The local operation of Britain’s Experian Group Ltd. is planning to step up its push into the market for identity theft prevention services after winning a lawsuit against the market leader, Arizona’s LifeLock Inc.
Experian, which has offices in Costa Mesa and Irvine, is running TV and radio commercials for ProtectMyID.com, a service intended to help consumers identify and resolve cases of identity theft.
The company, best known for providing credit reports, is looking to gain business from LifeLock after a 2008 lawsuit over its identity theft protection service.
LifeLock,known for its commercial featuring Chief Executive Todd Davis boldly disclosing his Social Security number for all to see,lost the suit.
Experian challenged LifeLock’s main service of placing and renewing 90-day fraud alerts on credit reports of its customers, saying the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act doesn’t allow companies to do so on behalf of others.
The alerts flag to a retailer or credit issuer that a person may have been the victim of identity theft.
Earlier this year, a federal judge in Santa Ana ruled LifeLock’s service was an unfair business practice and said he agreed with Experian’s interpretation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
The judge rejected LifeLock’s request to reconsider the ruling in August.
LifeLock said it disagreed with the ruling and could appeal. Meanwhile, the company has come out with a new type of identity theft prevention service that doesn’t rely on placing alerts.
Experian still is seeking a permanent injunction against LifeLock.
Earlier this month, Judge Andrew Guilford delayed until October a decision on whether to ban LifeLock from setting fraud alerts for customers.
Lifelock has 1.5 million customers, each paying about $10 per month for its service.
Experian came out with ProtectMyId.com with little fanfare a year ago. It’s now mounting a media push. The company doesn’t disclose how many members are signed up for the service.
ProtectMyId.com offers credit report monitoring, fraud protection and access to fraud resolution agents who work one-on-one with customers.
“One of our key features is credit monitoring that let’s you know if someone is opening a new account in your name,” said Jennifer Leuer, general manager of ProtectMyID.com.
The service monitors Experian’s credit reports plus those of the two other major credit reporting companies, Atlanta-based Equifax Inc. and Chicago-based TransUnion LLC.
This month, Experian started an expanded push for ProtectMyId.com with commercials on cable TV and radio spots featuring syndicated technology radio host Kim Komando.
The company declined to say what it’s spending on the ads.
Experian is taking a different marketing route for ProtectMyID.com than with sister company FreeCreditReport.com, an Irvine-based unit that allows consumers to monitor and build their credit scores.
That service is known for its humorous commercials featuring the members of a down-on-its-luck rock band.
“We’re a bit more of a serious topic, so we’re probably not going to have the band,” Leuer said.
ProtectMyID.com is going after older, established people who have built up solid credit histories they want to protect, Leuer said.
The company also is targeting small-business owners, who have double exposure to identity theft.
“A lot of small-business owners’ personal credit is intertwined with their business credit,” Leuer said. “As a result, identity theft not only affects them personally but their businesses as well.”
