Best Identity Theft Protection Services
Get Up to 25% Off Your First Year
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Fraud protection services
- 3-bureau credit monitoring
- Up to $3 million identity theft coverage
- 24/7 US-based identity restoration specialists
- 30-day free trial
Hot Deal: Up To 68% Off
- All plans include Anti-Virus, VPN, and Password Manager solutions
- Up to $5 million in insurance coverage
- Access to 24/7, U.S.-based customer support
- 3-bureau credit monitoring
- Featuring id theft protection, credit monitoring & more
- Digital security products to manage your info
- Starting at $9/mo per month (annual plan)
$1 million identity theft insurance with all plans
- Powered by IBM®️ Watson™️ Artificial Intelligence
- Comprehensive 3-bureau monitoring system
- Over 47 million consumers protected over 20+ years
- US-based customer service center
- Identity Guard Ultra adds 401K, home title, change of address monitoring, and more
Comprehensive low-cost Identity Protection, starting at $7.99
- $1 million stolen funds insurance across all products
- Credit report reminders
- 24x7, 365 US-based support & restoration
Identity theft protection services help to guard your personal information from thieves. These services charge a monthly or annual fee to monitor your credit card information, Social Security number, bank accounts, social media and more. In addition, they offer coverage for legal fees and reimbursement if your identity is stolen. Your plan might also come with antivirus software to protect your devices.
The right plan is an investment in your personal security. But before you buy an identity theft protection service, it's important to do your research. We've compiled some of the best identity theft protection plans on the market in 2023 to help you make the most informed decision. We've also included a helpful FAQ and tips to find the right plan for your needs.
Our Top Picks For Best Identity Theft Protection Services
- Norton LifeLock: Best Credit Monitoring Service
- PrivacyGuard: Best Identity Theft Protection for Older Adults
- ReliaShield: Best Identity Theft Protection for Families
- IDShield: Best Identity Theft Restoration Services
- IdentityForce: Best Dark Web Monitoring Services
Best Identity Theft Protection Services Reviews
Best Credit Monitoring Service: Norton LifeLock
- Credit monitoring on all plans
- Ultimate Plus includes all three major credit bureaus
- Freeze your TransUnion credit report on the Ultimate Plus and Advantage plans
- Ultimate Plus costs three times as much as the Standard plan
- Some customers report it's difficult to cancel a subscription
Why we chose it: We chose Norton LifeLock as the best identity theft protection service for credit monitoring because it allows you to track your credit reports on all of its plans. You get monitoring for one credit bureau on the Standard and Advantage tiers, and three bureaus with Ultimate Plus.
Although the Ultimate Plus plan costs nearly three times as much per month as the Standard plan, you can save money by paying annually. The Ultimate Plus plan also comes with annual credit reports and scores from three bureaus and monthly credit score tracking from one bureau. Both the Advantage and Ultimate Plus plans allow you to freeze your TransUnion file if you experience identity theft.
Regardless of the package you choose, LifeLock sends alerts by text, phone, email or push notifications about potential fraudulent activity on your accounts, so you can make sure not to miss any threats. Depending on your plan, the company also provides up to $3 million in identity theft insurance coverage. This coverage consists of up to $1 million of protection for lawyers and experts, $1 million in personal expense compensation and $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement. The latter means you can reclaim money lost due to identity theft.
Other Norton LifeLock features include a 24-hour helpline to recover your identity and a US-based restoration specialist who will help you resolve post-theft disputes with credit card companies and other parties. However, while most LifeLock reviews are positive, some customers found it difficult to cancel their subscriptions with Norton LifeLock customer service.
Price: From $11.99/month
Best Identity Theft Protection for Older Adults: PrivacyGuard
- Affordable identity theft solutions with the Identity Protection plan
- Public and dark web scanning, stolen and lost wallet protection and dedicated identity fraud resolution agent
- Email and text alerts, online fraud protection assistance and access to the PrivacyGuard app on all plans
- No credit monitoring with the Identity Protection plan
- Credit Protection plan doesn't come with identity theft insurance
Why we chose it: PrivacyGuard's protection plans are among the cheapest on the market, making them a good fit for everyone, including older adults who are not working.
