Identity Crisis

For about the last year or so, if you live in the States and have cable, you've probably seen the occasional commercial for LifeLock, a company that offers ID theft protection. In a brazen bit of showmanship and trust, their CEO had his actual social security number printed on the side of a mobile billboard (aka "truck") and driven around to prove how good their services are. Along with their million dollar guarantee, I bet you just can't wait to start punching in their toll-free number and handing over your s.s. and c.c. numbers, eh?

Well, according to the Charleston Gazette, you might want to reconsider making that phone call.

Bonus: Superadgrunts, view one of the ads here.

But according to a new class-action lawsuit filed last week in Jackson County, LifeLock's identity theft protection services were so inept that Davis' personal information was stolen repeatedly.

"While LifeLock has only publicly acknowledged that Davis' identity was compromised on one occasion, there are more than 20 driver's licenses that have been fraudulently obtained [using his personal information]," the suit states.

"Furthermore, a simple background check performed using Davis' Social Security number reveals that his entire personal profile has been compromised to the extent that the birth date associated with his Social Security number is Nov. 2, 1940, which would [inaccurately] make Davis 67 years old."

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alex's picture

A great demonstration of how pride comes before a fall. Hilarious (but not for their customers, one assumes).

Dabitch's picture

What a strange system you guys have where people can steal a number, and with that your (credit) life.

Allan1's picture

You actually need a bit more than that, name, address, date of birth, along with the Social Security number. Some things you need a picture ID for, but, there are a lot of things that don't need it. I read that Courtney Love said that Kurt Cobain bought around $900,000 worth of property (houses, land, etc.) in New Jersey, just last year! Good trick, that.

purplesimon's picture

Similar thing happened to journalist, Jeremy Clarkson (best known in the UK for Top Gear and slightly odious comments about the war, homosexuals, etc).

You can read more about how this 'respected journalist' got done like a kipper at the good old BBC website.

noahr's picture

even odder than that they can steal our number and thus our life is that we willingly give our life away to whatever credit company offers us a free t shirt.