerts and Reports

Lists court records that match your name and date of birth from county courts, Departments of Corrections (DOC), offices of Administration of Courts (AOC) and other legal agencies to help you verify that criminals aren’t using your name to commit crimes.

• Lifelock Personal Breach Detection™ Services

Actively monitors unregulated internet and file-sharing networks for your identity information. If Lifelock finds you are at risk, they’ll alert you by e-mail and take emasures to protect you against accidental personal information disclosures.

• Sex Offender Registry Alerts and Reports

Lists registered sex offender records for your zip code. It will also alert you if a sex offender is fraudulently using your address.

• Payday Loan Alerts and Reports

Notifies you of any payday loan activity with your name, date of birth and Social Security number.

• Public Records Alerts and Reports

Lists postal addresses associated with your identity found in public records.

• Alias Records Alerts and Reports

Lists alternate names associated with other pieces of your identity (Social Security number, driver’s license, etc.) found in public records.

Opinion

There are a lot of things I think Lifelock is doing right here. I enthusiastically agree with paying attention to non-credit related sources for changes in your personal information. Too many companies focus on just monitoring your credit report which is important but leaves out all the other potential types of identity theft that can occur like criminal identity theft.

Lifelock has definately improved upon it’s original service and I do think it’s worth the increase in premium for the added protection but would it be my pick for “best identity protection“? Except for one thing it would be.

The lack of credit monitoring concerns me. Lifelock does provide annual credit reports but you can get that for free. Compared to services like Identity Guard and ProtectMyID, who both provide near real-time monitoring of your credit report, it still falls a little short. While it’s true other forms of identity theft exist outside your credit report and affect thousands if not millions of Americans every year, the majority of identity theft cases still revolve around your credit report. Actively monitoring your credit file is still your best shot at detecting identity theft early and offering you the greatest chance to “nip it in the bud”.

Still, Command Center™ is impressive and for some consumers it might be exactly what they’re looking for.

THE GOOD: Increased scanning of a wide assortment of public databases and services unique in the identity protection industry.

THE BAD: The lack of credit report monitoring may concern some consumers.

Visit Lifelock Command Center and get 30 days free and 15% off.

Visit ProtectMyID and get 30 days for $1. ]]> http://www.idprotectionguide.net/lifelock-command-center-review/feed/ 2 http://www.idprotectionguide.net/protectmyid-issues-a-warning-to-smartphone-users/ http://www.idprotectionguide.net/protectmyid-issues-a-warning-to-smartphone-users/#comments Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:45:03 +0000 Brandon Qureshi http://www.idprotectionguide.net/?p=1394

ProtectMyID, a leading identity theft protection service provided by Experian, recently issued a warning to the users of Smartphones concerning the risk of identity theft on mobile devices. The warning was issued as a result of recent research conducted by ProtectMyID regarding data storage and unsecured wireless networks.

Research Results

Identity theft on Smartphones has become an increasing concern and currently represents a gold mine for online criminals. This is due to the use of wireless networks that are not secure and the storage of personal information that easily allows cybercriminals to pose as the Smartphone user, drain financial resources, and obtain credit in the name of the victim. The recent research showed:

• Data Storage on Smartphones: The report indicated that approximate 65 percent of the users surveyed send and store data on their phone that is related to online shopping activity such as receipts and credit card data.
• Social Networking: When you use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter your profile often contains personal information that cybercriminals can access for the purpose of committing identity theft. The survey showed that over one half of Smartphone users access social media over the phone.
• Wireless Access: The availability of wireless networks has increased in the last few years and most of the networks are unsecured which provides the perfect location for cybercriminals to spy on your mobile phone activity. The survey showed that close to 30 percent of Smartphone users access wireless networks on a frequent basis.
• Online Banking: Approximately 20 percent of Smartphone users indicated that they use public wireless networks to access their banking information using Personal Identification Number codes. The wireless networks they were using were unsecured.

Smartphone Identity Theft Awareness

According to research by ProtectMyID and the Home Office, it was determined that identity theft on Smartphones rose by nearly 75 percent during the first two quarters of 2010. What’s more the Smartphone users who participated in the ProtectMyID research were not aware of the risks of identity theft on mobile phones and the significant rise in this type of crime. Additionally, ProtectMyID United Kingdom recently consulted with the metropolitan police which reported that nearly ten thousand Smartphones were lost or stolen on a monthly basis during 2010.