The company's entry-level Identity Protection plan costs just $9.99 per month. For this price, older adults get public and dark web scanning, stolen and lost wallet protection and access to a dedicated US-based fraud resolution agent for reporting identity theft. However, credit monitoring is only available on the more expensive Total Protection and Credit Protection packages.
Features available on all plans include email and text alerts for suspicious activity, online fraud assistance and access to the PrivacyGuard app, which lets you monitor your identity on your smartphone. Plus, the Identity Protection and Total Protection plans offer $1 million in identity theft insurance. However, PrivacyGuard's Credit Protection plan doesn't include identity theft insurance.
Price: From $9.99 per month; free 14-day trial available
Best Identity Theft Protection for Families: ReliaShield
- Free coverage for children under 18 on all family plans
- Data breach updates on all plans
- Social Security identity theft monitoring on all plans
- No credit monitoring service on the standard plan
- No free trial
Why we chose it: ReliaShield has identity theft protection plans designed for families, with the cheapest one, ReliaShield Essential, costing $14.99 per month.
ReliaShield made our list because its three family packages include free coverage for all children under 18 years old in a household and there are no limits to the number of children you can include in a plan.
Features available on all pricing tiers include data breach updates and Social Security number monitoring — which some identity theft service providers don't provide with their cheapest plans. That said, you can only monitor credit bureau reports if you upgrade to the more expensive Prime or Elite tiers. Monitoring for social media accounts also isn't available on the Standard tier. Unlike some of its competitors, ReliaShield doesn't offer a free trial.
Price: From $14.99 per month for family plans
Best Identity Theft Restoration Services: IDShield
- Identity theft restoration guarantee
- Access to licensed private investigators and identity theft consultants
- Unlimited inquiries to customer support team
- No discounts for paying annually
- Complaints about poor customer service
Why we chose it: IDShield has an identity theft restoration guarantee, meaning it will restore your stolen identity to its pre-theft status — no matter how long that takes.
With IDShield, you get access to dedicated licensed private investigators and identity theft consultants and can make unlimited inquiries to IDShield's customer support team. The company also offers up to $1 million reimbursement for unrecovered costs relating to your stolen identity.
IDShield's pricing is somewhere in the middle of the market. However, you can only pay monthly, with no discounts available for paying annually. Online reviews are mixed, with some customers complaining about poor service.
Price: From $14.95 per month
Best Dark Web Monitoring Services: IdentityForce
- Continuously scans unindexed websites
- Dark web monitoring available on all plans
- Advanced fraud monitoring, payday loan monitoring and court record monitoring available on all plans
- Negative online reviews
- More expensive than some other identity theft service providers
Why we chose it: We chose IdentityForce as the best choice for dark web monitoring because it continuously scans unindexed websites used by identity thieves.
Identity Force runs your Social Security number, email addresses, bank account numbers and other information through the dark web and alerts you if hackers have posted your data. Plus, dark web tracking is available on all of its plans, meaning you don't have to pay extra for this feature. Advanced fraud monitoring, payday loan monitoring and court record monitoring also come as standard.
While IdentityForce scores points for its dark web monitoring, the company has received negative feedback on online review sites. Some customers complain about the company's customer service and not being able to talk to an agent. IdentityForce's plans are also on the pricey side, with its cheapest tier costing $17.95 per month — nearly $6 more expensive than Norton Lifelock, for example.
Price: From $17.95 per month.
Other Identity Theft Protection Services We Considered
As cybercrime becomes more sophisticated, more companies are offering identity protection services. The five plans reviewed above aren't your only options. Below are a few other plans we considered, as well as reasons why they don't stand out compared to other services.
IdentityIQ
- US-based restoration services
- $1 million stolen funds reimbursement
- No family plans
- No money-back guarantee
- No free trial
IdentityIQ offers credit report and dark web monitoring on all its tiers, reducing the risk of identity theft. It also provides $1 million stolen funds reimbursement and US-based restoration services.
