There is not one, not two, but many ways by which you can be a victim of identity fraud. Not only is it very difficult to know how and when you became a victim, but the real problem lies in resolving the issue. The worst part is that if you are not good at monitoring things, you possibly would never know about being the victim until something very bad happens.
So, instead of waiting for something bad to happen to take protective measures, it is better to seek identity fraud protection services. There are a lot of service providers who will do all the protection and monitoring work for you. In this way, spotting fraud and dealing with the whole identity theft will be easier than ever.
However, you need to understand that every service provider is not the right choice. Instead of going for any of the service providers that pop up first, you must conduct thorough research before making the final decision. Here we will be getting you through your best options to go for.
The Best Identity Fraud Protection Services
Taking a look at the available options for an identity fraud protection service provider, you will get fascinated and confused at the same time. The reason is that there are too many options and each one claims to be the best. While one might be better for you, not all of them are. So, here are our top 10 picks for you if you are looking for an identity fraud protection service provider.
IdentityForce Identity Fraud Protection
The first one that we have here on our list is IdentityForce, which provides comprehensive protection, including medical fraud, cyber fraud, and 2FA fraud. When you get its services, you will be getting top-rated security and monitoring for all of your digital and physical identities as well. The following are some pros and cons of IdentityForce.
Price:
| Individual Plan | Family Plan |
| $13.99 a month / $139.90 a year | $20.90 a month / $209 a year |
Pros:
(1) It provides an extensive protection model by covering every aspect of identity fraud.
(ii) Works on uncommon features as well which include junk mail which is often opted out.
(iii) The basic plan includes most of the services like social media monitoring and protection.
(iv) Family plans are available to keep all of your devices at home safe.
(v) The credit score simulator brings additional value to all users.
Cons:
(i) If you are up for options to choose from, then there are not more than two options available here.
(ii) Canceling your plan is not a thing here; You cannot even get any refunds if you do not want the services.
Identity Guard Identity Fraud Protection
The identity fraud monitoring services you get from Identity Guard are at the next level because of its powerful backend system. This service provider is based on the Watson Computer System provided by IBM. It makes sure to scan the whole internet, including the dark web, to ensure that none of your identities are being compromised.
Price: Individual Package (See full pricing) Family Package (See full pricing).
Pros:
(i) The backend of this service provider is based on artificial intelligence, making monitoring even more secure and quick.
(ii) It provides safe browsing tools that you can use to conduct any critical transaction.
(iii) Family plans are available to help you keep all of your devices secure.
(iv) Some of the plans you get here provide you with vantage credit scores every month.
Cons:
(i) You can only get your credit reports annually from this service provider.
(ii) There is no specific computer tool package. So, you have to go with the available options.
IDShield Identity Fraud Protection
IDShield not only focuses on providing the necessary security and identity fraud protection that you need, but it brings additional value by focusing on restoration and consultation. With its licensed investigators working full-time for your protection, there are low chances of you becoming the victim of any identity fraud.
Price:
| Individual Plan | Family Plan |
| $14.95 a month Monitoring TransUnion | $19.95 a month Monitoring TransUnion, Equifax and Experian |
Pros:
(i) If you ever become a victim of identity fraud, then there is no need to worry as IDShield will assign a private investigator that will help you restore your identity.
(ii) The family plans you get here are amazing as they work for 10 people at the same time.
(iii) It provides credit score tracking based on a 12-month 3-bureau plan.
(iv) The mobile application makes monitoring effective and easy.
Cons:
(i) IDShield does not provide computer protection services.
(ii) You cannot get the credit simulation to check how different actions will change your credit score.
ReliaShield Identity Fraud Protection
If you are looking for a security services provider with the best family plans, then ReliaShield is your best choice. The plans you get here are comprehensive and extremely affordable, especially the family plans. It focuses on everything, including social media accounts, public records, court records, data breaches, and financial information.
