Best ID Theft Protection Services in 2022

Written by

Branko Krstic

Some or all of the products/services listed on this page are from our affiliate partners from which we receive commissions. This, however, does not influence the evaluations in our reviews. Learn more by reading our Advertiser Disclosure.

If you’re worried about identity theft, you’ve come to the right place.

We followed a rigorous review process to bring you the top ID theft protection services of 2022.

This is how we tested each one:

  1. First, we evaluated the feature offers.
  2. We then signed up for a demo of each service and tested everything out firsthand.
  3. Lastly, we compared the prices and came up with the 11 best offers.

These are the providers that impressed us the most:

ID Theft Protection Services of 2022

Identity Guard is one of the leading identity protection services and sets itself apart, thanks to IBM Watson’s artificial intelligence. This feature allows you to scan the dark web to ensure your personal info isn’t floating around, in addition to safe browsing tools that help protect your identity while you shop, bank, and pay bills online. Full Review

  • Easy to install and use
  • IBM Watson AI scanning
  • Six plans to choose from

Family Plan
Yes
Insurance
Up to $1 million
Free Trial
No
Credit Reporting
Yes

IdentityForce offers 24/7 identity protection support and real-time alerts if their Certified Protection Experts team detects suspicious activity. The platform also provides advanced fraud monitoring services, lost wallet assistance, and identity theft insurance for up to $1 million. Full Review

  • Affordably priced
  • Two months of free service
  • Family plan offered

Family Plan
Yes
Insurance
$1 million
Free Trial
14-day free trial
Credit Reporting
Yes

NortonLifeLock is an industry leader with experts committed to monitoring your SSN, mobile devices, and bank accounts. They’re also able to monitor any crimes in your name, while its identity theft technology is designed to scan your account transactions every second to spot any suspicious activity. Full Review

  • Easy-to-navigate portal
  • Family plan
  • Detection and recovery services

Family Plan
Yes
Insurance
Up to $1 million
Free Trial
60-day money-back guarantee
Credit Reporting
Yes

Experian IdentityWorks offers robust functionality, a well-designed layout, and standout features like three-bureau credit reports and additional reports related to payday loans, social networks, etc. Full Review

  • Credit report lock/unlock
  • Triple bureau FICO scores
  • Mobile access

Family Plan
Yes
Insurance
Up to $1 million
Free Trial
30-day free trial
Credit Reporting
Yes

IdentityIQ monitors your personally identifiable information and alerts you of any fraudulent activity. It includes a host of credit monitoring services, alerts of suspicious activity, and information recovery methods to ensure customers have minimal risk of fraud and identity theft. Full Review

  • Affordable rates
  • Tri-bureau credit monitoring
  • Comprehensive coverage

Family Plan
Yes
Insurance
Up to $1 million
Free Trial
No
Credit Reporting
Yes

Zander Insurance offers comprehensive monitoring, recovery, and identity theft services along with alerts, and access to recovery specialists around the clock. Zander’s plans are less expensive than most of its competitors, and it does not limit the number of children you can enroll, making it an ideal no-frills option. Full Review

  • Affordable plans
  • Unlimited coverage for kids
  • Dedicated recovery specialists

Family Plan
Yes
Insurance
Up to $1 million
Free Trial
No
Credit Reporting
No

For over 85 years, Allstate has been protecting what matters most, and now they’re looking after your online privacy. Its proprietary monitoring tools help identify threats to your data and identity, it will cover the cost of your out-of-pocket expenses, and privacy advocates are available 24/7 to manage and restore your identity. Full Review

  • 30-day free service
  • Mobile app
  • Enhanced financial monitoring

Family Plan
Yes
Insurance
$1 million
Free Trial
30-day free trial
Credit Reporting
Yes

IDShield offers protection beyond identity theft with complete privacy and reputation management services to help you keep your online identity and personal information safe. IDShield offers features other services don’t like unlimited consultations, instant alerts, and access to licensed private investigators. Full Review

  • Clear and affordable pricing
  • 24/7 emergency assistance
  • Unlimited consultations

Family Plan
Yes
Insurance
$1 million ($2 million for family coverage)
Free Trial
30-day free trial
Credit Reporting
Yes

Hailing from the acclaimed antivirus company, McAfee Identity Theft Protection, helps you stay ahead of the curve. With automated cyber monitoring capability, SSN tracing, and 24/7/365 free dedicated agent support, McAfee Identity Theft Protection is the ideal personal cybersecurity option. Full Review

  • Enticing first-month offer
  • Brand recognition
  • Fully automated

Family Plan
No
Insurance
Up to $1 million
Free Trial
No
Credit Reporting
Yes

As the consumer division of FICO, the company that invented the FICO credit score, it’s no wonder myFICO is a leader in credit report monitoring service along with the added benefit of identity theft protection. myFICO has comprehensive tools to keep track of your credit and provides restoration benefits for a truly robust offering. Full Review

  • Convenient access to credit reports
  • Reports are customizable
  • In-depth credit analysis

Family Plan
Yes
Insurance
$1 million
Free Trial
No
Credit Reporting
Yes

Equifax/TrustedID is a leading global data, analytics, and technology company that, as one of the top three national credit bureaus, provides a variety of credit monitoring and management services. In addition, the company offers ID protection services at a flat rate for both individuals and families plus unique features like automatic fraud alerts and credit report lock. Full Review

  • Short learning curve
  • Two months free on the annual plan
  • Digital exposure reports

Family Plan
Yes
Insurance
Up to $1 million
Free Trial
No
Credit Reporting
Yes

BEST IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION – STAY SAFE IN 2022

In the age of big data, it’s alarming how much of our personal information can be found online. From phone numbers and addresses to Social Security Numbers and bank account details, it’s all easy pickings for a new breed of thieves that assume other people’s identities and perform unauthorized transactions in their name. Identity theft protection services help prevent this from happening and, in extreme cases, can help you restore your legal identity. 