However, it doesn't have any family plans, a money-back guarantee or a free trial.
Zander Insurance
- Prices start from just $6.75 per month
- Affordable family plans available
- 60-day money-back guarantee on annual plans
- No credit monitoring
- Can't freeze your credit report after a theft event
Zander Insurance is an affordable option for managing different types of identity theft. With its basic plan costing $6.75 per month, it is considerably cheaper than other options. It also has low-cost family plans, starting at $12.90 per month.
Despite these cost benefits, this option lacks some basic features, such as credit monitoring and the ability to freeze your credit report if you experience theft.
ID Watchdog
- Dark web monitoring available on standard tier
- Credit monitoring with one bureau available on standard tier
- Credit report locking, financial reporting monitoring and fraud alerts only available on the premium tier
- The standard tier is more expensive than some other providers
ID Watchdog lets you monitor information on the dark web and your credit with one bureau on its standard plan. However, most features are only available on its premium tier, such as credit report locking, fraud alerts and financial report monitoring. Its standard plan is also more expensive than many other identity theft service providers, costing $14.95 per month.
Identity Theft Protection Services Guide
Identity theft protection is pretty much everywhere these days. Online banking, social media, credit cards and other services all take some measures to protect your identity. For example, biometrics can prevent identity theft in the Metaverse and on other apps.
But as online security becomes more sophisticated, so do identity thieves. The best way to prevent identity theft is to subscribe to an identity theft protection plan. This guide will walk you through the ins and outs of identity theft protection to help you find the right service.
What Is Identity Theft Protection?
Identity theft protection is any service or tool that protects your personal information. It could be an extensive paid plan or a simple app that comes with your device and protects your browsing data. Free identity theft protection like passwords and biometrics might not be enough to protect against all threats. That's where a subscription can help. The companies reviewed in this article offer comprehensive identity protection plans that include multiple services, including the ability to freeze your credit report. The services included in your identity protection plan will vary depending on the plan you choose. Some common forms of identity protection include:
- Credit monitoring
- Password protection and biometrics
- Dark web monitoring
- Cell phone monitoring
- Investment accounts and home title monitoring
- Social media monitoring
- VPN and antivirus software
There are countless other forms of identity protection out there. Basically, the more services your identity protection plan offers, the more secure your information will be.
How Does Identity Theft Protection Work?
Identity theft protection covers two main factors: prevention and recovery.
- Prevention: Monitoring, software and alerts help to prevent your identity from being stolen. Your identity theft protection service should alert you of any threats so you can take action by closing an account, freezing your credit file or other measures. The sooner you become aware of a threat, the easier it will be to stop.
- Recovery: Identity theft protection plans can come with recovery assistance. Your plan should help you restore your full credit report. It might also provide coverage for legal fees and reimbursement for stolen funds.
Like an insurance plan, identity protection offers peace of mind. You'll know that your identity is less likely to be stolen and that you'll have financial and legal support if it is.
So what happens if your identity is stolen? Do police investigate identity theft? Yes, but your local police department might not have the resources to track down and stop an identity thief. Hiring legal counsel with your insurance coverage is the best way to recover your stolen information. Without an identity protection plan, recovering your credit and lost funds can take a long time.
Additional Features To Look For In Identity Theft Protection Plans
Some identity theft protection plans come with bonus features to maximize your security, like password managers and the ability to opt out of junk mail. It is also crucial your company has responsive customer service in the form of live chat and phone services, which can help you file a claim or answer questions about your plan. The company's website should also have educational resources if you have general questions about identity theft.
Below is a more detailed overview of the additional services offered by identity theft protection plans.
Real-Time Alerts
You can subscribe to real-time alerts via text or email, so you'll be notified the moment any suspicious activity occurs. The sooner you catch suspicious activity, the easier it will be to prevent theft.
Dark Web Monitoring
Some identity theft protection plans can monitor hidden or "dark" sites for your personal information, reducing the chances of phishing scams and other cybersecurity events. Check out the most common passwords that have leaked on the dark web — hackers on the dark web may not be visible, but they're out there.