Price:
| Essential (Individual) | Prime Plan (Individual) | Elite Plan (Individual) |
| $7.99 a month/$87.99 a year | $14.99 a month/$164.99 a year | $21.99 a month/$241.89 a year |
| Essential Plan (Family) | Prime Plan (Family) | Elite Plan (Family) |
| $14.99 a month/$164.89 a year | $24.99 a month/$274.89 a year | $34.99 a month/$384.89 a year |
Pros:
(i) Monitors all personal information everywhere, including on the dark web, for additional security.
(ii) It comes with a 24/7 customer support service to ensure the best user experience.
(iii) With the family plans, you can cover all your children under 18 years of age without any limits.
(iv) Provides data breach alerts for all types of breaches instantly.
Cons:
(i) Credit monitoring is not available with every plan.
(ii) There are only 3 plans to choose from.
IdentityIQ Identity Fraud Protection
IdentityIQ is an identity fraud service provider with amazing services and features to bring peace of mind to you. Not only are the services compelling, but the prices also set them high in the market, making them one of the most favorable options for most individuals.
Price:
Pros:
(i) The $1 million identity fraud insurance is provided with every plan, even if it is the cheapest.
(ii) The United States-based customer services provide the best assistance for everyone.
(iii) Provides family plans to keep your family members secure as well.
(iv) The secure max plan is available at no charge for families with an additional theft insurance balance of $25000.
Cons:
(i) It only works for computers as there is no mobile application on iPhone or Android devices.
(ii) It does not cover social media and network monitoring under any of its plans which might not be the best option as everyone is present on social networks.
LifeLock Identity Fraud Protection
LifeLock is a company that comes with a partnership with Norton and provides amazing services. There is a complete suite of tools for your digital security. Additionally, it comes with a proper credit monitoring model. When you use its services, all your devices will be under good protection.
Price:
| Individual | Individual | Individual |
| Standard plan (Paid Yearly) | Advantage Plan (Paid Yearly) | Ultimate Plan (Paid Yearly) |
| $7.50 a month $124.99 a year | $14.99 a month $239.99 a year | $19.99 monthly 339.99 a year |
| Standard Plan (Paid Monthly) | Advantage Plan (Paid Monthly) | Ultimate Plan (Paid Monthly) |
| $8.99 | $17.99 | $239.99 |
| Family (Two Adults) | Family (Two Adults) | Family (Two Adults) |
| Standard Plan (Paid Yearly) | Advantage Plan (Paid Yearly) | Ultimate Plan (Paid Yearly) |
| $12.49 | $22.99 | $29.99 |
| Family (Two Adults) | Family (Two Adults) | Family (Two Adults) |
| Standard Plan (Paid Monthly) | Standard Plan (Paid Monthly) | Standard Plan (Paid Monthly) |
| $14.99 | $27.99 | $35.99 |
| Family (Two Adults Plus Five Kids) | Family (Two Adults Plus Five Kids) | Family (Two Adults Plus Five Kids) |
| Standard Plan (Paid Yearly) | Standard Plan (Paid Yearly) | Standard Plan (Paid Yearly) |
| $16.99 | $29.99 | $35.99 |
| Family (Two Adults Plus Five Kids) | Family (Two Adults Plus Five Kids) | Family (Two Adults Plus Five Kids) |
| Standard Plan (Paid Monthly) | Standard Plan (Paid Monthly) | Standard Plan (Paid Monthly) |
| $20.99 | $35.99 | $43.99 |
Pros:
(i) Brings intuitive features like the stolen fund reimbursement feature.
(ii) The personal expense compensation feature makes it one of the best options for most users out there.
(iii) If you get annual plans, then you also get a 60-day money-back guarantee which brings a lot of peace of mind.
(iv) Family plans are available for different services you get here.
Cons:
(i) Although the services are great, they cost a lot more than most of the competitor’s prices.
(ii) Although the family plan is available, these plans have additional costs per child.
Complete ID Identity Fraud Protection
A service that Experian itself provides. While Experian provides it, it monitors and provides reports according to the data from all three agencies ensuring your best security. One of the best things about it is that it works for social media monitoring and SSN monitoring so that you can hardly become a victim of identity fraud.
