The best services for identity theft protection can protect you from all types of financial fraud, including someone hacking your brokerage account and filing a tax return under your name.
Many of the best companies offering identity theft protection offer up to $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance, which can cover your financial losses should you ever become a victim.
It’s a good idea to compare the top identity theft protection services so that you can enroll in this protection beforeyou actually need it. Learn which identity theft protection service we recommend. Also, learn how each plan works and what makes it stand out.
All rate examples are based upon monthly rates with annual billing
Choose the Best Identity Theft Prevention Products
- Identity Guardian: Best Budget Protector
- LifeLock : Best mobile app
- ReliaShield: Best Family Coverage
- ID Shield – Best Free Trial
- ID Watchdog – Best for Fraud in 401(k), HSAs and Pensions
Your personal information is always exposed online to malicious actors. Protect your identity TODAY.
Do not fall victim to cybercriminals who are looking to steal the money you’ve worked so hard for. Click on your state to find the best Identity Theft Protection.
Reviews of the Best Identity Theft Protection Companies
Your sensitive financial and personal information can be vulnerable to fraud and theft, making you a target for hackers. You can find out more about the companies below to help you choose the right identity theft protection service for you.
Identity Guard: Best Budget Protection
ID Guard has been selected as our top budget pick due to the wide range of coverages available in their basic plan. Individuals can receive protection benefits like $1 million of insurance against fraud and stolen funds, dark web monitoring and a dedicated U.S. case manager for just $7.99 a month.
IBM Watson is the supercomputer behind the company’s scanning. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and analyze fraud patterns, and alert customers more quickly.
The Premier plan is the best deal for those who are looking for comprehensive coverage. It costs only $25 a month. This plan offers every type of fraud protection, plus three-bureau monitoring of credit, debit and investment accounts, as well as monitoring of 401(k), sex offenders registry, monthly credit report and more.
PRODUCTS
- All plans include $1,000,000 in Identity Theft Insurance
- Plan for the whole family
- Plan payments can be made monthly or annually
- Includes identity recovery and restoration assistance
CONS
- The lowest-tier plan does not include credit monitoring services
- No free trial
- Apps with low ratings
Best Mobile App: LifeLock
LifeLock provides comprehensive identity theft protection in three different levels. These include identity theft insurance up to $1,000,000 for lawyers and experts, and cyber security via Norton 360. Each tier also includes coverage of up to $1 million for reimbursements of stolen funds. LifeLock’s 60-day money back guarantee is another feature that stands out. This applies when you choose the annual payment option.
The mobile app of this company is also the best-rated, receiving 4.6 stars out of five in the App Store and 4.5 stars on Google Play. It is important for consumers to be able to get notifications and monitor their identity theft protection while on the move.
PRODUCTS
- Apps with high ratings
- Annual plans include a 60-day refund guarantee
- Plan for the whole family
- Plan payments can be made monthly or annually
CONS
- The lowest tier plan includes only monitoring from one credit bureau
- No free trial
ReliaShield: Best family coverage
ReliaShield provides identity theft protection for both individuals and families. Plans for individuals begin at $7.99 per month, or $87.99 annually. ReliaShield offers plans that include $1 million of stolen funds, as well as expense reimbursement.
ReliaShield offers free coverage to all family members under the age of 18 including monitoring public records and social media accounts.
ReliaShield also offers three different plans, including the top-tier ReliaShield Elite, which includes monitoring of Social Security numbers, monitoring by three credit bureaus, monitoring for bank account takeovers, monitoring credit card applications, and much more.
PRODUCTS
- All plans include $1,000,000 in coverage for lost funds.
- All children under the age of 18 are covered by family plans.
- Plan payments can be made monthly or annually
CONS
- Only the top-tier plan includes monitoring all three major credit bureaus
- No free trial
ID Shield: Best Free Trial
IDShield also offers a free trial. You can enjoy credit and identity protection for up to 30 days with this company before committing to a plan. You can cancel your subscription before the 30 day period is up if you are unhappy with their service or want to switch companies.
You can choose from individual or family plans that only monitor your TransUnion credit report. Or, you can select plans that monitor all three bureaus. The plans include $1,000,000 in insurance against identity theft, credit bureau monitoring and dark web monitoring as well as social security number monitoring and court records monitoring.You can also choose between individual plans or family plans, which cover you, your spouse and up to ten dependent children.
PROS
- Free 30-day trial is available
- All plans include $1,000,000 in Identity Theft Insurance
- Plan for the whole family
CONS
- No option for annual payment
- The best family plans are expensive
- Only the highest-tier plan monitors three credit bureaus
ID Watchdog is the best way to prevent 401(k), HSA and other frauds.
VIEW PLANS
If you’re looking for the maximum amount of insurance against identity theft, ID Watchdog may be worth your consideration. This is especially true if you have large amounts of money in your 401(k),or a Health Savings Account (HSA),. The ID Watchdog Premium plan offers an additional $1,000,000 in coverage against identity theft.
