LifeLock: Protecting Your Identity Online

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of LifeLock Facebook for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Identity theft has been a big problem for years, but now with so much of our lives online, we are more at risk of having our identity stolen.  Through the internet, thieves can now steal your identity via phishing email, SMSishing (sending messages through your phone which look legitimate), using fake storefronts, peer-to-peer sharing sites, database breeches, or by simply taking a picture with their cell phone as you fill out a credit card application.

Here are some statistics on identity theft victims that you may not be aware of:

• Households earning $100k + per year have the highest identity fraud rate at 7.4%

• The average cost per person of having identities stolen is $1,513

• 11.6 million adults were victims of identity fraud in 2011 and a total of $18 billion was lost.

And here’s some data on identity theft among social media and smartphone users:

• 6.6% of victims are smartphone owners

• 6.8% of victims are social media users who click on the applications

• 8.2% of victims are social media users who have “checked in” using their smartphone GPS

• 10.1% of victims are LinkedIn users

If you are like me you may not have even thought about some of these scenarios.  I, for one, would have never thought about the risks of checking in with your phone’s GPS.  And I certainly wouldn’t have believed that 10.1% of LinkedIn users had been victims of identity theft.

And of course, once your are identity is stolen, they can use it to get credit cards in your name, access your bank account, seek employment, open up utilities accounts, and even apply for benefits in your name.  This can hurt your credit, your employment records, and so much more.

And just think: What if the person who steals your identity commits a more serious crime? This scenario happened to my cousin Todd.  Several years ago his identity was stolen, and then the person actually committed murder.  So when Todd went to apply for a new job, they checked his background and thought that he had killed someone!  For a while after this, he would have to put some kind of note with his job applications stating that his identity had been stolen and he was not a murderer (not exactly something that you want to add to your application). This went on for a few years. And then finally he hired a good attorney that was able to clear up his records so that it is no longer an issue.  But if he’d only had LifeLock this could have been avoided!

LifeLock’s Services

Fortunately Lifelock can protect you again identity theft.  They monitor you identity and alert you immediately if you have potential credit and non-credit threats.  They also have an online dashboard where you can see current threats.  They have 24/7 phone support, services to stop and cancel your credit and debit cards when your wallet is stolen, and they offer comprehensive recovery services if you become a victim of identity theft on our watch.

Aside from learning about LifeLock’s service and signing up for identity theft protection, you can also read some articles on identity theft and get answers to some questions you may have have about identity theft and your own online security.  For instance, How hack friendly is your password?  Lifelock has a list of the most commonly used passwords, which are easily hacked.

You can also get some great tips from LifeLock on Facebook.  Go over, check it out, and join the conversation!

Have you ever been affected or someone you know been affected by identity theft?

Share your story or your prevention tips in the comments.