The check is in the mail for nearly a million LifeLock customers, after the provider of identity-theft protection services settled accusations of deceptive advertising.
The checks, for US$10.87, started going out Wednesday, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which is managing part of the $12 million settlement.
LifeLock drew attention after CEO Todd Davis published his Social Security number in company advertisements, saying he was so confident in his company’s services that he was making it public. It was later discovered that Davis had become the victim in at least 13 cases of identity theft.
The FTC and 35 state attorneys general accused LifeLock of making false claims, saying it didn’t protect against some of the most common types of identity theft, such as theft from existing bank accounts. They reached a little settlement with LifeLock in March and the checks are being mailed as part of that settlement.
In March, LifeLock said it was pleased with this agreement because it set advertising guidelines for the entire identity-theft protection industry.
The checks are being sent to 957,928 people who signed up for LifeLock’s $10-per-month identity-theft protection service. Customers will have 60 days to cash their checks. The refund’s administrator has set up a toll-free number for people with questions at 1-888-288-0783.
Robert McMillan covers computer security and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Robert on Twitter at @bobmcmillan. Robert’s e-mail address is robert_mcmillan@idg.com