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Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning says there are steps people can take to protect themselves:
• Obtain a free annual credit report from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies, regardless of whether they have been identity theft victims.
• Monitor bank accounts and credit cards for unauthorized withdrawals or charges.
• Consumers who suspect they are already identity theft victims can place a fraud alert on their credit history by contacting one of the three major credit reporting agencies.
• Request a security freeze, which means that a consumer’s credit file cannot be shared with potential creditors.
LINCOLN -- A nationally known identity theft service, LifeLock, has agreed to change advertising practices and pay $12 million in sanctions for deceptive ad claims, Attorney General Jon Bruning announced today.
LifeLock will repay $11 million nationwide to consumers and $1 million for states’ legal fees, Bruning said.
The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general had investigated LifeLock for violation of consumer protection laws because it claimed its $10-per-month service was a “proven solution” that would protect against all forms of identity theft.
Bruning, in a press release, said that "there is no one service that can promise to protect you from these crimes and to claim otherwise is deceiving.”
LifeLock will pay restitution to eligible Nebraskans who signed up for services between April 1, 2005, and March 30, 2009.
The FTC and states will jointly send letters to eligible consumers, notifying them of the agreement and how they can opt-in to the settlement. Information about the redress program is available by calling 202-326-3757 or online at www.ftc.gov/lifelock.
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