Identity theft protection services can prevent someone from breaking into your brokerage account or using your personal information to open a new credit card in your name.
Without this type of protection, your personal information and sensitive financial information can be vulnerable to theft and fraud, making you an easy target for hackers and thieves. ID theft: a problem that can happen at any time: Unfortunately, identity theft cases are very common. According to a 2019 report by Javelin Strategy and Research, more than 14.4 million consumers were victims of identity theft in 2018, just below the record 16.7 million in 2017. In 2018, victims were also responsible for $1.7 billion in direct costs related to this type of scam.
If you want to protect yourself from the financial loss and stress of identity theft, it’s best to hire a third party to oversee your credit reports and other confidential details to be on the lookout for fraud 24 hours a day a day. Obviously, this is a much better idea than trying to monitor all three credit reports and all your accounts yourself, which is the ultimate exercise in vain.
But which service should you choose? Choosing an identity theft monitoring company may not be easy as dozens of players offer identity theft protection services, credit monitoring and packages that combine a variety of these services for a monthly fee.
For this guide, we will compare all the leading companies in identity theft protection in terms of included services, ongoing costs, and total value. Identity Guard came in first for their comprehensive identity theft and credit monitoring plans, but a few other companies also ranked us. Before signing up for this all-important protection, read on to see how top companies do.
Best ID Theft Protection Services
The best identity theft protection companies offer a wide range of essential services that will protect you against identity theft and other types of fraud. The companies that conducted our review offer some of the most comprehensive coverages money can buy, at a price most people can justify and afford.
| Company | Offered plans | free trial | Best option for |
| Identity Guard | $7.95 per month, being $16.67 per month and the premium plan $20.83 There is also the option of family plans offered at higher rates. | Not | general coverage |
| lifelock | Norton 360 with LifeLock Select ($8.99/mo)Norton 360 with LifeLock Advantage ($17.99 /mo)Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus ($25.99 /mo) | Not | Best for online security |
| ReliaShield | ReliaShield Essential ($7.99/month) ReliaShield Prime ($14.99/month) ReliaShield Elite ($23.99 /month) * Family plans are also offered at slightly higher rates. | Not | Excellent family coverage |
| IDShield | Single-Agency Plan ($12.95/month) Single-Agency Plan ($17.95/month) 1-Agency Family Plan ($25.95 / month) 3-Agency Family Plan ($32.95 / month) | Yes | best free trial |
More about the best ID theft protection services
We share some of the basics of each plan we’ve created in the table above, but the full story isn’t told there. To find out which company best suits your needs, read more about the plans each company offers and everything that comes with them. Below, check out information that features all the highlights of each identity theft company, as well as where they might fail.
- Identity Guard
Identity Guard secured first place on our list thanks to its robust identity theft coverage combined with credit monitoring and overall accessibility of its plans. After all, their Premier plan only costs $20.83 a month, but it includes dark web monitoring, all three credit report monitoring, tax refund alerts, and more.
Identity Guard’s basic plan is only $50 a month, and its average overall plan is $16.67 a month. Please note, however, that all three Identity Guard identity surveillance plans come with $1 million identity theft insurance. You can also pay a little more for a plan that covers all your family members, including young children.
- lifelock
LifeLock offers comprehensive identity theft protection best suited for consumers who want additional online protection. A standard LifeLock membership costs only $8.99 per month, but you can pay the same for a membership with additional Norton 360 computer software.
Norton 360 with LifeLock Advantage costs only $17.99 per month, while Norton 360 costs only $25.99 per month with Norton 360 Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus.
All LifeLock plans come with layered coverage and levels of supervision that protect you from identity theft. They also include multiple levels of identity theft insurance and coverage for personal expenses and reimbursement of stolen funds. Keep reading! And understand more about identity theft protection services.
- ReliaShield
ReliaShield offers identity theft protection plans for individuals and families, and its custom plans start at just $7.99 a month. This company’s ReliaShield Elite plan for individuals can have the best value at $23.99 per month considering it includes perks like dark web monitoring, social security number monitoring, data breach updates and web monitoring.
Court records, monitoring of new bank accounts and unlimited recovery services.
Also note that all ReliaShield plans include $1M in stolen funds and refunds. All family plans also include free child insurance, which makes ReliaShield a great choice if you want to protect your children from early age fraud.
- IDShield
IDShield is another credit monitoring company to consider, especially if you want access to a free trial. This company offers individual and family plans that only include your TransUnion credit report, but you can also choose plans that include monitoring by all three agencies. Each of their plans also includes $1 million identity theft insurance, as well as credit bureau monitoring, social security number monitoring, dark web monitoring, and credit tracking and reporting.
The biggest difference with IDShield plans is the fact that you can choose reports from just one Schufa (TransUnion) or from all three. You can also choose between individual plans and family plans that cover you and your spouse and up to 10 dependent children.
What should you consider when hiring this type of service?
- What services does the chosen company offer?
When comparing the identity theft protection services listed below, it’s important to consider the services you need most. This can include dark web monitoring, social security number monitoring or identity theft insurance to keep you safe.
- What amount will you pay?
Most identity theft protection companies offer some coverage with tiered services. Keep in mind that if you want a full plan, you’ll probably pay more, but this coverage can be worth it if it keeps you safe from theft of your personal information and identity.
- What is the evaluation of the chosen company?
Most identity theft protection companies offer some coverage with tiered services. Remember, if you want a full plan, you’ll probably pay more. However, this coverage may be worth it if it protects you against theft of your personal information and identity.
Conclusion
The threat of identity theft is real. If you think identity theft is a threat you don’t need to worry about, think again. According to data from ReliaShield, 2.5 billion records were compromised by data breaches in 2017 alone. In addition, there were more than 16.7 million victims of identity theft in 2017. Social media consumers run 46% more risks when it comes to account fraud.
Make sure all three credit bureaus are monitored. While some identity theft protection packages only include monitoring one of your credit reports, you will have to pay extra to make sure all your credit reports are being monitored, not just one.
Identity theft insurance is important. Also, think about plans that include identity theft insurance. This benefit is vital as it can reimburse you for legal fees and maintenance expenses if a hacker or thief steals money from your bank account and you need to go through legal process to restore your identity.