Price:
| A Single Adult | A Single Adult and Five Children | Adults (2) | Adults (2) and Five Children |
| $8.99 | $11.98 | $15.99 | $18.99 |
Pros:
(i) Exclusively available to Costco members at a low cost.
(ii) Provides annual credit reports from all three agencies.
(iii) Monthly credit score reports are also provided here.
(iv) Most of the reports are provided infographics to make comprehension easier than ever.
Cons:
(i) The security tools are limited.
ID Watchdog Identity Fraud Protection
ID Watchdog is yet another identity fraud service provider that comes with amazing services. You need to be a little careful about some terms and conditions. Otherwise, their services and policies are amazing, while some features are limited for the basic plans.
Price:
| Basic Plan (Individual) | Premium Plan (Individual) |
| (Monthly) $14.95, (Yearly) $150 | (Monthly) $21.95, (Yearly) $220 |
| Basic Plan (Family) | Basic Plan (Family) |
| (Monthly) $23.95, (Yearly) $240 | (Monthly) $34.95, (Yearly) $350 |
Pros:
(i) It is one of those platforms that provide 100% identity fraud resolution.
(ii) It provides a $1 million identity theft insurance policy.
(iii) You can get a credit score and credit report for the premium account.
(iv) Any detected identity fraud will be reported, and you will be notified as soon as possible.
Cons:
(i) Most of its services come with certain limits.
(ii) There is no guarantee that your lost money or belongings will be returned.
PrivacyGuard Identity Fraud Protection
PrivacyGuard is a security services provider that works for everything, including monitoring and identity fraud protection. The additional services include credit reporting as well as recovery services, making it a very user-friendly service provider. Additionally, you choose to select the plan you want for the best experience.
Price:
Pros:
(i) Here you get the option to choose the functionality you need. It is done by offering you different plans.
(ii) If you are a new user, you can use the trial version of any plan just for the price of $1.
(iii) It provides a $1 million identity theft insurance policy like most service providers.
(iv) A mobile application is available to ensure your maximum protection.
Cons:
(i) There are no family plans available. So, if you need to protect your family, you must get services for every individual.
(ii) If you get the credit protection plan, then there are no insurance policies applicable to you.
(iii) The 3-Bureau credit monitoring is not included in the identity fraud protection plan.
Experian IdentityWorks
Experian IdentityWorks has different levels of protection designed for different types of people; you can have the services selected that mean the most to you. Dark web surveillance is a feature that is not usually provided, and it adds a lot to your overall experience. Another additional feature is that you can lock and unlock your Experian cards to stay on the safer side.
Start for free, and after 30 days $9.99 a month for the basic plan; $19.99 for the premium plan.
Pros:
(i) You can try out the services for a month for free.
(ii) Different plans are available with different features.
(iii) Identity theft insurance comes with every plan available.
(iv) Different family plans are available to ensure the best security for all your family members.
Cons:
(i) Unlike the $1 million insurance policy, if you get the plus plan, the insurance amount only goes as up as $500000.
(ii) If you want credit reports while using the plus plan, then you do not have a lot of luck. This plan only monitors Experian credit reports for you and no other credit reports.
Things you need to consider when selecting any identity fraud protection service provider.
So, you have made up your mind, and now you are looking to select a service provider that meets all your requirements. Well, in this case, you might still be a little bit confused because of the things that you do not know. So, here are all the factors you must consider to get the best services chosen for you.
Budget
The first thing that you have to consider is your budget. You do not want to overspend, and you also do not want to go cheap while compromising your security. So, considering your budget will help you in selecting the service providers.
Plans
The next thing to go for is a list of plans available. Different service providers have different policies and plans. So, you need to see which one provides the plans that meet your requirements in the best way.
Hidden Terms and Conditions
Every service provider claims to be the best one available but they may provide something else when you get their services. This is because you do not know all the hidden terms and conditions when signing up. Make sure to check these as they have a huge role in your overall experience.
Trial
Getting a service provider that provides a trial version is the best thing that you can do. Even if you have to pay a small amount to check the services, it will tell you whether that service provider is worth it or not.
