Best Identity Theft Protection: Top 5 ID Monitoring Services of 2023

We've reviewed the best identity theft protection and credit monitoring services for 2023. Each service below was evaluated on a variety of factors including features, user reviews, price, plans, and value. Here are our top picks for the top identity theft services of 2023.

5 Best Identity Theft Protection Services of 2023

• Aura: Best identity theft protection service overall
• Identity Guard: Best for 3-bureau credit monitoring
• IdentityIQ: Best fraud protection for families
• LifeLock: Best identity monitoring for seniors
• IdentityForce: Best ID protection for businesses

#1. Aura: Best Identity Theft Protection Service Overall

Aura is an all-in-one, iron-clad identity theft protection service that makes digital safety convenient, affordable, and intuitive for everyone. If you’re unsure about identity theft protection services, you can try Aura out with a 14-day risk-free trial before spending a dime. The company prides itself on offering 24/7 support channels, U.S.-based service teams, and comprehensive identity theft protection services to keep you protected across all digital avenues.

Aura Plans

We found that Aura’s plans may work best for highly digital users with many devices and channels seeking an affordable cybersecurity option to cover all their bases. The Aura plans include the following:

Individual plan: This plan covers one person and up to 10 devices, costing $15 per month when paying month-by-month or $12 per month with an annual commitment.

Couples plan: The couples plan covers two individuals and 20 devices, costing $29 per month or $22 monthly with an annual commitment.

Family plan: The family plan covers five members and fifty devices, costing $50 per month or $37 monthly with an annual commitment.

Aura Identity Theft Protection Features

Aura offers end-to-end cybersecurity features in an easy-to-use dashboard for intuitive management. Aura’s identity theft protection services include the following:

3-bureau credit monitoring: Receive credit monitoring alerts if anyone attempts to access your credit file across any of the three major credit bureaus.

Credit locking: Instantly lock your credit file if you notice fraudulent activity in your credit monitoring services.

Anti-virus software: Use malware protection software to prevent identity theft from viruses, malware, ransomware, and more.

Secure VPNs: Shop online using your bank accounts with a secured virtual private network (VPN).

Parental controls: Filter harmful websites, data, and apps from your children’s internet access.

Identity protection: Receive online account, personal information, and social security number alerts anytime someone attempts to breach your accounts.

Password managers: Store all your unique passwords in a secure vault.

Aura Considerations

Aura offers some of the most competitive real-time identity theft protection services across all plans, with 24/7 support and 60-day money-back guarantees. The biggest cons you should consider are the limited device compatibility features and higher costs compared to competitors. If you have a macOS, you will not be able to use the virus protection feature, and the platform does not work on Chrome.

Click Here to Learn More About Aura

#2. Identity Guard: Great Identity Theft Company for Credit Score Monitoring

Identity Guard is another one of the best identity theft protection services, offering discounted security at impressive prices, 24/7 U.S.-based support, and $1 million in theft insurance. Over 38 million people use Identity Guard for their identity theft protection. The company received the Forbes Advisor Best award for identity theft protection services in 2022.

Identity Guard Plans

Identity Guard offers three tiers of individual and family plans, allowing you to pick the level of security you desire for either. Along with this flexibility, Identity Guard offers some of the most affordable identity protection services.

The individual plans include the following:

Individual Value: The Value plan includes customer support, $1 million theft insurance, data breach notifications, dark web monitoring, high-risk transaction monitoring, the secure browsing tool, and password manager, costing $4.49 per month with an annual commitment.

Individual Total: The Total plan includes all of the above plus bank account monitoring, 3-bureau credit monitoring, and the monthly credit score simulator for $9.99 per month with an annual commitment.

Individual Ultra: The Ultra identity protection plan includes the above plus social media, credit and debit card, 401(k), investment account, home title, criminal and sex offense, and change-of-address monitoring. Additional features include white-glove fraud resolution, 3-bureau annual credit reports, and Experian credit locks. The Ultra plan costs $14.99 per month with an annual commitment.

The family plans include the same features as above, but for five adults and unlimited children. The costs are as follows (with an annual commitment):

• Family Value: $7.49 monthly
• Family Total: $14.99 monthly
• Family Ultra: $19.99 monthly

Identity Guard Identity Theft Protection Features

Identity Guard offers the following identity theft protection services across some or all plans:

$1 million identity theft insurance: Receive identity theft insurance coverage of up to $1 million in losses.

