Another Beck sponsor gets dinged

[DainBramaged]

The interplay between a noxious radio/TV host like Beck and his sponsors is viewed by some as a sideshow at best, but in the case of Beck his entire shtick is built on ginning up non-stop fear in his audience -- one minute it's global economic collapse, but a minute later it's identity theft. Indeed, the relationship between Beck and the odd list of gimmcky products he peddles get a major shout-out in my forthcoming book, The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, Hi-Def Hucksters and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama. It's important to see how Beck is a modern medicine man who tells you the disease and then also offers the cure...for the right price -- whether it's Goldline or Beck's latest book or American Revival gig or, in the case of identity theft, a company called LifeLock.

For years now, Beck has been delivering heartfelt-sounding paid testimonials for the Arizona-based identity-theft protection firm, often in the worried-but-sincere same tones as he delivers his apocalyptic warnings about the breakdown of American society. This is what he said about LifeLock in a recent radio show, as captured by Forbes magazine in its recent article, Glenn Beck, Inc.: "I wish I could protect my children-- got a boyfriend in New York City--I can't lock my children up, but I can lock my computer up. ... " At times, an ad with Beck touting LifeLock appears on the lucrative homepage real estate on GlennBeck.com, and the firm still advertises on Beck's Fox News Channel show.

But here's something that Beck doesn't mention in his testimonials:

the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday that the claims were bogus (.pdf) and accused Lifelock, based in Arizona, of operating a scam and con operation. The commission announced, along with 35 state attorneys general, that it had levied a fine of $12 million against the company for deceptive business practices and for failing to secure sensitive customer data.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/Another_Beck_sponsor_gets_dinged.html


http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/threatlevel/2010/03/lifelockcomplaint.pdf

[SpiralHawk]

1. Scamming his listeners? How perfectly republicon

Chickenhawk Beckster really has the republicon family values routine down...Ya gotta wonder if he's boinking his luggage handlers, or intern, too...

Ptooey

[ET Awful]

2. First, there's nothing LifeLock does that you can't doyourself for free

like locking your credit report, etc.

Second, and I hate to say this because I wish it was just Beck, but they also advertise all over XM radio on both liberal and conservative channels. I've heard their ads on Bill Press, Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller, etc. (I think the last time I heard them there was probably over a month ago though, so they may have been dropped by XM).

I've been saying the company should be shut down since they first started advertising. All they do is charge you a monthly fee for things you can do yourself like sending a letter to the three credit reporting agencies asking them to lock your credit report so nobody can pull it (for new credit) without you providing a PIN (any current creditor can still pull it for account reviews, etc.).

The company is a scam and should never have been allowed to operate in the first place.

[DainBramaged]

6. State Farm has a rider on their homeowners and tenants/renters policies

for identify theft and all associated costs along with assistance for about $12 a year.

[Rex]

3. Well if anyone knows charlatans, it is Glenn Beck

he could do a radio add for shampoo and in the next breath tell you the commies are coming for your children! He has no soul and is owned by money.

[Tunkamerica]

4. michael savage sponsor as well, and neil boortz

[hobbit709]

5. Did you see where the LifeLock clown had HIS identity stolen 13 times?