That’s why we at Web Tribunal took it upon ourselves to evaluate the best ID theft protection services on the market and help you make an informed decision. 

BEST ID THEFT PROTECTION - DETAILED REVIEWS

Best for: OVERALL COVERAGE

1. Identity Guard

Starts from $8.99/month
Open Account
Family Plan

Yes

Insurance

Up to $1 million

Free Trial

No

Credit Reporting

Yes

Support

4

User reviews

4.4

Strengths
  • Easy to install and use
  • IBM Watson AI scanning
  • Six plans to choose from
  • Anti-phishing app
  • Dedicated case manager
Weaknesses
  • No free trial
  • Slightly more expensive

What Is Identity Guard?

Identity Guard is one of the identity theft companies that provides several different products to help users protect themselves against identity fraud and misuse.

Identity Guard is a top-rated identity theft protection service that offers personalized identity fraud protection, secure credit monitoring, and advanced credit protection. It’s also one of the best family identity theft protection options out there. 

Identity Guard Plans & Pricing

Identity Guard has three plans:

  • Value Plan$8.99/month for individuals ($14.99/month for families) – this plan provides essential identity theft protection and limited identity monitoring. An anti-phishing app is available, plus a US-based dedicated case manager. 
  • Total Plan$19.99/month for individuals ($29.99/month for families) – this plan enhanced protection against ID theft, including three-bureau credit monitoring and monthly credit reports. 
  • Ultra Plan $29.99/month for individuals ($39.99/month for families) – this is the most robust plan; it offers all the benefits of the other plans plus three-bureau credit reports and a report on social media activity.  

Identity Guard Support

IdentityGuard is another service that isn’t available 24/7, so it might be tough to get a hold of them after office hours or on a Sunday/holiday.

Customer service representatives are only available over the phone; alternatively, they respond to emails in 24-48 hours, which is simply too long if you’re in an emergency. They are, however, accommodating.

If any family member covered by the plan is a victim of theft or fraud, then a dedicated case manager is assigned to help through the entire process. 

Identity Guard Best Features

  • IBM Watson AI is an impressive technology that tracks your SSN, name, and more to help identify potential data theft points. 
  • Bank account takeover protection helps you protect your financial accounts from takeover by identity thieves. 
  • Account application alerts notify you immediately of new accounts or applications in your name.  
  • A US-based dedicated case manager will help you resolve identity theft issues and monitor your case for 60 days after resolving the issue. 
  • Safe browsing extension for anti-malware and Trojan horse virus protection is built for Safari, Firefox, and Chrome, guaranteeing browser security, and in some instances, detecting potential cybercrimes.
  • Social insights report scans social media for identity theft risks. 
  • Risk management reports provide details on potential identity threats based on your web activity. 

What We Disliked About Identity Guard

  • Credit reports are only offered with the higher tier packages.
  • It’s slightly more expensive than most other fraud protection services

Identity Guard User Reviews

Identity Guard is one of the highest-rated identity theft protection services on the market. It has glowing identity theft protection reviews on almost every user review site and is considered the best overall coverage service.

One Identity Guard review, in particular, praised the service’s comprehensive credit and identity monitoring, affordable pricing starting at $9.99, and flexible contracts. 

We Recommend Identity Guard For

Identity Guard offers a unique monitor and recovery system that can help protect your data, credit, and finances from identity theft. Also, it has comprehensive software protection against cyberthreats, and we recommend them for overall coverage and protection.

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Best for: OVERALL MONITORING

2. IdentityForce

Starts from $17.95/month
Open Account
Family Plan

Yes

Insurance

$1 million

Free Trial

14-day free trial

Credit Reporting

Yes

Support

4.5

User reviews

4.5

Strengths
  • Affordably priced
  • Two months of free service
  • Family plan offered
  • Mobile device protection
  • IBM intelligent tracking
Weaknesses
  • Limited recovery services
  • Prices vary depending on the signup

What Is IdentityForce?

IdentityForce is a top provider of proactive identity, privacy, and credit protection for individuals, businesses, and government agencies. 

IdentityForce Plans & Pricing

IdentityForce has two paid price plans: 

  • UltraSecure$17.95/month or $179.50/year – UltraSecure monitors your personal info 24/7, alerts you if it is compromised, and backs it up with $1 million identity theft insurance
  • UltraSecure+Credit $23.95/month or $239.50/year – UltraSecure+Credit provides all the benefits of UltraSecure plus 3-bureau credit monitoring, scores, reports, credit score simulator, and more.

IdentityForce Support

IndentityForce has multiple reliable support channels where customers can use to get a hold of them, including a helpline, email support, an extensive FAQ section, and numerous social media platforms. The support is 24/7, and they provide real-time alerts for your ID monitoring

IdentityForce Best Features

  • Advanced fraud monitoring delivers virtual, real-time proactive alerts when lenders such as banks, auto dealers, mortgage companies, and government agencies request a copy of your credit record. 
  • Dark web data analysis combines human research with investigative methods that access the dark web and locates breached personal information.
  • Online PC protection tools proactively prevent malware from stealing sensitive data and detect dangerous fake sites to prevent phishing attacks.  
  • Smart SSN tracker intelligently alerts you if there’s an unfamiliar name, alias, or address associated with your Social Security Number
  • Lost wallet assistance quickly cancels and replaces credit, debit, and ATM cards if your wallet is lost or stolen.  
  • Identity theft insurance helps you recover out-of-pocket expenses and lost wages of up to $1 million when your identity is stolen. 
  • Credit freeze and credit report fraud assistance provides access to dedicated ID theft protection specialists who are available to help you navigate through initiating a credit freeze or disputing fraudulent activity on your credit report. 
  • Mobile attack control provides alerts for a wide array of threats, including rogue apps, spyware, and even unsecured WiFi connections.

