Anyone who works with consumer information daily knows that there are a virtually unlimited number of ways that one's identity can be misappropriated and LifeLock appeared to address only a few. (In fact, the article indicated that Mr. Davis' own identity has been so compromised that "there are more than 20 driver's licenses that have been fraudulently obtained [using his personal information].")

Whenever I saw his television commercials or internet ads, Mr. Davis' claims always seemed reminiscent of those made by the big database companies that promote their "national" criminal background checks as reliable primary sources of information.

While they are valuable indicators of possible criminal records, calling these databases "national" is a way to confuse employers about what they are really buying. "National" suggests to many employers that most, if not all, criminal records are included. The database companies don't advertise that about 60% of the records found by doing research in the court houses don't show up in their databases.

So, whether you are purchasing a "national" background check or identity theft solutions, caveat emptor continues to be the smart bet.