In the modern world, where data is shared across the internet nearly instantly, identity theft has become a major concern. There comes a solution, LifeLock, from Norton company. Our LifeLock reviews will help users glimpse one of the leading identity theft protection services. This service is crucial for preventing identity theft and safeguarding users’ personal and financial data.
Therefore, this article offers insights into LifeLock and provides you with the tools needed to understand the world of identity protection.
What is LifeLock, and how does it work?
LifeLock is an all-in-one identity theft solution that seeks to protect individuals against the many effects of identity theft.
It is designed to identify threats to personal information, credit, and identity breaches on the Internet, the dark web, and public records. It is available on both the App Store and Google Play Store.
The following are the general strategies LifeLock uses to protect your identity in social networks. Here’s a glimpse of their typical process:
- Monitoring: LifeLock very actively seeks threats that may threaten an individual’s information, such as their social security number and credit card.
- Alerts: If there is any form of unauthorized activity or compromised data, LifeLock instantly informs the user to prevent further risks.
- Protection: LifeLock shields customers against identity theft and offers services such as placing fraud alerts among the credit bureaus, excluding customer details from certain mailing lists, and offering insurance coverage in case of identity theft.
- Resolution: If an identity has been stolen, LifeLock assigns a specific restoration specialist who then helps the client deal with the problem, report it, dispute it, and reconstruct their identity.
In this way, LifeLock guarantees protection against identity theft and allows users to shield their data from any potential dangers.
LifeLock features overview
LifeLock provides all the necessary features that are aimed at offering superior identification and privacy protection. This section reviews key features of LifeLock, categorized by their respective functions:
Monitoring:
- Credit report monitoring: Supervises credit reports on credit bureaus for fraudulent activities or credit changes.
- Dark web monitoring: This service checks whether there is any sign of your personal information being traded on the dark web.
- Address change verification: This requires double verification for users whenever someone tries to forward mail to another address.
Alerts:
- Identity threat alerts: These alert users of risks to their identity, including fraud alerts or credit report requests that were made without their consent.
- Credit inquiry and application alerts: Notify users when new inquiries are made on their credit reports, and applications are made for new credit or services.
- Social security number trace: Monitors the evaluation of the user’s Social Security number in diverse databases.
Protection:
- Lost wallet protection: It helps cancel and replace lost or stolen credit/debit cards, passports, ID cards, etc.
- Identity theft insurance: Provides coverage for expenses incurred in dealing with identity theft that are not paid for by the insurance company up to a given sum.
Resolution:
- Dedicated restoration specialists: Provide a client advocate to assist victims in restoring their identity by notifying creditors and governmental bodies.
- 24/7 live member support: Maintains 24/7 customer support service to help the clients who might have encountered identity theft problems.
Through integrating these features, LifeLock hopes to offer a defense against identity theft in the event of an occurrence.
How much does LifeLock cost?
LifeLock has a number of services and products all of which have different levels of monitoring and features. Here’s a breakdown of the main options:
1. LifeLock standard:
- Cost: Starts around $11. 99 per month if billed annually.
- Services: This plan offers identity theft insurance, credit monitoring for one bureau, monitoring of the dark web for your SSN, and alerts on any suspicious activity.
2. LifeLock advantage:
- Cost: Starts around $22. 99 for the month of the annual subscription.
- Services: This plan improves Standard by adding credit monitoring for three bureaus, SSN monitoring, and expanding the range of alerts regarding public records and data breaches.
3. LifeLock Ultimate Plus:
- Cost: Starts around $34. 99 for one month billed on an annual basis.
- Services: It adds on all the features of Advantage, plus extra account monitoring for investments (depending on the plan), stolen money restitution up to a specified amount, and reimbursement for personal expenses.
The key difference between the plans is the level of monitoring present and whether reimbursement options are incorporated.
Standard provides fundamental security. Advantage provides enhanced surveillance. Ultimate Plus has the greatest safeguards and diverse types of reimbursement.
Is LifeLock worth having? Pros and cons
While LifeLock offers comprehensive identity theft protection services, there are benefits and drawbacks associated with them that every consumer ought to know about.
Pros:
- Comprehensive monitoring: In fact, LifeLock offers different types of monitoring, including credit reports, activities on the black market, change of address, and many more, thus offering the best protection against identity theft.
- Compatible with major credit bureaus: LifeLock integrates well with three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, to provide real-time reports on credit-related activities.