What We Disliked About IdentityForce

  • There aren’t many purely recovery measures in place; its sole focus is on monitoring and alerts.
  • The family plan isn’t readily visible on the website but is only available when you sign up over the phone.

IdentityForce User Reviews

IdentityForce is a top choice among users. It has nearly universal acclaim from customers on review sites across the board. Users love the real-time alerts, the excellent user interface, and especially the family monitoring. 

We Recommend IdentityForce For

IdentityForce is our top pick for ID theft protection. The service is affordable, has excellent support and great features. It is one of the best identity theft protection options on the market and we recommend it for overall coverage and ID theft protection.

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Best for: CYBERSECURITY

3. NortonLifeLock

Starts from $9.99/month
Open Account
Family Plan

Yes

Insurance

Up to $1 million

Free Trial

60-day money-back guarantee

Credit Reporting

Yes

Support

4.8

User reviews

3

Strengths
  • Easy-to-navigate portal
  • Family plan
  • Detection and recovery services
  • Boosts device security
  • Legal assistance
  • Mobile apps
Weaknesses
  • LifeLock works with Equifax
  • The top-tier plan is pricey
  • Not all transactions are monitored

What Is NortonLifeLock?

NortonLifeLock is a global leader in personal cybersecurity that delivers comprehensive protection for your cyber safety. NortonLifeLock offers multi-layered, advanced identity security that helps protect your devices and information from online threats like viruses, malware, and phishing

NortonLifeLock Plans & Pricing

NortonLifeLock has three paid price plans: 

  • LifeLock Standard$9.99/month for the first year ($11.99 after) – this plan comes with reimbursement for up to $25,000 for stolen funds along with identity & social security number alerts and credit monitoring on one bureau. 
  • LifeLock Advantage$19.99/month for the first year (then $22.99 after) – this plan increases reimbursement to $100,000 plus bank account and credit card activity alerts and alerts on crimes committed in your name. 
  • LifeLock Ultimate Plus$29.99/month for the first year (then $34.99 after) – while a bit pricey compared to some other LifeLock alternatives, this plan ups the reimbursement for lost funds up to $1 million. Also, it comes with annual credit scores and reports from three bureaus and 401(k) and investment account activity alerts.

NortonLifeLock Support

LifeLock provides reliable support by giving customers access to 24/7 live member support agents. The service also provides customers with instant alerts for potentially fraudulent activity and will help customers determine a course of action if/when compromised.

The LifeLock website also includes plenty of educational material for customers to access at any time. 

NortonLifeLock Best Features

  • Identity restoration specialists are on call 24/7 to guide you through the process if you become a victim of identity theft.
  • Stolen wallet protection helps you block and replace bank and credit cards if your wallet is ever lost or stolen. 
  • Dark web monitoring enables you to continually scour the dark web and receive notifications if/when your info is found. 
  • Data breach notifications alert you immediately if your data has been compromised. 
  • Fictitious identity monitoring scans for names and addresses connected to your Social Security Number to help against criminals creating a fake ID to open accounts or commit fraud.  
  • File sharing network searches help keep identity thieves at bay who might access your info through peer-to-peer, file-sharing networks. 
  • Credit score tracking can help you spot inaccuracies in your credit reports that could result from identity theft

What We Disliked About NortonLifeLock

  • LifeLock contracts with Equifax to provide some of its credit monitoring; Equifax had a significant data breach in 2017.
  • Not all the transactions are monitored. 

NortonLifeLock User Reviews

We scoured the internet for identity protection reviews of NortonLifeLock, and despite some recent scandals, it has a pretty good reputation online with its customers.

The consensus in more than one LifeLock review is that its vastly superior features and functionality compared to LifeLock competitors paired with the brand recognition that comes with Norton make this one of the best identity protection options for 2022.

We Recommend NortonLifeLock For

NortonLifeLock offers multi-layered, advanced security, threat monitoring, and virtual private networking, and it’s the best identity protection service if you’re looking to stay safe from various hacking methods, including malicious software, phishing, and ransomware.

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Best for: FAMILY PROTECTION

4. Experian IdentityWorks

Starts from $9.99/month
Open Account
Family Plan

Yes

Insurance

Up to $1 million

Free Trial

30-day free trial

Credit Reporting

Yes

Support

4

User reviews

3.5

Strengths
  • Credit report lock/unlock
  • Triple bureau FICO scores
  • Mobile access
  • Lots of extra services
  • 30-day free trial
Weaknesses
  • Large data breach in SA
  • No card monitoring
  • Little variety in plans

What Is Experian IdentityWorks?

Experian IdentityWorks is an identity protection service from the Experian credit bureau. IdentityWorks offers an extensive array of credit monitoring features alongside its ID monitoring service and fraud resolution assistance. 

Experian IdentityWorks Plans & Pricing

Experian IdentityWorks is available in three plans: 

Adult

  • Experian IdentityWorks Plus$9.99/month billed monthly (or $99.99 billed yearly) – a full-featured plan that provides identity theft detection, protection, and resolution.
  • Experian IdentityWorks Premium$19.99/month billed monthly (or $199.99 billed yearly) – this identity protection solution comes with three-bureau credit monitoring and premium identity alerts. 

Adult (and up to 10 children):

  • Experian IdentityWorks Plus$14.99/month billed monthly (or $149.99 billed yearly) – this plan adds child identity protection features and credit monitoring from Experian only.
  • Experian IdentityWorks Premium$24.99/month billed monthly (or $249.99 billed yearly) – some additions include extra monitoring and alerts and quarterly three-bureau FICO scores. 