Benefits of Using an Identity Theft Protection Service

If you use a service such as ProtectMyID you can head off a problem early on instead of waiting until you receive a bill for an unknown expense that you did not incur. Services like ProtectMyID will monitor your credit activity on an ongoing basis and then send an email or text that alerts you if there is any suspicious activity. You also have access to a case worker that you can work with one-on-one, fraud insurance that protects you in the event of a problem and protective registration if you are a mobile worker that is at high risk of identity theft.

Experian launched ProtectMyID to add to their repertoire of global information services. The company is located in the United Kingdom and provides credit reports in addition to analytical tools and identity theft protection services. When you obtain an account with ProtectMyID you will receive credit monitoring services for three different credit reports.

The Federal Trade Commission that handles identity theft reports recommends that you monitor your credit on a daily basis so Experian provides credit monitoring on a daily basis. ProtectMyID services also provide daily detection of personal information, Internet scanning for fraudulent use of personal information, address safeguard services, and medical defense services to protect you against unauthorized use of your medical insurance.

Read our ProtectMyID review for more information.

Criminals View Seniors As Very Appealing Targets

If you don’t shop online and never use your credit card, you don’t have to worry about identity theft, right? This is a common belief among many seniors but they couldn’t be more wrong.

Credit experts warn that the very reasons that make seniors feel at low risk for identity theft – a tendency to not use credit often, shunning technology, and often using cash – make identity thieves view seniors as a very appealing group.

Jennifer Leuer, the general manager at ProtectMyID.com says:

“Anyone with a Social Security number needs to be aware of the risk of identity theft. Seniors, however, should be especially vigilant about identity theft protection, because they are often a preferred target of identity thieves and scammers.”

While identity theft can happen to anyone at any age, seniors may be at greater risk for a number of reasons, including:

1. Medicare Cards

Many states display social security numbers on Medicare cards. Even if your card is never lost or stolen, enterprising thieves may be able to snatch the number by hacking into your health care provider’s records. In 2009 alone, hospitals suffered millions of records lost to data breaches.

2. Less Tech Savvy

Seniors may be less technologically savvy, and may be more likely to respond to scams because they haven’t researched them online.

3. Credit Report

Because seniors feel less at risk for identity theft, they don’t closely monitor their credit reports and financial accounts. Last week, identity thieves stole over 9.5 million from consumers by micro-charging accounts. (Read more) Amazingly, less than 5% of consumers detected the scam.

4. Seniors Have More To Steal

Seniors often have more to steal than people of other demographics. They tend to carry higher cash reserves and home equity than other age groups.

5. Seniors Are More Exposed

Seniors’ personally identifying information may be exposed to more people through extended caregiver networks, nursing homes, doctor’s offices and other service organizations.

6. Scams Target Seniors

Seniors are more likely to trust official-looking emails and open unsolicited communications and click on links that could lead to malware or phishing attacks. Common forms of senior identity theft include check fraud, credit card fraud, phone or e-mail solicitations, social networking schemes and Social Security fraud. Fortunately, there are many ways seniors can protect themselves, or adult children can help protect their aging parents, from identity theft.

7. Seniors Do Things The Old Way….

Pick up checks at the bank to avoid having them stolen from your mailbox. Better yet, set up direct deposit with the Social Security Administration and any retirement accounts that you regularly draw on such as pensions or IRAs.

Consider An Identity Monitoring Service

Consider using an identity monitoring product that gives you identity theft protection, like ProtectMyID.com from Experian. The product monitors your credit report on a daily basis and alerts you to activity on your credit accounts. And, with one phone call to a specially-trained fraud resolution agent, you can report all your cards lost or stolen and they’ll contact the credit card companies for you. And if you do become a victim of identity theft, you’ll have a designated fraud resolution agent by your side through the whole process of resolving the situation.

You can read our detailed ProtectMyID review for more information.

