Lifelock is an identity theft protection and credit card fraud protection service. But is Lifelock worth it?
Is Lifelock a scam?
If you’re on the fence about signing up, this review will clear things up.
To start off, Lifelock is quite similar to other ID theft protection services we reviewed, such as ID Shield, and Identity Force.
These three companies are similar, but each has a few unique features that make them stand out from the rest.
Is Lifelock a Scam?
To sign up with Lifelock you need to enter your personal information, such as…
- Credit Card number
- Social Security
- And other personal information you want to track.
This leads to some people to assume Lifelock is a scam.
Contrary to what you might think, Lifelock is not a scam! It’s a trustworthy identity theft protection service.
The reason the company needs this information is so they can scan the internet to see if anyone is using it without your permission.
They scan a wide range of channels, including the deep net, chat rooms, forums, and more.
Essentially, the idea is to let you know if your personal information has been exposed or if someone is trying to sell your identity online (a common practice online).
So what makes Lifelock different from the other identity theft protection services?
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Lifelock Unique Features:
First of all, Lifelock has three plans: Lifelock Standard, Lifelock Advantage, and Lifelock Ultimate Plus.
There are also seperate options for under age children.
Most companies in this industry only have one or two plans, so in this aspect Lifelock has more options.
Another interesting tidbit is Lifelock is partnered with Norton Anti-Virus, one of the best and oldest anti-malware companies out there.
The standard membership, Lifelock Standard, is affordable, and most people are happy with it.
Keep in mind the standard membership only offers SSN (social security number) and Credit Card alerts.
It provides standard levels of protection, though not as many features as the other plans.
Lifelock also has a mobile app, that can be found on Google Play as well as the Apple Store.
Lifelock Insurance Coverage:
Another cool thing about Lifelock is even on their standard membership you have a $25,000 insurance policy.
So if you do fall for a credit card scam or other type of fraud, the company will cover the damages, up to the amount mentioned on your plan (the Ultimate Plus plan offers a $1 million coverage).
The insurance is an extra safety net for members.
Lifelock Cons:
Most customers are satisfied with Lifelock but there are some common complaints about the company.
One of the main complaints is that they do not monitor most types of ID (where most fraud occurs) such as driver’s licenses, passports, medical records, and more.
The reason they can’t monitor this kind of information is because they are not partnered with anyone that can monitor those IDs.
Another issue is the company works closely with Equifax, a credit card bureau, which was recently the victim of a security breach.
It’s important to note that most credit card companies already have safety nets in place and can clear things up on their end pretty fast.
On another note, in the case that your identity is stolen, Lifelock cannot completely restore it, unlike other services such as ID Shield.
Ironically, the person who created Lifelock, Tim Maynard, has spent time in prison for ID theft.
Not to mention the company has be involved with a lot of legal trouble with the FTC which we’ll discuss in a later section.
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Lifelock Pros:
Besides the standard internet security scans, Lifelock also includes 24/7 online support with lawyers and security experts.
It’s probably one of the most useful features, to be honest.
In a nutshell, the keep your personal data safe, and make sure to let you know if anyone uses it online without your permission.
Lifelock’s Legal Battles:
However, Lifelock has been in some legal battles with the FTC, mostly regarding their advertisements.
In 2010 the FTC accused Lifelock of making false claims when advertising their products and security system.
Basically, the FTC wasn’t happy about how the company advertised their products, claiming the advertisements were too over-the-top…
Later on the FTC alleged Lifelock was not keeping member’s information safe.
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But the case was settled when Lifelock agreed to pay the FTC $100 Million to settle the charges, one of the largest settlement charges ever.
Basically, the lawsuit was about Lifelock over-estimating the efficiency of their security system, claiming it’s unbreakable and 100% fail-safe proof, which is impossible.
They also launched several advertising campaigns that used similar catchphrases, which caught the attention of the FTC.
Regardless, there’s no evidence that Lifelock’s security is actually vulnerable, and they no longer use the overly dramatic advertisements either.
So the company was in some trouble, but it changed it’s advertisement methods, and they are in the clear now.
Another company that was recently investigated by the FTC is Success by Health, an MLM company in the health niche that was temporarily shut down.
Lifelock’s Affiliate Program:
Lifelock has an affiliate program, and it’s not based on a multi-level marketing system, but rather the standard affiliate model where commissions are based on direct sales.
The company uses Commission Junction (now known as CJ Affiliate by Conversant) to handle affiliates and payments.
So if you like the features, it’s possible to make some extra cash promoting the products.
One thing I liked about the affiliate program is you can promote three different memberships for residual commissions, not one time commissions.
And CJ Affiliate is an established affiliate platform, so they’re trustworthy!
Since the first plan, Lifelock Standard, only costs $9.99 it’s an easy sell, and that can lead to more commissions if members choose to upgrade later.
Conclusion: Is Lifelock Worth It?
Lifelock has been around for three years, but it already has over a million customers.
So to answer your question, is Lifelock worth it, I would have to say it depends.
I agree that some of the older advertisements for the company were a but too much though. Take the claims with a grain of salt.
You can check it out. The cheapest plan is only a few dollars and you can cancel at anytime, so there’s nothing to lose.
Out of all these identity theft protection services, the one I recommend is Identity Shield. Read my Identity Shield review right here.
Leave a comment if you have any questions!
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