Lifelock Settles withFTC over Deceptive Ads

[Stuart G]

Source: MSNBC

LifeLock settles with FTC over 'deceptive' ADs
Tuesday, March 9 2010 at 01:01 pm CT by Bob Sullivan
LifeLock spent millions spreading its CEO’s Social Security Number all across America. Now the firm will spend $12 million settling claims that it engaged in deceptive advertising and failed to protect customers' personal information.
The Federal Trade Commission and 35 state attorneys general announced on Tuesday that Lifelock is changing its business model to address allegations of unfair and deceptive business practices.
"They developed a market to capitalize on consumers' fear," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said at a news conference. "They were exaggerating the service they offered to consumers. This was a fairly egregious case of deceptive advertising."


Read more: http://redtape.msnbc.com/2010/03/lifelock-settles-deceptive-advertising-case-with-ftc-ags.html

---

So, all those ads were lies. Occasionally someone gets caught.
..I recall clearly how Lifelock promised to protect you...guess not...
Well written and interesting... Worth reading the entire story.

Also. the last paragraph of the story describes how someone can really get an honest free credit report..( This link is operated by the 3 credit reporting services. It is legit..)

Google link on AnualCreditReport.com

The Federal Trade Commission's Information on Free Annual Credit ... AnnualCreditReport.com is the ONLY authorized source for the free annual credit report that's yours by law. The Fair Credit Reporting Act guarantees you ...Check the next link for legality of AnualCreditReport.com
www.ftc.gov/freereports

this is the actual link for a real free report:

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

[Doctor_J]

1. Hopefully Hartmann will stop selling for them

it's one of the 10 ads he runs every 1/2 hr.

[Ian David]

2. He should stop running the ads unless he gives-out his social security number every commercial.

:sarcasm:

[Stuart G]

4. I don't think Hartmann's ads are for Lifelock..they are for another company

I think it is for some kind of company that backs up info on the internet that is in your computer
..I am not sure of the company..I could be wrong.

[Doctor_J]

12. You are correct - apologies to Thom

Those Lifelock ads are just on my internet feed.

[hlthe2b]

3. I'd been tempted over the years... but had yet to hear directly

from anyone who had used the service. Nor had I seen stories regaling them of their wondrous results. SO, I was (in retrospect appropriately) skeptical...

[leahcim]

5. "Indentity Theft" is like "Terrorism"

It's something that people are scared of way out of proportion to the probability of it actually happening to them. So people will pay top dollar to someone to do "something" about it, no matter how pointless or ineffective.

[thelordofhell]

6. Everything you need to now about this scumbag and his shyster services

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2007-05-31/news/what-happened-in-vegas/full

[Stuart G]

7. After reading the above article in post 6....no one would ever deal with

this company..ever.

[Supersedeas]

11. thanks for the link

[HisTomness]

8. Obvious Scam

This is one of those outfits that run their ads all over conservative talk radio because they get radio-ghetto prices and a ready supply of gullible authoritarian followers.

The fact that Thom Hartmann also takes their money further supports my suspicion that he is a hack.

[PSPS]

9. These are the only businesses that buy radio ads anymore

Hartmann shouldn't be singled out for this. There's plenty of other things to single him out for, such as his using his show to promote every right wing crank with a website, book or other propaganda to propagate and/or publicize. I always turn Hartmann's show off when his daily "crank parade" begins.

Otherwise, just listen to any radio talk show. All they advertise is fear or deception.

The fear ads are ones like these, where if you don't partake of the crook's "product," your life will most certainly be destroyed. These apparently play well because the infotainment/news and popular programs have fully brainwashed the country into fear/victim fetishism.

The deception ads are those "debt farming" ads where they say something like, "the banks have been bailed out. Now it's your turn!!1!" They try to imply that there's some kind of "bailout" for your maxed out credit cards when, in fact, the company robs you of a few hundred dollars up front to "negotiate a reduction in your balance." You can do the same thing yourself with a two minute call to your credit card company. There is no "bailout." You're not forgiven any of your principal. But you can ask for, and will usually receive, a reduction of your interest rate and, perhaps, some back interest. But you can do that yourself without paying hundreds of dollars to these crooks who, it turns out, often do nothing at all except keep your money.

Another class of deceptive ads you hear all the time are "tax farming" ads. These are like "debt farming" except they promise to "reduce your back taxes!!11!!" But it's the same scam -- they take your money and do little or nothing. You can just as easily call the IRS yourself because, it turns out, they will do all the work for you and it's free.

There are lots of other examples of these ads, but it's more indicative of the fact that we don't make anything "real" anymore to advertise and sell. The only "business model" that works in the country anymore can be summed up in three words: Lie, cheat and steal.

[libodem]

10. Ahhh, Guano Batshit Beckkk's

last paying advertizer....so sad. :cry: <-(I'm gonna call this smilie, Glennie Guano)