Overview

ProtectMyID is part of the family of online sites owned by ConsumerInfo.com, an Experian company. Some of the other sites have names you might recognize like LowerMyBills.com and FreeCreditReport.com. With ProtectMyID, Experian has finally entered the identity theft marketplace to compete with industry leaders like Lifelock and TrustedID. ProtectMyID offers credit monitoring for all three bureaus, internet scanning, recovery support and an exceptional $1,000,000 product guarantee.

Rationale

In recent years, identity theft protection services have been moving away from preventive measures like fraud alerts and credit freezes to adopt a more credit monitoring type of strategy. This may be due to the fact that fraud alerts can be easily done for free by the consumer or more likely, that any preventive measure is only partial protection at best. ProtectMyID.com from Experian takes this approach and offers a comprehensive package at an affordable price.

The main element of ProtectMyID.com’s protection lies in the three bureau credit monitoring. You’ll be able to receive alerts near real time if any changes are made to any of your three major credit reports. It’s important to point out that while all your credit reports will be monitored for changes, you will only be able to access to your Experian credit report. However, ProtectMyID.com does make available TransUnion and Equifax reports at steeply discounted rates.

How Do They Protect You?

• Three-Bureau Credit Monitoring

ProtectMyID.com will monitor your credit report on a daily basis and alert you via email or SMS text messaging if any changes are posted to your Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion report.

• Change Of Address Monitoring

ProtectMyID.com will monitor any change of address requests through the U.S. Postal Service, a common tactic used by identity thieves.

• Scans Internet

Monitors internet black market sites, including chat rooms where personal data is bought and sold for your personal information. You will be alerted immediately if any of your information is compromised.

• ChildSecure℠

ProtectMyID.com offers a service to monitor your child’s credit files for an additional $6.95 per month.

• Lost Wallet Protection

ProtectMyID.com will assist you in canceling all your credit card accounts. In addition if their product fails, ProtectMyID.com will reimburse you for any stolen funds your bank or credit card company will not be responsible for.

• $1 Million Product Guarantee

This is the most comprehensive identity theft insurance policy available with unlimited coverage for wage losses.

• Dedicated Resolution Specialist

If something does go wrong, you’ll have acces to a dedicated resolution specialist to assist you in resolving an fraud issues.

What Do They Do Better Than Anybody?

$1 Million Product Guarantee

ProtectMyID’s $1 Million Product Guarantee doesn’t set aside wage limits in it’s lost wage coverage unlike every other identity theft protection service. It’s important to remember that identity theft insurance isn’t like traditional insurance and is there to cover the expenses involved with recovering from identity theft, not to make whole financial losses resulting from the theft like auto or home insurance. Nonetheless, the wording in it’s policy suggests that an argument could be made for even traditional insurance coverage.

Credit Monitoring

While ProtectMyID.com isn’t the most comprehensive identity theft protection service available, 3-bureau credit monitoring and Internet scanning make it an effective detection service. This, combined with extensive identity theft recovery support, makes ProtectMyID.com a good choice, particularly for consumers who are interested in 3-bureau credit monitoring.

What Kind Of Customer Prefers This Service?

A consumer looking for “good enough” coverage that may find other more comprehensive services unaffordable and unnecessary. After reviewing so many identity protection services, you have to appreciate the thought behind how Experian put together ProtectMyID.

Every identity protection company has to balance what services to include against making that protection affordable for consumers. ProtectMyID assumes (correctly in my opinion) that preventive measures like fraud alerts and credit freezes can be placed easily and for free by the consumer and has left these services out. They’ve added only what they feel are essential services to their protection plan: three bureau credit monitoring, internet scanning, victim assistance and what appears to be the industry’s most comprehensive warranty. Other services may provide unlimited access to all three credit reports but at half again the price. Only you can access your own “threat environment” and for many consumers, this level of protection and price may be just right.

Why Should You Consider Anybody Else?

There appear to be two different schools of thought in the identity protection industry. One side promotes prevention through fraud alerts and credit freezes while the other side forgoes those measures for a credit monitoring approach. Both sides have their pros and cons but if you are looking for a company to place and renew fraud alerts then you should consider Lifelock or TrustedID. I should also mention here that TrustedID offers families significant savings under their one household plan. You can read my post on Lifelock vs. TrustedID here.

