As Nelson from “The Simpsons” would say…
You’ve probably heard radio commercials from identity theft
prevention service provider LifeLock, featuring CEO Todd Davis giving out his
social security number of 457-55-5462, “the most famous Social Security number
in the world,” according to LifeLock’s home page.
Davis proudly proclaimed that with LifeLock, your SSN would
be secured from identity theft and online fraud. For just $10 a month, it will protect you from identity thieves and even help cut down on pre-approved
credit offers. There was even a $1 million promise should you identity be
stolen.
Well, it seems Davis owes himself $1 million. Last year, a
Texas man used Davis’s SSN to get a $500 payday advance loan. Davis argued that
the check cashing company made no attempt to verify the identity, which is
plausible. While many payday advance companies are aboveboard, some are not.
Even better, in this recent appearance on The Today Show,
co-host Matt Lauer informed Davis that someone attempted to take out a driver’s
license with Davis’s SSN under the name “Jabba T. Hutt.”
LifeLock is under a fair amount of assault these days, and
not just from identity thieves. Class action suits are pending in New Jersey,
West Virginia, and Maryland, claiming false advertising. A separate lawsuit has
also been filed in Arizona claiming fraud, and perhaps worst of all, credit
reporting agency Experian has accused LifeLock of deception.