Norton LifeLock Select : What Can LifeLock Do?

From the name, you might imagine that LifeLock puts a padlock on your private information, locking out identity thieves. As it turns out, that really isn’t possible. What LifeLock and similar services do is alert you the moment they detect that your identity has been compromised, and help you deal with the fallout.

That’s not to say LifeLock lacks all proactive protection. It can help you with freezing your credit, for example. And the Credit Lock feature, available at higher levels, prevents thieves from opening fraudulent Payday loads (and similar high-cost loans) in your name.

You can’t do anything about identity theft until you know it has happened. At the Select level, LifeLock monitors your credit with one of the major bureaus, but that’s just the beginning. It watches for unusual activity with lenders, and with social security. It warns you of USPS address change requests, as identity thieves may use fake address changes to divert your mail. It crawls the Dark Web looking for traces of your personal information. And it gives you a handy mobile app for transparency into its activities.

LifeLock also aims to cut down on those annoying preapproved credit offers, which are so handy for identity thieves. And its Lost Wallet Protection walks you through all the actions you need to take when your driver’s license, credit cards, and so forth fall into someone else’s hands

Phone takeover protection foils thieves attempting to subvert SMS-based multi-factor authentication. Norton can even warn you when it detects unusual transactions or observes an increased charge in a recurring payment. However, you don’t get these advanced features at the Select level, only at Advantage or higher.

If the worst happens and you do fall victim to identity theft, LifeLock’s US-based experts and 24/7 support line are there to help you recover. Norton touts its Million Dollar Protection Package, meaning that it will spend up to a million dollars on lawyers and experts to get your life back on track after identity theft. In addition, the company will reimburse you for up to $25,000 in stolen funds, and $25,000 in personal expenses directly related to identity theft.

Million Dollar Protection also applies at the Advantage and Ultimate Plus tiers, and the maximum reimbursement for stolen funds and personal expenses rises. At the Advantage level, you’re covered for up to $100,000 each for stolen funds and expenses, and at the Ultimate Plus level, for up to a million. Those at the Ultimate Plus level also get priority support.

Upgrading to a higher tier also enhances credit monitoring and reporting, in several ways. At the Select level, you get credit monitoring with one bureau. The Advantage tier adds a monthly credit report and score from that bureau. And those at the elevated Ultimate Plus level can track one credit bureau daily and the others monthly. They also get annual Credit Score reports from all three bureaus.

For subscribers at the Advantage tier LifeLock provides alerts on unusual bank and credit card activity, as well as crimes reported using your name. It also watches for fictitious identities using your personal information. Ultimate Plus members get all that plus much more. Among the benefits of a top-tier account are Home Title monitoring (a $100 per year service separately), alerts on fraudulent credit applications, warnings of unusual activity in investment accounts, and even sex offender registry reports tied to your personal info.