Using Own Social Security Number in Ads Turned Out Not to be a Good Idea After All!

Bad Idea: Telling strangers your social security number.
Really Bad Idea: Broadcasting it nationwide to advertise your fraud-prevention company.
Neatorama Worthy: Getting burned because your identity actually did get stolen!

Here's the story of Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock, who used his real social security number in TV and radio ads, and how he's being sued because his company failed to protect his own identity:

Todd Davis has dared criminals for two years to try stealing his identity: Ads for his fraud-prevention company, LifeLock, even offer his Social Security number next to his smiling mug.

Now, Lifelock customers in Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia are suing Davis, claiming his service didn't work as promised and he knew it wouldn't, because the service had failed even him.

Attorney David Paris said he found records of other people applying for or receiving driver's licenses at least 20 times using Davis' Social Security number, though some of the applications may have been rejected because data in them didn't match what the Social Security Administration had on file.

Davis acknowledged in an interview with The Associated Press that his stunt has led to at least 87 instances in which people have tried to steal his identity, and one succeeded: a guy in Texas who duped an online payday loan operation last year into giving him $500 using Davis' Social Security number.

Link - via Boing Boing