LIFELOCK or Credit Karma ETC "services" TAKE I D info to "protect" clients. Aren't they "phishing" to build vulnerable info lists?

I would say to stay away from Life lock. They have a bad history if I remember right.

Although it is possible, I highly doubt Credit Karma sells your data. First, they need your info to prove it's actually you when signing up because your credit information is pretty valuable. Credit Karma is also recommended by big name sites. I've been using it for a few years and have had no problems with them. It's free because they make money advertising credit cards.

It is very likely that they are phishing and re-selling your info to the large information collectors. That being said, there is no good way to prove one way or another.

Furthermore, the services do not work very well. They offer a warranty, that has loopholes, so they never have to pay anything. The CEO of lifelock (the one that posts his SSN in an ad) has had his identity stolen several times.

With regards to personal info. There are major info collectors. They have small subsidiaries. The subsidiaries offer you a chance to "opt out" in exchange for your email, and sometimes a copy of your ID. The data goes to the parent company. When you 'opt out', you are just adding to the data that the parent companies have on you. In other words you are helping them. One of the worst offenders is "My Life". They collect info from other providers, then when you sign up, or 'opt out' of thier service, they require proof of ID. They sell the info, included the scan of your driver licsense, or passport, that you may have provided. If you pay for a subscription service, you are, in effect, paying them to sell your identity.

But those all pale in comparason to "Profileengine". They stole info from facebook. Good luck with them.

Do not subscribe to magazines or newspapers using your real name or a credit card. Do not give your real name when you get those "loyalty" cards from supermarkets. Using a fake name with your correct address will create "false targets" that will tie up thier resources.

Do use private browsing.

Do create fake profiles on various social networks using your real name, birth date, and home town. Use stock photographs. This will create "false targets" to tie up the data collectors resources.

Set up real social profiles using nicknames that only your friends know.

I have done this for the last five years. In some cases the info sites asked for payment in order to remove my info. I got very threatening with them, and they complied. I am virtually invisible on the internet now.