Two adults (and up to 10 children):

  • Experian IdentityWorks Plus $19.99/month billed monthly (or $199.99 billed yearly) – other than offering coverage for two adults instead of one, this plan is virtually the same as the previous one. 
  • Experian IdentityWorks Premium$29.99/month billed monthly ($299 billed yearly) – this plan is also nearly identical to the other two premium plans. 

Experian IdentityWorks Support 

Experian IdentityWorks isn’t available 24/7, but they have dedicated live support for the whole family and access to Identity Restoration Specialists.

The vendor is relatively easy to get in touch with, and the Experian customer care representatives can solve customer concerns quickly and satisfactorily over the phone.

Experian IdentityWorks Best Features

  • Social media observation allows you to set alerts and receive notifications when risky words that might damage your reputation are flagged on social media.  
  • Fraud resolution agents review credit records to help you determine potential areas of fraud
  • Experian CreditLock is a unique tool that allows you to lock and unlock your Experian credit files and receive real-time alerts of attempted credit inquiries. 
  • Identity validation alerts assists in pinpointing fraudulent info on account applications. 
  • Credit bureau monitoring includes alerts for new accounts, account balance changes, credit utilization, positive activity, dormant accounts, and FICO score alerts.  
  • Social Security Number tracing finds out if aliases or addresses are associated with your SSN. 

What We Disliked About Experian IdentityWorks

  • The plans could use more variety. 
  • It doesn’t offer 24/7 support.

Experian IdentityWorks User Reviews

Due to a large data breach in early 2020 in South Africa, Experian’s reputation has taken a hit. This, however, has remained underreported stateside, judging by discussions on user review sites, where the service generally gets positive ratings, with users praising its affordability. 

We Recommend Experian IdentityWorks For

This service is best for those who are looking for comprehensive credit monitoring coverage with timely alerts, as well as for those who want the best identity theft protection for families.

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Best for: CARD MONITORING

5. IdentityIQ

Starts from $6.99/month
Open Account
Family Plan

Yes

Insurance

Up to $1 million

Free Trial

No

Credit Reporting

Yes

Support

3

User reviews

3.2

Strengths
  • Affordable rates
  • Tri-bureau credit monitoring
  • Comprehensive coverage
  • Dedicated support
  • Loads of extra features
Weaknesses
  • The company is relatively new
  • No trial period
  • Cheaper plans are lacking

What Is IdentityIQ?

IdentityIQ is identity theft and credit protection service designed to help users stay on top of identity thefts and breaches. IdentityIQ actively monitors your identity with enhanced protection and offers several advanced identity theft programs that include credit monitoring for you and identity theft insurance for your family. 

IdentityIQ Plans & Pricing

IdentityIQ has four features plans: 

  • Secure Plan – $6.99 monthly – offers daily one-bureau monitoring, SSN alerts, and coverage for personal expense compensation. 
  • Secure Plus – $9.99 monthly – this plan adds annual three-bureau credit reports and score, IQ alerts with application monitoring, and change of address notifications. 
  • Secure Pro – $19.99 monthly – with this plan, you can expect bi-annual three-bureau credit reports and scores, enhanced credit report monitoring, and score change alerts.  
  • Secure Max – $29.99 monthly – this is the only plan that offers family protection and fraud resolution, in addition to a credit score tracker and monthly three-bureau credit reports and scores. 

IdentityIQ Support

IdentityIQ’s customer service team is US-based, a feature that the service claims will benefit members. IdentityIQ isn’t available 24/7, and they are closed on some holidays, so it might prove challenging to get in touch with them.

They do not have an email address nor a mobile app; they can only be reached by a phone call or online when you sign in to your account. 

IdentityIQ Best Features

  • ID fraud restoration assists if you ever become a victim of identity theft. You will receive a dedicated case manager to help put together an action plan and be with you every step of the way. 
  • Synthetic ID theft protection prevents fictitious identities with your personal information. 
  • Coverage for personal expense compensation helps if you have out-of-pocket expenses due to ID theft
  • SSN alerts let you know whenever your SSN is used with a wrong address or name. 
  • The checking account report complements the entire suite. It allows you to see if your checking accounts have been reported to the Chex System for unpaid fees, overdrawn accounts, suspected fraud, or any other reason. 
  • Tri-bureau credit reports and scores can provide you with a broader view of your credit record. 

What We Disliked About IdentityIQ

  • There’s no free trial period 
  • The cheaper plans lack some essential features 
  • You have to call to cancel 

IdentityIQ User Reviews

The best way to sum customer reactions to IdentityIQ is “good, not great.” Some positives include the easy-to-use website and timely alerts when someone is running your credit.

It’s great that they offer $1 million fraud insurance no matter the plan, but it’s rather annoying that they don’t have a free trial, and you have to call in person to cancel your subscription. 

We Recommend IdentityIQ For 

IdentityIQ has enhanced credit monitoring that effectively monitors your credit on a whole new level. With this benefit, you are alerted to changes when authorized users are added to your credit cards, and when your TransUnion credit score changes by 10+. That’s why we recommend it for credit monitoring.

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Best for: IDENTITY MONITORING

6. Zander Insurance

Starts from $6.75/month
Open Account
Family Plan

Yes

Insurance

$1 million

Free Trial

No

Credit Reporting

No

Support

4.8

User reviews

4

Strengths
  • Affordable plans
  • Unlimited coverage for kids
  • Dedicated recovery specialists
  • Expenses and lost wages reimbursement
  • 24/7 customer care
Weaknesses
  • No free trial
  • No credit monitoring
  • No bank or credit account alerts

What Is Zander Insurance?

Zander Insurance is an independent insurance agency that offers services that extend through all insurance lines, including identity theft protection. Zander provides monitoring and restoration services with ancillary identity fraud reimbursement benefits along with access to certified recovery specialists if your identity is ever stolen.

