ID Theft Companies Re Equifax

covetsthesun wrote:
Didn't want to hijack the Equifax Hack thread. DH and I are strongly considering a full service credit monitor/repair such as LifeLock or Zander. Zander is recommended by Dave Ramsey and is less expensive and appears to be as comprehensive as LifeLock. Zander includes medical ID theft.

Is anyone currently using these services? What's your experience with them? Any other full monitor/repair services?

Equifax has just been the last straw.

cts

we've been LifeLock customers since LifeLock started and have been happy. But after the Equifax hack we have frozen our credit with all 3-agencies. we haven't had any new credit in, well, forever and don't expect to need any new credit in the future. and should that change the freezes are e-z enough to temporarily lift. with the credit frozen I see little-to-no need for either LifeLock or Zander so we may be canceling LifeLock at the next renewal.

x2 freeze. Have used for years. Easy on/off when needed, which is not often in my case.

I agree with Old-Biscuit. We put a credit freeze on our SS numbers years ago, and when we when we buy a new car or rv, we take the freeze off for 30 days. Very simple, very effective and very cheap.

WHY not just put a FREEZE on your credit reports with ALL three credit reporting companies....depending which state you reside in costs vary from $0 to $10 each

The FREEZE STOPS anyone from using your credit, opening new credit etc.

Even YOU!
But if/when you need a credit check you lift the freeze temporarily then it automatically goes back on.

Monitoring lets you know AFTER the fact
Freeze prevents it BEFORE it happens

Simple,,,,,,easy,,,,,,VERY affective!

guidry wrote:
LifeLock was fined $12 million by the FTC for fraud and false advertising.

Good. IMHO they deserve it.

By the way, LifeLock was founded by a convicted felon. LifeLock was fined $12 million by the FTC for fraud and false advertising. And, if you have a freeze put on by a service company then you’ll have to unfreeze it before applying for any credit (cards or vehicle purchases).

I use Identity Guard. Years ago I had a bad experience with LL. The only company to ever try to rip me off on the internet. How ironic.

Credit monitoring helps after something bad has happened, or at least alerts you to the fact that something bad happened. A credit freeze prevents the bad thing from happening in the first place.

Think of who's behind the credit monitoring - the same companies who have your credit data in the first place (Lifelock uses Equifax monitoring, at least in part). That seems ridiculous. If they did their jobs in the first place we wouldn't need credit monitoring.

Here are some links from someone who's gone through identify theft:

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace the Security Freeze
Are Credit Monitoring Services Worth It?

Here are some articles on Lifelock:
LifeLock offers to protect you from the Equifax breach — by selling you services provided by Equifax
LIFELOCK CEO'S IDENTITY STOLEN 13 TIMES
LifeLock to Pay $100 Million to Consumers to Settle FTC Charges it Violated 2010 Order

Equifax offers credit monitoring free even if you were not hacked. You can even do the service yourself or pay one of those companies. (I used to investigate ID Theft cases)