If you’re comfortable with the credit monitoring approach, you might want to consider Identity Guard and their one-of-a-kind identity dashboard. Identity Guard has positioned themselves as the gold standard in credit file monitoring and offers the most comprehensive credit monitoring services available along with virus protection and a host of other useful services. Read our Identity Guard review here.

Give It To Me Straight

There is no doubt ProtectMyID.com is an effective identity protection service. If price was not an issue I’d advise you to consider Identity Guard and all the bells and whistles Total Protection offers, but if you’re looking for the most effective protection at the best price I’d recommend ProtectMyID without reservation. I can’t stress the importance of monitoring your credit file and being able to act quickly to any suspicious activity. ProtectMyID.com offers this at almost half the price of Identity Guard’s Total Protection so for consumers looking for value, it’s right here.

Try ProtectMyID For $1 For The First Month

You’ve decided you need identity theft protection. Congratulations, that’s the easy part…

It seems we’re inundated with commercials and advertisements from Lifelock, Identity Guard, TrustedID and the countless other identity theft services. There’s certainly no shortage of protection services and if you’ll just give them the chance, they’ll all give you plenty of reasons why they’re the best identity theft protection available.

I’m sure these companies hired expensive ad agencies to create marketing campaigns that highlight their strengths, gloss over shortcomings, and explain why they’re better than the competition.

What’s a discerning consumer to do?

It takes a discerning eye to separate the “chaff from the wheat” so to speak. Our staff at IDProtectionGuide takes a certain pride in delivering analysis you just won’t find anywhere. In fact, most of what you’ll read elsewhere sounds like warmed over ad copy. Much of our information comes from trying out the individual services and many hours on the phone. Let’s dig in.

After reporting and reviewing on the identity theft industry the last few years, we’ve noticed that there are a few consumer profiles that will cover just about 99% of the potential market. Don’t worry if you find yourself in one or more profiles. In understanding where different services rank, it may help you better understand the strengths and weaknesses of an identity protection service and help you make a better informed buying decision.

How Identity Theft Protection Works

The Limits Of Identity Theft Prevention

The first concept to understand is no protection is foolproof. That doesn’t mean identity theft prevention is without merit, far from it actually. It’s just that no plan or service exists that can guarantee complete protection. Why? You have no control over your information once it leaves your hands. What’s to prevent the auto loan application you filled out from falling into the wrong hands? How about your mortgage application or your medical records? Ever hear of data breeches? In 2009, one single breech compromised over 130 million records. So much of your information is already in circulation, we simply can’t prevent the countless ways that data can be lost, stolen or innocently given away.

Prevention vs. Detection

In the early days of identity theft protection, there was much fuss made of Lifelock’s use of fraud alerts as a preventive measure. The problem with preventive measures like these are first, it’s completely free to do yourself and second, its akin to locking your front door and leaving the windows and back doors open. As the identity theft industry evolved, companies have moved toward sophisticated detection methods and scanning the internet for your records.

Many people associate identity theft with financial or credit fraud but there is also criminal, employment, and even medical identity theft. Many detection services will scan not just your credit report but public databases, court records and even sex offender registry reports. Even Lifelock, the industry leader in identity theft protection, has moved in this direction with their upgraded service, Command Center™.

How Identity Theft Services “Package” Protection

First and foremost, identity theft protection is a business. For the most part, comparable identity protection features are available to almost any company. However, every additional feature increases the cost of the protection. Services must balance a price sensitive public with features that are most effective.

Things like economies of scale and proprietary technology can give some companies an edge over others in product offerings but only you can decide if these features are something you’ll find value in. Most consumers have a natural aversion to buying features they never use.

Naturally these companies will create protection packages to serve the greatest amount of people. I’ve separated consumers into these three categories and hopefully you’ll fall into one of them. For each category, I’ll explain the concerns, my recommendation for protection and reasoning behind it. If you can’t place yourself into any of these categories, feel free to drop me a note in the comments section and I’ll try my best to give you an answer.

To compare more identity protection plans visit our one of a kind identity service comparison tool.

Best Identity Theft Protection: Family Plans

Best Identity Theft Protection: Credit Monitoring

Best Identity Theft Protection: Value