Zander Insurance Plans & Pricing

  • Individual Plan$6.75/month or $75/year – this plan gets you pretty decent data security and insurance coverage that includes protection from the most common identity thefts, online screening of sensitive info, and stolen wallet coverage. 
  • Family Plan$12.90/month or $145/year – in addition to all the benefits of the individual plan, this plan allows you to add two adults and has coverage for unlimited children up to 25. 

Zander Insurance Support

Zander offers customer support that is as good as any top tier ID theft protection service. It’s made even better by 24/7 access to customer care reps, even on holidays. Their account recovery is also just as robust and, more importantly, available 24/7/365 with certified recovery specialists always on call.

Zander Insurance Best Features

  • Proactive identity monitoring and alerts notify you if a change or unusual activity is detected, reducing your risk of becoming an ID theft victim. 
  • Multi-ID theft protection provides some of the best fraud protection in the industry, including financial and tax fraud, benefits and employment fraud, home title fraud, social security fraud, medical ID, and child ID theft
  • Identity recovery specialists are assigned to every case of identity theft to help you through the process.
  • Child information scan alerts you if Zander detects that your children’s personal information is being bought or sold online. 
  • $1 million fraud insurance will cover stolen funds and expenses such as legal fees, lost wages, and other out-of-pocket costs in the event of identity theft
  • Kids protection covers up to 25 children at no extra when you sign up for the family plan. 

What We Disliked About Zander Insurance

  • The app is essentially just a mobile version of the website, rendering it redundant. 
  • Credit monitoring is not provided directly through Zander Insurance (although members can access reports through AnnualCreditReport.com).
  • It doesn’t offer bank or credit account alerts. 

Zander Insurance User Reviews

The most significant user reaction online about Zander Insurance refers to the affordable identity theft protection cost. Customers love the fact that Zander offers the lowest prices for identity protection on the market, and it helps that they also provide child protection for up to 25 children at no extra cost.

Some negative reviews point to the lack of credit monitoring and some inefficiencies in the mobile app. 

We Recommend Zander Insurance For

Zander Insurance is the best identity theft monitoring service, it focuses heavily on identity monitoring and restoration, and that’s what we recommend it for. From driver’s licenses, SSN, and medical insurance numbers to phone numbers, credit/debit card numbers, and bank accounts, Zander allows members to select what information gets monitored upon signup.

There’s no requirement to supply any of this info, but Zander recommends that you do because the more info you provide, the better they can scan for potential threats.

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Best for: ENHANCED FINANCIAL MONITORING

7. Allstate Identity Protection

Starts from $9.99/month
Open Account
Family Plan

Yes

Insurance

$1 million

Free Trial

30-day free trial

Credit Reporting

Yes

Support

4

User reviews

4

Strengths
  • 30-day free service
  • Mobile app
  • Enhanced financial monitoring
  • Stolen funds reimbursement
  • Priority member support
  • Social account takeover protection
Weaknesses
  • Subscription renews automatically
  • Key features need additional activation

What Is Allstate Identity Protection?

Allstate Identity Protection is a subdivision of the Allstate Insurance Corporation and is the newest way to monitor your identity, privacy, and data. Allstate Identity Protection goes beyond typical identity protection; its proprietary technology shows your digital footprint to help you reduce your risk of identity theft

Allstate Identity Protection Plans & Pricing

Allstate Identity Protection has two price plans for individual and family, and each plan has two tiers:

Individual

  • Essentials – $9.99/month – this plan includes all the standard features, including financial monitoring and privacy management tools like scanning darknet markets.
  • Premier – $17.99/month – this plan adds extras like social media and advanced financial monitoring, plus the stolen funds reimbursement benefit goes up from $50,000 to $500,000. 

Family

  • Essentials – $18.99/month – this plan’s benefits are similar to the Individual Essentials plan. The only difference is that it covers an additional four family members. 
  • Premier – $34.99/month – the same goes with this plan. You get to enjoy the features of the Individual Premier plan with the benefit of adding four additional family members.

Allstate Identity Protection ran a promotion earlier this year where if you signed up by June 30th, 2020, the service would be free of charge for the rest of the year. 

Allstate Identity Protection Support

Allstate Identity Protection offers full-service, 24/7 remediation support. Its in-house Privacy Advocates are always on hand to help guide you through the whole process. Allstate also has a 24/7 toll-free number where you can speak to a friendly and helpful agent should you have questions or queries. 

Allstate Identity Protection Best Features

  • Allstate’s digital footprint lets you see a list of all your online accounts and sends you alerts when data security breaches are detected that may affect you. 
  • Full-service remediation will fully manage identity restoration from start to finish in the event of a theft or fraud
  • Enhanced financial monitoring will protect your finances with alerts triggered by bank accounts, credit and debit cards, 401(k) plans, student loan applications, and medical billing requests. 
  • Solicitation reduction will help you opt-out of scam calls, pre-approved credit offers, and junk mail. 
  • Lost wallet assistance will walk you through the process of replacing the contents of a lost wallet. 
  • Privacy management includes dark web monitoring, which allows you to receive alerts when the Allstate bots and human intelligence operatives find your compromised info in closed hacker forums. 
  • Social media monitoring encompasses social reputation monitoring and accounts takeover protection. 

What We Disliked About Allstate Identity Protection

  • Subscription renews automatically at an additional cost unless it is canceled. 
  • Some key features require additional activation. 

Allstate Identity Protection User Reviews

Allstate Identity Protection has two things going for it—brand recognition and the fact that it is currently free to use for the first 30 days. Other than that, there isn’t much discussion around Allstate Identity Protection online. 

We Recommend Allstate Identity Protection For

In addition to its excellent credit monitoring capability, Allstate Identity Protection also has Enhanced Financial Monitoring features like monitoring high-risk transactions, student loan activity, credit card transactions, bank account transactions, and even 401(k) transactions. We recommend Allstate Identity Protection for these great features.

