With all of the news recently about Identity theft and other general security breaches, you might be considering getting something that could effectively be called Identity theft insurance. If you’ve listened to the radio, watched TV, or picked up a magazine recently, you’ve probably seen an advertisement for LifeLock, the identity theft protection LifeLock, a company based in Tempe, Arizona, claims they have created a system that effectively stops an identity thief from using someone’s name and information to get what they want.

For $10 a month, LifeLock will register and monitor a fraud alert on your name with the three top credit reporting bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union. When a fraud alert is in place, potential lenders are forced to call you at the number listed on the alert before they can issue you a loan or line of credit. And I guess it would be a good time to answer the question: Is Lifelock a Scam?

Not to sound off-putting but it really depends on what you consider a scam. The service that Lifelock provides is definitely something you can do yourself but I’m not sure that makes it a scam. Ignoring the oft-suggested mafia ties to the waste management business, you could take all of your trash to the landfill but you probably pay them to do it for you.

Like most services, it’s more about convenience than actual need. Lifelock simply requests locks on your credit so that you’re required to approve everything manually. Personally, I don’t think that part is a scam. it’s just a service.