Social Media Monitoring
Deep fake technology has made social media hacks much more believable. When a hacker impersonates you on social media, they can have access to all of your friends and a lot of personal information. Social media monitoring will alert you of any potential threats or impersonators — this can be a particularly useful tool for parents of teens.
Address Monitoring
Address monitoring can monitor your IP addresses to prevent theft. This service is helpful for a business owner or freelancer who manages multiple websites.
Password Manager
A password manager will generate and store highly unique passwords for all of your online accounts. These services help you to protect against hackers by keeping each password unique. They also make it so you don't have to memorize all your passwords or write them down by hand.
VPN And Malware Protection
A VPN (virtual private network) keeps your internet connection private. It functions like a secure bubble — you can connect to public networks like social media sites, but your personal data remains private. In addition, malware protection will scan your downloads, alert you if you go to suspicious sites and monitor your network to protect your devices from malware.
How To Report Identity Theft
If you are the victim of identity theft, you should report it immediately to the following places:
Financial companies
Call the fraud departments of the institutions that hold your financial accounts, such as banks and credit card providers. Tell them someone has stolen your identity and ask them to monitor your accounts for suspicious activity. If a criminal has accessed your funds, find out how to recover unauthorized charges.
Credit bureaus
You should also contact one of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian or TransUnion — and tell them about your stolen identity. The agency will place a fraud alert on your credit report and notify the other two bureaus about your situation.
Law enforcement
Notifying law enforcement about identity theft can help them find the people responsible. Contact your local police or sheriff's department and provide as much information as possible about your compromised identity.
How To Prevent Identity Theft
There are various steps you can take to avoid becoming an identity theft victim:
- Shred paper documents with sensitive information, such as bank and credit card statements, before disposing of them.
- Sign up for Informed Delivery emails from USPS, which send you a preview of your mail before it arrives at your mailbox. That way, you can tell if a piece of mail goes missing.
- Change your passwords for online accounts regularly, and don't use the same password for different services.
- Check your credit file monthly to see if an unauthorized person has accessed your information.
- Never carry your Social Security card with you unless it's necessary.
- Store documents with sensitive information in a safe place in your home.
Why is it so important to have restoration services with your ID theft protection?
Restoration services help you restore your identity after a theft event. Specialists will make calls on your behalf to financial institutions and credit bureaus and even work with private detectives, attorneys and other experts to return your identity to its pre-theft status.
How should you respond to the theft of your identity?
You need to take action quickly. Contact financial institutions like banks and tell them you are the victim of identity theft. You should also alert law enforcement and one of the three credit bureaus.
How much does identity theft protection cost?
How can identity theft be prevented?
Who needs identity theft protection?
Are identity theft protection services worth it?
How We Chose The Best Identity Theft Protection Services
We looked into a few critical factors to narrow down the best identity theft protection plans. Some of the most important features of a great identity protection plan include:
- Variety of services offered: The best identity protection plans include multiple tools and services. The wider the range of services, the more thorough your protection will be.
- Quality for the price: Some identity theft protection plans are more expensive than others. Cheaper isn't necessarily better — we looked for plans that offer a fair price for the quality and range of services included.
- Customer and third-party reviews: The best identity protection companies have plenty of public reviews online, both from customers and independent third-party reviewers.
- Insurance coverage: All of the plans included in this review offer up to $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage. That coverage can go toward legal fees, fund reimbursement and personal expenses if you're a victim of identity theft.
- Responsive customer service: Your identity theft protection company should provide access to customer service representatives, either over the phone or through live chat.
- Family plan availability: Kids can also become victims of identity theft. We looked for comprehensive identity protection plans that could be extended to families with multiple children.
Summary Of Digg's Best Identity Theft Protection Services
- Norton LifeLock: Best Credit Monitoring Service
- PrivacyGuard: Best Identity Theft Protection for Older Adults
- ReliaShield: Best Identity Theft Protection for Families
- IDShield: Best Identity Theft Restoration Services
- IdentityForce: Best Dark Web Monitoring Services