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Best for: IDENTITY PROTECTION

8. IDShield

Starts from $13.95/month
Open Account
Family Plan

Yes

Insurance

$1 million ($2 million for family coverage)

Free Trial

30-day free trial

Credit Reporting

Yes

Support

4.2

User reviews

3.8

Strengths
  • Clear and affordable pricing
  • 24/7 emergency assistance
  • Unlimited consultations
  • Social media scanning
  • Access to private investigator
  • Reduce mail and phone solicitations
Weaknesses
  • Little difference in plans
  • No mobile device protection
  • No medical ID theft alerts

What Is IDShield?

IDShield is an identity theft protection service that offers comprehensive monitoring and restoration benefits to fight against ID fraud. IDShield provides identity protection services armed with a team of certified Private Investigators to help restore your identity should that ever happen. 

IDShield Plans & Pricing

IDShield offers four plans, two for individuals and two for families:

Individual

  • One Bureau – $13.95/month – this plan covers one individual, has credit monitoring and alerts from TransUnion only, and comprehensive ID theft protection features like unlimited restoration services and 24/7 credit monitoring and alerts. 
  • Three Bureaus – $17.95/month – the only difference is that this plan gives you access to credit monitoring and alerts from all three credit bureaus. 

Family

  • One Bureau – $26.95/month – this plan covers you, your spouse or partner, and up to 10 dependent children. It also has all TransUnion credit monitoring and alerts only and all the standard privacy and protection features. 
  • Three Bureaus – $32.95/month – much like the individual plan, the only difference with this plan is that you get credit monitoring and alerts from all three credit bureaus. 

IDShield Support

IDShield Customer Service is available 24/7. An email form and direct phone number are provided on the website for reaching member services, a sales associate, or a broker/insurance agent. Members can also reach out via Facebook and Twitter, which, according to IDShield, is the quickest way to get a response as the customer care team usually responds to social media queries within an hour. 

IDShield Best Features

  • Advanced SSN Skip Trace searches uncover hidden theft and fraud using your Social Security Number
  • Solicitation reduction helps reduce the number of unsolicited offers from telemarketers and mail marketers for credit cards, insurance policies, and more.   
  • Licensed private investigators will work under the Power of Attorney to help restore your identity and reputation to its former standing.  
  • Unlimited restoration and support give you access to an identity theft specialist to advise on any theft or fraud concerns as much as you want.
  • Lost wallet support will help mitigate theft or fraud and use unique databases to determine if any misuse of your info has occurred. 
  • Reputation management monitors your online reputation, and trained professionals can improve and manage your reputation over time.
  • IDShield mobile app includes 24/7 emergency assistance, push notifications for identity threats, a monthly credit score tracker, and restoration case status updates.

What We Disliked About IDShield

  • There is little difference between the plans. 
  • IDShiled’s identity protection services are not as comprehensive as some other providers. 
  • The setup process is a little tedious. 

IDShield User Reviews

IDShield is one of the top identity theft protection services among users. Its frequent three-bureau reports and score are a great tool, and the service as a whole is competitively priced. Users also find the focus on consumer education a great benefit. 

We Recommend IDShield For

We found that IDShield is the best ID protection option, and we recommend it for that specifically. The robust features, competitive pricing, and consumer education material make it overall one of the best ID theft protection services out there.

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Best for: CYBER MONITORING

9. McAfee Identity Theft Protection

Starts from $0.99/month
Open Account
Family Plan

No

Insurance

Up to $1 million

Free Trial

No

Credit Reporting

Yes

Support

4.6

User reviews

2

Strengths
  • Enticing first-month offer
  • Brand recognition
  • Fully automated
  • Free 24/7/365 support
  • Full-service ID restoration
Weaknesses
  • Financial monitoring is limited
  • Lacks some essential features
  • Fairly new

What Is McAfee Identity Theft Protection?

McAfee Identity Theft Protection is one of the products under the McAfee banner, one of the world’s leading independent ID security companies. McAfee Identity Theft Protection offers fully automated dark web scanning, credit monitoring, and 24/7/365 dedicated support. 

McAfee Identity Theft Protection Plans & Pricing

McAfee Identity Theft Protection has three paid plans: 

  • Identity Theft Protection STANDARD – $0.99 for the first month, then $7.99/month (or $69 for the first year, then $89.99 after that) – offers essential features like cyber monitoring,  SSN trace, full-service ID restoration, and free 24/7/365 support. 
  • Identity Theft Protection PLUS $4.99 for the first month, then $15.99/month (or $139.99 for the first year, then $174.99 after that) – this plan adds credit reporting, court, and criminal record monitoring, plus non-credit loan monitoring. 
  • Identity Theft Protection PREMIUM – $9.99 for the first month, then $23.99/month (or $209.99 for the first year, then $264.99 after that) – this plan only adds bank account takeover monitoring and sex offender monitoring. 

McAfee Identity Theft Protection Support

In addition to 24/7/365 dedicated agent support, McAfee has a dedicated consumer support website and a virtual assistant service that can lead users step-by-step through solutions for common issues. Both are super helpful and get fundamental issues resolved quickly. 

McAfee Identity Theft Protection Best Features

  • Cyber monitoring uses proprietary technology to scan online black markets and alerts you when your personal information is at risk.
  • Smart metrics provide key ID theft alert stats for you and your city so that you can stay ahead of any potential threats specific to your area. 
  • Social media monitoring watches for misuse of your profile, pictures, and posts and warns about your online reputation risks. 
  • 24/7 dedicated agents are available around the clock to help you with everything from a lost wallet to full-blown ID theft
  • Change of address reports notifies you if your mail has been redirected through the USPS so you can catch fraudulent forwarding. 
  • SSN trace alerts you of any new aliases or addresses linked to your SSN, helping prevent fraud
  • ID restoration includes dedicated specialists to help you reclaim your identity if it is lost. 