The top-tier plan also offers financial account monitoring, integrated fraud alarms, social accounts takeover alerts and a private VPN. You can also set up a freeze on the Equifax credit report of your dependents with family plans.
PROS
- Each plan includes up to $1,000,000 in insurance against identity theft
- The top tier plan adds $1,000,000 in coverage against stolen funds from either a HSA or 401(k).
- Plan for the whole family
- Plan payments can be made monthly or annually
CONS
- No free trial
- The lowest tier plan monitors only one credit bureau
You need to protect your digital identity and financial information constantly, as they are always at risk.
Identity Guard is a comprehensive Identity Theft Protection Software that comes at an affordable price. Click below to start protecting your identity.Protect Your Identity
Identity Theft Guide
The best identity monitoring services will help you achieve your goals, whether it is to avoid identity theft scams on the internet or secure some insurance against identity theft. Continue reading to find out how identity fraud works, how companies that specialize in identity theft can help you avoid fraud and how to react when your identity has been stolen.
What is ID Theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone steals personal information in order to commit fraud. The information could be used to obtain a payday loan or credit card in your name or to file your tax returns and attempt to receive your refund. ID theft can damage your credit report, and it can also cause victims to be stressed as they try to restore their identities.
Identity theft costs more each year. Fraudsters continue to find new ways to obtain personal information, like your SSN or driver’s licence, that they can then use to commit fraud. According to the 2021 identity fraud study from Javelin, fraudulent activity and data breaches caused consumers to lose $43 billion dollars in 2020. The report shows that identity fraud losses totaled $56 billion in 2020. Hackers and identity thieves are increasingly contacting victims directly to trap them.
According to the Javelin report, “consumers often remember the moment that they interacted through a criminal via a call, text or email.”
How Does ID Theft Protection Work
Many ID theft protection companies provide plans with different levels of fraud protection. ID theft protection plans often include dark web monitoring and Social Security number monitoring as well as social media monitoring. They may also include identity theft insurance, real time bank account monitoring or fraud alerts.
In general, consumers choose a plan for themselves and family members and begin to enjoy ID theft protection immediately. Although consumers can still rely on old-fashioned strategies for identity theft protection like checking credit reports for mistakes (or more advanced cybersecurity strategies such enabling two-factor verification), an ID theft firm will work around the clock on their behalf and notify them when suspicious activity occurs.
Many identity theft protection firms offer an online dashboard and some even have their own app. Both platforms allow consumers to monitor any changes in their credit report or find out if someone is trying to open an account or withdraw money under their name. Some ID theft services will contact their clients via email alerts. Others may send fraud alerts through text messages or their mobile apps.
Identity Theft: How to Protect yourself
If you’ve been wondering about how identity theft can destroy your credit score, and are looking for ways to prevent it then the best thing to do is sign up for ID protection from one of the companies we have highlighted in this guide. You can get 24/7 monitoring for your accounts by paying for identity theft protection. This will help you detect any signs of fraud immediately.
In the interim, ensure that the plan you choose includes a substantial amount of insurance against identity theft and recovery services. This protection can help cover financial losses in the event that you become a victim of fraud. It can pay for lawyer fees, and reimburse stolen funds.
You may have to take a different approach if you want to fix your credit report. You may wonder How to fix errors in your credit report, or How to remove collections on your credit history. You may want to learn how to dispute a credit report, or you might want to use a credit score calculator to see the impact of your decisions.
You should ask these questions to the best companies for credit repair instead of a service that protects your id.
Credit Repair can help you regain the financial stability you need.
A bad credit score can have a negative impact on your finances and more. Find out below how you can start fixing your credit today.Repair My Credit
ID Theft Scams: Types
There are many types of identity fraud scams. The Federal Trade Commission regularly lists the most recent ID fraud scams. Here are some of them:
- Crypto donation scams
- Credit repair companies are stealing personal information
- Hackers pretending that they are the FTC
- CoVID-19 Identity Fraud Scams
- Phishing scams via phone, text, or email (this can be reported to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation offers information about common identity theft scams. The FBI has listed some of the most common scams.
- Adoption scams
- Scams involving advance fees
- Scams involving charity and disasters
- Scams targeting the elderly
- Internet auction fraud
- Ponzi schemes
The list continues. The endless list of scams is a good indicator that you should protect yourself. Sign up for services that protect you from identity theft 24 hours a days.
Find the best identity theft protection services
We looked for companies offering a variety of plans in order to find the best protection against identity theft. Only companies offering at least $1,000,000 in identity theft coverage were considered, as well as providers who offered plans for individuals and families. We considered the quality of ID plans, but also the total cost of monthly or annual plans. We selected ID theft companies who offer the best value and most services for their money.
