Todd Davis, the CEO of LifeLock, wanted to make a bold statement about his company’s identity theft protection services. So, in a high-profile marketing campaign in 2007, he displayed his Social Security number in advertisements, aiming to show the world just how confident LifeLock was in safeguarding personal information. But this risky move backfired. Over time, Davis became the victim of identity theft not once, but 13 times!
Fraudsters took advantage of the publicly available Social Security number to open fake accounts, rack up debts, and cause damage to Davis’ credit. His own experience proved that even with the best protections in place, public sharing of sensitive data can leave you vulnerable to identity theft. This undermined the very message LifeLock was trying to send, making people question the effectiveness of their services.

Things got worse for LifeLock in 2010 when the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stepped in. They fined the company $12 million for deceptive advertising, accusing them of misleading customers about the level of protection LifeLock actually provided. The FTC’s ruling highlighted the significant gaps in the company’s claims and raised serious concerns about the promises they made.
Davis’ high-profile identity theft incidents and the FTC’s fine showed the potential risks of relying on identity protection services. Despite LifeLock’s promises, this cautionary tale serves as a reminder of how careful we must be with our personal information—whether we’re trusting a service to protect it or sharing it publicly in a promotional stunt.
-Agencies