Reputation:  

LifeLock has showcased a very unique and aggressive marketing and advertising campaign, making them the most well-known of all identity theft protection services.  CEO Todd Davis is so confident in the service they provide that he posted his social security number (457-55-5462, if you’re interested) on their homepage. While neither he nor TopTenREVIEWS recommends revealing your social security number to the public, the gesture does make a memorable statement as to the strength of their service, which we have no reason to oppose.

They also have been the target of quite a bit of negative press, further bringing them to the forefront. We looked into the service they provide and acknowledge that while they have been subject to harsh criticism, they still have very high customer satisfaction and consumer comparison ratings. They are a Better Business Bureau accredited corporation, and have withstood the test of time for over 4 years.

Security:  

LifeLock puts fraud alerts on your account so that credit lenders have to verify your request if you wish to start a new line of credit. While this does mean that you must give limited Power of Attorney to them, it assures that your fraud alerts will be renewed after they expire in 90 days, and you will be alerted if anyone, including you, attempts to use credit under your name. Your limited Power of Attorney is a common and typical requirement of identity theft protection services. This limited Power of Attorney gives the company permission to provide the fraud alert service by acting in your name. This is one of the main reasons you should be sure that your identity theft protection service provider is one that you can trust.

They also provide online fraud monitoring. Through automated eRecon, they scan through known criminal websites that illegally sell or trade any of your personal information and immediately informs you if they find any irregularity. They also will notify you if they detect any new address information, so you can know if an identity criminal has changed your address to steal your mail and financial information.

Recovery Assistance:  

With a $1 million guarantee, LifeLock agrees to cover any problems with their service should your identity ever be compromised. They also have access to lawyers, investigators, and accountants to help you restore your good name if need be.

One standout feature of their service is WalletLock. If your wallet is ever stolen or simply misplaced, you can contact them and a specialist will help you contact each of your financial institutions to cancel accounts and complete the required paperwork to replace your lost documents. It is a very convenient service, providing peace of mind, should your wallet or purse ever end up missing.

Additional Features:  

LifeLock orders your allotted yearly credit history reports from all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and sends them to you so you can monitor them as well as compare the three. They will also request that your name be removed from pre-approved credit card lists and other junk mail databases. This not only gets rid of those annoying credit card offers that overfill your mailbox, it also means less personal mail for identity thieves to easily steal without your knowledge.

They also offer protection for kids under the age of 16 for an additional fee as long as one member of the household is an annual member. This includes the $1 million guarantee. They check your child’s credit report every six months, as well as their work history. To learn more about the growing trend of child identity theft read 'Too Young?--The True Face of the Identity Theft Victim and Six Ways to Protect Your Child" or "Identity Theft: By the Numbers."

Help/Support:  

Whether you want to contact LifeLock by phone or e-mail, their friendly customer care specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Helpful advice can also be located for members as well as potential customers online in the Answers Center, which provides answers to a variety of questions you might have.

Information Protected:  

LifeLock boasts the most complete listing of protected information, from full name to criminal records. Whatever identifying information you are willing to issue them, they will protect it, including social security number, phone numbers, credit card numbers, street address, license plate and driver’s license. They also protect bank account information, as well as information found in public records, insurance records, and loan or lease requests.

LifeLock provides a great service from a solid company. Though they have gotten a lot of adverse media attention, they live up to their agreement and provide a good service to a large number of satisfied customers. They are a good service for protecting your information and helping to resolve stolen information, whether it be your wallet, your credit card, or your identity.

They are a full-featured identity theft protection service, housing all the essential tools and technology to protect your identity. They are there to help you recover quickly and painlessly should your identity ever be compromised. But more important than recovery, they avoid identity theft by detecting fraud before it happens and assuring that a new line of credit in your name won’t be approved without double-checking with you for verification.