Why must you get an Identity Fraud Protection Service?
As you can see that all of these identity fraud service providers charge some amount for their services. You might be thinking, why should I get these services? Is it really important for me to monitor things? Will I ever become a victim of these identity fraud acts? Well, these types of questions pop up in our minds, but the issue is that you never know when it is your turn to become a victim.
The issue is that once you become a victim, you can be in serious problems. Your property could have gone away, or you might get into serious debt. On the other hand, when you get any of these identity fraud service providers for your protection, they monitor things in different ways.
With all of your digital identities and transactions being monitored, the service provider can instantly inform you if your security has been compromised. All of this makes tracking easier than ever, so your protection also gets better with reliability and peace of mind.
What can happen to you when you become a victim of identity fraud?
When you become a victim, your details and personal information will be compromised. The after-effects can include an account opening in your name, someone filing taxes in your name, credit applications in your name, and so on.
Is it worth it to get identity fraud protection services?
If you do not have a lot of things going on, then you can think of monitoring things yourself. However, it is not the best decision in any case.
If you want the best reliability and peace of mind, you need to get these protection services because all your IDs and accounts will be under consistent monitoring. In this way, these services become worth it for those who cannot monitor things.
How can you choose the best identity fraud service provider?
Different service providers bring certain features and benefits. Some fit perfectly for you, while some are not. So, what you need to do is to do some research about your requirements. In this way, you will be able to select the service provider whose services match your requirements in the best manner.
How does identity fraud bring about access to your personal information?
There are different ways of this working. Sometimes the information is stolen physically from any receipt or something similar. Sometimes the information is stolen digitally over the network that you use. So, it is best to dispose of all the mail and receipts in the right way. At the same time, you must be careful enough about not using untrusted networks as well as not opening any file or link that you do not trust.
Final Thoughts
Identity fraud is so evident in our world today. With the scope of the digital world increasing with every passing moment, the vulnerabilities also increase. It not only makes monitoring and protection important but difficult as well. So, instead of compromising your security, you need to go for the best service providers to help you stay protected.
Sorting out your requirements and needs first and then looking for identity fraud service providers is the right way to start out. In this way, the selection process will become easier for you.
YES ITS A NESSESSARY EXPENCE IN THIS NEW N COMPLICATED WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY, IM A RETIRED SECURITY OFFICER, I BEARLY MANAGE TO GET FROM 1 MO. TO THE NEXT, I LIVE ON SS N STATE AID. I RELOCATED TO THE CITY SO I COULD GET BETTER MEDICAL CARE IN THE YEAR I BEEN HERE I HAVE BEEN ISSUED 5 DIFFERENT DEBIT CARDS, BECAUSE OF UNAUTHORIZED CHARGES, MOST OF THE CHARGES ARE PAID BACK INTO MY ACCOUNT BUT SOME ARE NOT AND ITS BECOME COSTLY AND ITS A REOCCURRING PROBLEM AND I LOOSE TRACK OF THE OFFENDING CHARGES THE CHARGES RETURN UNDER DIFFERENT COMPANY NAMES FOR SOME OUTRAGEOUS PURCHASE. IM A SENIOR CITIZEN WHO VERY SELDOM EVEN LEAVES HOME. I SAW NO PLANS FOR THE SENIOR CITIZEN POPULATION OR ANY PLAN THAT GIVE A BROAD ENOUGH PROTECTION SERVICE
I HAVE TRIED TO CHECK MONTHLY WITH CREDIT BUREAUS (ALL 3) BUT ITS SO DIFFICULT AND CONFUSING, AND CHALLENGING A CHARGE IS A JOKE. THE CREDIT BUREAUS REFUSED TO REMOVE THE FALSE INFORMATION FROM MY CREDIT REPORT.
PLEASE RECOMMEND A SOLID AND SECURE AS WELL AS A EFFECTIVE N COST AFFECTIVE PLAN GEARED TO A VERY CONFUSED SENIOR CITIZEN WHO NEEDS PROTECTION.
Identity Fraud/Identity Theft are serious issues, thanks for this guide.