White-glove fraud resolution: Benefit from concierge services to resolve all identity fraud or data breach complications for you.

Premium identity protection: Monitor all activity relating to your personal information across the dark web, criminal offenses, high-risk transactions, bank accounts, social media accounts, credit and debit cards, investment accounts, address changes, and more.

Credit protection: Receive 3-bureau credit monitoring, an annual credit report, monthly credit score reports, and credit locks across the top credit reporting agencies.

Security tools: Enjoy secure browsing tools and a password manager for theft protection.

Identity Guard Considerations

The main consideration you should remember with Identity Guard is that not all of the above features come with every plan. You must purchase the top-tier Ultra plan to enjoy full identity monitoring services.

Click Here to Learn More About Identity Guard

#3. IdentityIQ: Best Fraud Protection Services for Families

IdentityIQ has received multiple awards for its iron-clad identity theft protection services, including the Cybersecurity Excellence Award in 2022. Many consider IdentityIQ the best ID theft protection company available, offering end-to-end security at an affordable price. If you’re seeking one of the best identity theft protection services for credit security and don't mind sacrificing identity monitoring features, IdentityIQ may be for you.

IdentityIQ Plans

IdentityIQ offers four plans for individuals ranging in price and protective features:

Secure: The most basic Secure plan includes credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and credit alerts from one of the top credit reporting agencies, costing $5.94 monthly when billed annually.

Secure Plus: The Plus plan includes the above features plus $1 million ID theft reimbursement coverage, 1-bureau credit report monitoring, and annual 3-bureau credit reports and scores for $8.50 per month with the annual commitment.

Secure Pro: The Pro plan includes the above plus 3-bureau credit monitoring, alerts on any crimes including your personal information, and credit score change alerts for $16.99 per month with an annual commitment.

Secure Max: The Max plan includes the above plus the credit score simulator and tracker, an additional $25,000 ID theft insurance coverage, and fraud restoration for $25.50 per month with the annual commitment.

IdentityIQ Identity Theft Protection Features

IdentityIQ offers the following ID theft protection services:

$1 million identity theft insurance: Whether you lose wages from identity theft or must pay legal costs, IdentityIQ will refund you up to $1 million of your losses.

Secure browsing: IdentityIQ partners with Bitdefender Premium VPN, offering unlimited encrypted traffic, comprehensive online security, and secure downloads.

Anti-virus protection: The partnership also includes firewall protection for ample privacy and security, preventing hackers from accessing your cameras or personal information.

Credit reports and scores: Credit score tracking allows you to review any suspicious activity on your monthly credit reports.

Real-time credit monitoring: Receive new account alerts, new user alerts, and credit score changes with daily credit monitoring.

Data breach monitoring: Review changes to any personally identifiable information, like your social security number, address, or criminal record.

Dark web monitoring: IdentityIQ monitors the dark web for any circulation of your personal information across over 25 languages and global networks.

Family protection: Include family ID theft insurance coverage on your family plan and child identity theft protection to protect more members in your household.

IdentityIQ Considerations

IdentityIQ does not offer a specific family plan for households with many devices. The identity theft protection service also does not feature the strongest identity monitoring services. Note that you cannot receive a free trial or money-back guarantee if you're unsatisfied with IdentityIQ.

Click Here to Learn More About IdentityIQ

#4. LifeLock: Recommended for Dark Web Monitoring and Online Security Tools

LifeLock by Norton is another one of the best identity theft protection services, offering excellent bundling opportunities with Norton security devices, a range of identity theft insurance tiers, money-back guarantees, live support, and much more. If you’re interested in the best identity theft protection service with cybersecurity software included in all plans, LifeLock may be for you.

LifeLock Plans

LifeLock offers an extensive list of identity theft protection plans for individuals, couples, and families, ranging in cost and security features. The individual plan tiers are as follows:

Standard: The standard plan includes $25,000 reimbursements of stolen funds, identity monitoring, social security number alerts, and one-bureau credit monitoring. The annual commitment costs $7.99 per month for individuals, $12.49 per month for couples, and $18.49 per month for families with up to two adults and five children (following the family plan criteria).

Advantage: The Advantage plan includes the same features but with $100,000 of stolen funds reimbursement, identity locks, credit file locks, loan locks, phone takeover monitoring, alerts on crimes including your personal information, and monthly credit reports and scores. The individual annual commitment plan costs $14.99 monthly, the couple Advantage plan costs $23.99 monthly, and the family plan costs $29.99.