What We Disliked About McAfee Identity Theft Protection

  • Financial monitoring features are limited to applications and accounts at McAfee partner financial institutions. 
  • Less comprehensive than some of its competitors. 

McAfee Identity Theft Protection User Reviews

Because McAfee only started Identity Theft Protection in 2018, there isn’t much in the way of chatter about it on user review sites online, including Reddit. The one review we found is from Businesswire, and it praised McAfee Identity Theft Protection for innovating past antivirus software. 

We Recommend McAfee Identity Theft Protection For

McAfee Identity Theft Protection’s cyber monitoring feature scans through more than 600,000 digital black markets on the dark web for personal data. We recommend McAfee Identity Theft Protection for cyber monitoring.

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Best for: CREDIT REPORTING

10. myFICO

Starts from $19.95/month
Open Account
Family Plan

Yes

Insurance

$1 million

Free Trial

No

Credit Reporting

Yes

Support

2.5

User reviews

3.3

Strengths
  • Convenient access to credit reports
  • Reports are customizable
  • In-depth credit analysis
  • 24/7 customer support
  • ID theft recovery
Weaknesses
  • A little pricey
  • No free trial
  • Subscription renews automatically

What is myFICO?

myFICO is the consumer division of the FICO company, the organization that created the FICO score, and is a subscription credit monitoring service that helps track users’ FICO scores. It is an all-in-one solution that makes understanding your credit as easy as possible. 

myFICO Plans & Pricing

myFICO has three subscription plans: 

  • Basic $19.95/month – this plan includes coverage for one credit bureau (Experian), monthly updates, scores for auto loans, mortgages, and more, credit monitoring, a credit report, a true FICO score, and a FICO score simulator.
  • Advanced – $29.95/month – this plan upgrades to three-bureau coverage but with updates every three months. Other additions include SSN scans and dark web monitoring.
  • Premier – $39.95/month – this plan includes everything in the previous two plans plus three complete credit bureau coverage with monthly updates and 28 FICO score options. 
  • Family Advanced – $49.95/month – this plan covers two adults and up to 10 children and has 3-bureau quarterly reports and FICO score updates, identity theft monitoring, and fraud resolution for the entire family. 

myFICO also offers one-time reports:

  • 1-Bureau Credit Report – $19.95 – best for when you only need a credit report from one bureau; you get to choose between Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. 
  • 3-Bureau Credit Report – best for when you are preparing to meet with a lender and need a report from all three bureaus; Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

myFICO Support

myFICO support is not available 24/7. They have a support center on their website with an email and phone number and typically respond within 24 hours. They are a little harder to get a hold of than most ID protection services, but they have an FAQ section on the website that answers basic questions and queries. 

myFICO Best Features

  • Credit monitoring continually keeps track of your credit files at Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax and notifies you of significant changes such as inquiries, new accounts, address changes, late payments, and more.
  • Credit reporting gives you a snapshot of all three credit bureau scores for when you’re preparing for large purchases like a mortgage. 
  • FICO score updates notify you of monitored changes to your FICO score, and with every credit monitoring alert, myFICO includes your current FICO score.
  • Identity protection scans thousands of websites, chat rooms, and other internet databases and alerts you to any potential threats to your identity. 
  • Restoration services help you through the process of rebuilding your identity if you ever become a victim of theft or fraud
  • Credit tools and analysis simulate credit events, such as a mortgage or paying down a credit card to help gain insight on how they could affect your credit. 

What We Disliked About myFICO

  • The monthly subscription renews automatically unless you cancel. 
  • The Basic plan is pricey compared to other entry-level ID theft protection plans. 
  • The family plan is hidden away in another section of the website. 

myFICO User Reviews

Users have found myFICO’s customer support to be helpful and well organized. The company holds high praise on most user review sites for being a convenient way to access your FICO reports and have comprehensive protection measures in place to prevent them from being messed with.

We Recommend myFICO For

Because myFICO gives users direct access to their FICO scores and reports, we recommend it for credit reporting. They also have excellent monitoring and protection features and useful tools and analysis to keep track of your credit and maintain its good standing.

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Best for: CREDIT REPORT ASSISTANCE

11. Equifax/TrustedID

Starts from $19.95/month
Open Account
Family Plan

Yes

Insurance

Up to $1 million

Free Trial

No

Credit Reporting

Yes

Support

3

User reviews

2

Strengths
  • Short learning curve
  • Two months free on the annual plan
  • Digital exposure reports
  • Proprietary monitoring technology
  • IP Address monitoring
Weaknesses
  • Limited family coverage
  • Expensive to get started
  • 2017 data breach

What Is Equifax/TrustedID?

Equifax is one of three leading national credit bureaus in America. In 2013, Equifax acquired TrustedID and began utilizing its products—like credit freeze, anti-malware protection, and black-market internet monitoring—as its primary ID protection and credit monitoring service.  

Equifax/TrustedID Plans & Pricing

Equifax/TrustedID has two paid protection plans: 

  • Equifax Complete Premier – $19.95/month – this plan helps you take control of your credit and know where you stand with access to tri-bureau credit scores and reports, help monitor your credit and SSN and uncover potential fraud with credit monitoring and alerts. 
  • Equifax Complete Family Plan – $19.95/month – this plan helps you protect your entire family with credit monitoring and ID theft protection features like internet scanning, lost wallet assistance, and identity restoration. 

Equifax/TrustedID Support

Equifax doesn’t provide 24/7 support and due to COVID-19 their ability to answer incoming calls promptly has been hampered by call center closures and government-mandated curfews. They are, however, available between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM Monday to Sunday and are somewhat helpful given the circumstances.  