- Strong privacy and security measures: LifeLock’s identity theft protection includes using highly secure encryption and security measures. It ensures that customers’ personal information is not compromised.
- Dedicated customer support: LifeLock provides round-the-clock member care with dedicated restoration experts who help victims recover in case of identity theft.
Cons:
- Cost: LifeLock is actually fairly costly, with the higher tiers potentially unattainable for the common man.
- Inconvenient for seniors and minors: The management and creation of LifeLock accounts may pose some difficulties for elderly and young people who are technologically less inclined or have no credit histories.
- False positives and alerts: There has been some concern over high notification frequency and false alarms that make the process tiring for the users.
- User complaints: As with any service or product, there are generally negative reviews about the LifeLock app, which may include billing disputes, cancelation policies, and customer service responsiveness, among others.
- Limited coverage for existing identity theft: It provides services to prevent new identity theft cases that are not experienced. However, it may not be very useful for someone whose identity has already been stolen.
User experience
The feedback on LifeLock varies from customer to customer. Here’s a glimpse at mixed reviews from several LifeLock users:
Positive reviews:
“I think that LifeLock has been of tremendous help to me. Their monitoring services are excellent, and they really help me see that my information is being monitored closely.” – John L.
“I was a victim of identity theft a couple of years ago, and the recovery process was a living hell, but LifeLock’s specialists were really helpful and assisted with the return to normalcy.” – David L.
“In essence, LifeLock lets me sleep soundly at night knowing my identity is safeguarded, and I relish the fact they track the dark web as well as multiple credit bureaus.” – Sarah K.
Negative reviews:
“LifeLock seems expensive for what it offers. I get alerts for things that turn out to be nothing, and it’s hard to know what’s real.” – Jane B.
“My elderly parents signed up for LifeLock, but they find the app confusing. It seems better suited for tech-savvy users.” – Michael T.
“My parents tried LifeLock but found the service confusing and overwhelming. They eventually canceled because it wasn’t user-friendly for them.” – Lisa J.
These reviews highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the LifeLock app. Users praise its comprehensive monitoring, while others criticize its cost and technical interface.
[Bonus] Tips on how to keep kids from identity theft
Identity theft affects not only adults but also children; therefore, parents should also ensure they protect their children online.
Here are some tips to help protect your children from identity theft:
- Monitor kid’s phone use: Be particularly vigilant about your kid’s smartphone notifications, payments, and purchases. Most identity thieves target children’s accounts to obtain their details.
- Educate about online safety: Explain to your children why they should avoid posting their personal details on the internet or any social sites. Persuade them to be extra careful and not hesitate to report any strange behavior.
- Freeze your child’s credit: Consider freezing your child’s credit with all major credit bureaus. This can further help prevent identity thieves from establishing credit accounts in their names.
- Use parental control apps: Use parental control applications such as FlashGet Kids to monitor your child’s online activity, censor negative content or programs, and protect the child from the dangers of the internet. These apps can come in handy, especially when in an environment that may pose a certain kind of threat.
Compared to the advanced identity protection solution – LifeLock, FlashGet Kids seems to be more responsive to the needs of underage cybersecurity. FlashGet Kids is a parental control application with many features, including web filtering, app blocker, live monitoring, and real-time location tracking.
It allows parents to protect their children online, easily banning undesirable content, and restricting access to undesirable applications or websites.
With such measures in place, parents will be able to reduce their children’s vulnerability to the terrible impacts of identity theft.
Final words
Identity theft is always a lurking danger, and LifeLock provides a shield against it. But again, performance can be relative to the user’s requirements and preferences, as the Lifelock reviews mentioned above.
Consider your risk management abilities, budget, and technical competence to decide whether LifeLock is the right investment to protect you.
Ultimately, preventing identity theft rather than recovering is well worth it, which is why more people should consider this measure.
FAQs
Will LifeLock stop identity theft?
While LifeLock cannot completely prevent identity theft, it offers powerful tools to identify threats early and minimize the chance of becoming a victim.
Is it hard to cancel LifeLock?
Cancelling LifeLock is relatively easy. You can contact the support service to cancel, although some customers have experienced problems with refunds or constant billing problems.
What’s the difference between LifeLock and Norton 360 with LifeLock Select?
The differences between them are different services. Norton 360 with LifeLock Select is a package service that covers Norton antivirus software, cybersecurity, and LifeLock identity protection services. LifeLock Standard doesn’t include features to help protect your devices or tools to help protect your online privacy like Norton 360 does.