Ultimate Plus: For comprehensive identity theft monitoring, the Ultimate Plus plan includes the above features plus $1 million in ID theft insurance, three-bureau credit monitoring, unlimited daily credit monitoring, investment account alerts, home title monitoring, and social media monitoring. The annual commitment costs $19.99 for individuals, $32.99 for couples, and $38.99 for a family plan.

Note that the above plans include up to $1 million in coverage for lawyers and experts. LifeLock will provide you with the legal resources needed for your identity theft case.

LifeLock Identity Theft Protection Features

LifeLock offers the following comprehensive protection features:

Scanning: LifeLock’s suite of cybersecurity tools scans all possible data points to pinpoint threats. Some features include social media monitoring, credit monitoring services, payday loan monitoring, identity monitoring, and more.

Alerts: If there’s a security breach, LifeLock will immediately notify you. You can receive daily credit reports from three major credit bureaus, credit card statements, annual credit reports, and more to keep all your information in check.

Resolutions: Live LifeLock restoration specialists will handle your identity restoration steps for you or pair you with a legal advisor for further support.

$1 million ID theft insurance: If you suffer losses from stolen identity, personal information, or data breaches, LifeLock offers ID theft insurance ranging from $25,000 to $1 million.

LifeLock Considerations

LifeLock’s rates increase after your first year, and the above features are only available on certain plans. Be sure to review all terms before signing up.

Click Here to Learn More About LifeLock

#5. IdentityForce: Top Rated Credit Protection Service for Identity Monitoring

IdentityForce is one of the best identity theft protection services for comprehensive protection, intuitive user experiences, family plan security, and business needs. As the top-rated identity theft protection service on TrustPilot with an award-winning track record and 24/7 live support channels, you can rely on IdentityForce for any of your ID theft protection service needs.

IdentityForce Plans

IdentityForce offers two main plans available for both individuals and families. You must call and speak with an agent to receive the exact pricing for your family plan, though we will include the averages below:

UltraSecure: The base plan includes far more identity theft protection features than most standard models listed thus far. With this plan, you’ll receive a full suite of monitoring tools, including criminal record mentions, dark web monitoring, in-depth social media monitoring, and much more. The plan also features full alert, control, and recovery features, which we’ll discuss next. Altogether, UltraSecure costs $17.95 monthly for individuals or an average of $24.90 for the family plan.

UltraSecure+Credit: The top-tier plan includes all the above features, enhanced control tools, and comprehensive credit monitoring. You will receive credit score information and credit reporting across three credit bureaus, plus a score tracker and credit score simulator. The top-tier plan costs $23.95 per month for individuals or an average of $35.90 for a family plan.

IdentityForce Identity Theft Protection Features

IdentityForce’s ID theft protection service includes four key steps:

Monitor: Continuously check for data breaches across all your devices and accounts with features like dark web monitoring, social media monitoring, mobile attack control, VPN security, criminal monitoring, and more. IdentityForce’s social media monitoring features the most comprehensive and in-depth security of all the services we’ve reviewed thus far.

Alert: Receive real-time alerts for suspicious activities across your bank accounts, investment accounts, social security number appearances, and more. You can even use the alert controls to opt out of junk mail.

Control: You can use control tools to prevent identity theft. IdentityForce offers PC protection tools, two-factor authentication, lost wallet assistance, identity vaults, password managers, and more.

Recover: If you suffer from identity fraud, recover quickly and easily with $1 million ID theft insurance, white-glove restoration, fraud remediation, stolen funds replacements, and more.

IdentityForce Considerations

The biggest thing to consider with IdentityForce is the price. The IdentityForce family plan options cost a bit more than the other options on our list, though even the lowest tier plan comes packed with security features. You should also note that IdentityForce does not offer a mobile app.

Click Here to Learn More About IdentityForce

What Is Identity Theft Protection?

Identity theft protection is an umbrella of digital services that monitor mentions of your personal information across many channels, including banking accounts, the dark web, credit reports, criminal records, and more. The best identity theft protection companies typically alert you immediately after discovering any suspicious activity so that you can lock your accounts and recover.

ID theft protection also often includes preventative tools that allow you to restrict who can access your information. Some common control features include password wallets, two-factor authentication systems, VPN security, and more. Using an identity protection service with control tools allows you to secure your browser, camera, and personal information from data breaches and hackers.