Equifax/TrustedID Best Features

  • 3-bureau credit file monitoring will let you know of any key changes to your Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax credit files through customizable alerts. 
  • Internet scanning inspects suspected fraudulent websites and alerts you if your SSN, credit card number, banking details, or medical ID info is ever found online. 
  • Automatic fraud alerts encourage lenders to take extra precautions to verify your identity before extending credit. 
  • Equifax credit report lock secures your Equifax credit report from being accessed for the purposes of extending credit (with certain exceptions). 
  • Identity restoration utilizes the services of a team of dedicated ID restoration specialists to work on ID recovery on your behalf.
  • Lost wallet assistance helps you cancel and reissue your credit and ID cards in the vent that you ever lose them. 

What We Disliked About Equifax/TrustedID

  • You will not be assigned a dedicated case manager if/when you become a victim of identity theft
  • The restoration fraud process is lengthy and complicated. 

Equifax/TrustedID User Reviews

Users don’t have a whole lot of faith in Equifax after a data breach in 2017, which was subsequently deemed as “entirely preventable” and as such Equifax has garnered a lot of negative feedback. We, however, also found positive reviews praising the customer service.  

We Recommend Equifax/TrustedID For

While not quite the best identity theft protection service out there, Equifax/TrustedID is a good option for those looking for a user-friendly credit monitoring option.

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Great Identity Theft Companies That Didn’t Make the Cut

  • ID Watchdog.
    ID Watchdog is designed with law enforcement, banking, credit, and information privacy in mind. It provides greater peace of mind by protecting your personal and financial information and your family.
  • Identity Fraud.
    Identity Fraud’s most significant selling point is its price. It is the second cheapest entry-level ID theft protection service and offers a business cybercrime protection service called BizLock.
  • PrivacyGuard. PrivacyGuard has a fairly run-of-the-mill ID theft protection service; however, its daily credit monitoring feature trumps its more conventional competitors.
  • Intelius Identity Protect.
     Primarily a  tool for people searching and  background checks, Intelius also has an identity protection service with 24/7 access to fraud resolution experts.

How We Ranked the Best ID Theft Protection Services

The review process of ranking the best identity theft protection alternatives follows the thorough and in-depth analysis of all of our reviews: 

  1. Market research  the first and most crucial step in our ID theft protection comparison was to read up on as many ID theft protection services as we could and narrow them down by price, features, reliability, and functionality. 
  2. Evaluation we browsed each service’s website and looked at its most essential aspects, including best features, pricing, and benefits.
  3. Demos we couldn’t sign up for and test every single service, we instead looked up demonstrations of the benefits to gauge usability, functionality, and safety measures.
  4. User feedback we also read through tons of user reviews to get a sense of how regular users felt about each service. We also specifically searched for the best ID theft protection services on Reddit, Yelp, Consumer Affairs, and other third-party websites, and looked up identity theft insurance reviews, where applicable. This helped us compare identity theft protection services and draft our overall ranking.

What Are the Most Common Signs of Identity Theft?

If your wallet, SSN, or personal information is lost or stolen, it would be easy for identity thieves to misuse that information. That’s why it’s essential to recognize the signs of identity theft early. 

  • Unusual account withdrawals
  • Unexplained charges on your bank statement
  • Bounced checks
  • Debt collectors are calling you for debts that aren’t yours
  • Unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report
  • Medical providers bill you for services that you did not use
  • The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return is filed in your name

What Should I Do If My Identity Is Stolen?

If you discover that your identity has been stolen or that your information has been misused—and you don’t have ID theft protection—then the first step would be to visit the Federal Trade Commission site IdentityTheft.gov.

The FTC has steps to help you report and recover from identity theft by creating a personal recovery plan, taking you through the necessary steps, updating your plan as needed, tracking your progress, and pre-filling forms and letters for you.

How Does Identity Theft Protection Work?

Identity theft protection is pretty straightforward; the services act as guardians for your personal information for a monthly or annual fee. Identity theft protection offers three primary services—monitoring, alerts, and recovery.

Generally, it starts with credit, and account monitoring, then additional services to alert you of potential threats and guide you through the recovery process if and/or when your info is ever compromised. 

Wrap Up

In the age of the internet, identity theft is at an all-time high, and internet fraud prevention is more crucial than ever. Whatever you need, be it internet security, family protection, or credit monitoring, we hope this review of the best identity theft protection services makes the decision of finding the right solution for you a little easier.

FAQ
Which is better: LifeLock or Identity Guard?

LifeLock works best with tech-conscious consumers, while Identity Guard is a better comprehensive identity theft protection service. LifeLock’s 24/7 assistance is a big plus, but Identity Guard includes high-risk transaction alerts and risk management with all price plans. 

How to protect yourself from identity theft?

There are several ways to do that, including signing up for identity theft protection. Still, some general safeguards include: securing your mail, protecting your Social Security Number, not leaving a paper trail, never letting your credit card out of your sight, and having your name taken off marketer lists.

Do I need identity theft protection?

Identity theft protection is more of a luxury than a necessity. Identity theft protection companies offer three primary services—monitoring, alerts, and recovery—and except for recovery, you could perform the other tasks yourself. You should consider paying for an identity theft check and protection if you’ve been a victim or feel at high risk of it or if you don’t want to do the work of monitoring your credit.

What is the best identity theft protection?

Overall, IdentityGuard offers the best ID theft protection coverage. The service utilizes cutting-edge AI technology to detect identity threats using predictive analytics and provides recovery assistance. It has been trusted by over 47 million customers, and plans start as low as $8.99 per month.

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Branko Krstic
Branko Krstic

Branko is a round-the-clock tech geek and loving it. His ideal vacation destination is the Akihabara District (or really any place he can take his computer). If there’s a server out there, count on him to find out what it’s made of… and tell you all about it.