You may find that your identity theft protection company also offers ID theft insurance. ID theft insurance works similarly to home or auto insurance in that if something happens and you lose funds to a data breach event, the insurer will cover your losses up to a certain amount. Comprehensive ID theft protection services cover all bases, offering preventative security features, in-depth monitoring, real-time alerts, recovery services, and insurance to cover potential losses.

How We Chose the Top Identity Theft Protection Services

Selecting the best identity theft protection service is challenging when so many options exist. We considered a few key factors to narrow our options, like the services offered, plan options, and costs. We found that the best identity theft services offer the below features with an easy user experience and helpful support channels in affordable price ranges for individuals, couples, or families.

Monitoring and Alerts

Monitoring refers to how the service reviews and locates all potential identity theft threats. Comprehensive monitoring systems are critical in successfully recovering from acts of fraud. We found that the best identity theft protection services offer most, if not all, of the monitoring services below:

• Dark web monitoring
• Social media monitoring
• Credit monitoring (specifically three-bureau credit monitoring)
• Fraud monitoring
• Change-of-address alerts
• Unauthorized court record monitoring (including sex offender registries)
• Payday loan monitoring
• High-risk transaction monitoring
• Bank and investment account monitoring (including debit and credit cards)

The identity protection service can look for abnormal activity relating to your personal information in any of the above places. Personal information may include your name, address, social security number, bank account numbers, phone number, email address, and more.

Alerts refer to how you find out about the suspicious activity. The best identity theft protection service providers offer instant notifications across multiple channels so that you can respond to the event as soon as possible.

Identity Restoration

Identity restoration refers to how the identity protection service helps you recover from identity theft, data breaches, and fraud. Many options on our list offer expert recovery departments that handle restoration for you. Some of the services may include the following:

• White-glove restoration
• Fraud remediation
• Legal support
• Lost funds replacements
• Identity theft insurance

Aside from restoring your accounts, many services include identity theft insurance to cover your potential losses. Identity theft insurance will typically cover legal costs related to the incident, lost wages, and more. We narrowed our identity protection options by seeking companies that offer end-to-end identity restoration services, making the process as convenient for you as possible.

Cybersecurity Tools

Cybersecurity tools are preventative systems that secure your devices and browsers from hackers, reducing ID theft risks. The best ID theft protection companies offer advanced cybersecurity tools so you can rest easy, knowing no one can access your cameras, browser data, and more. A few of the top cybersecurity tools include the following:

• Password wallets
• Two-factor authentication systems
• VPN security
• Lost wallet assistance
• Identity vaults
• Anti-virus protection
• Parental controls

We found that the best identity protection services offer most or all of the tools above with compatibility across device types and browsers.

Types of Plans

Everyone has unique identity protection needs. A single adult with two devices should not need to pay as much as a family of five with 20 household computers and smartphones. We found that the best identity theft companies offer a solid variety of plans, catering to different needs, including individual, couple, and family plans.

Many ID theft protection services also feature tiered plan structures, where you can choose which features are most important to you. For example, you can select the family plan to cover all your devices but opt for the standard level if you’re unsure of your needs. Tiered plans offer optimal pricing flexibility, though be sure to check which exact features come with your plan.

Price and Value

Preventing identity theft is important, though many cannot afford to spend tons each month for this service. When selecting the best identity theft protection options, we considered the affordability and value of each plan. Our options range from as little as $4 per month for an individual to $39 per month for a family plan.

Considering that many plans include $1 million in identity theft insurance, the overhead costs reflect excellent value. For under $40 a month, you can ensure that your family won’t suffer financial losses from identity theft.

Features to Look for in a Good Identity Theft Protection Service Company

When shopping for the right identity fraud protection service, you may feel overwhelmed by all the features and factors mentioned above. To narrow your options from our list, we recommend keeping an eye out for the items below.

3-Bureau Credit Monitoring

The main three credit bureaus include Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. You want to find a credit monitoring service that offers credit reporting across all the major credit reporting agencies. Triple credit bureau monitoring refers to any credit monitoring service that covers credit reports from the top three credit bureaus.

When shopping around, you’ll likely see advertisements for 3-bureau credit monitoring and single options. We recommend choosing three credit bureaus for the most comprehensive monitoring, credit reports, and security.

Individual and Family Plans

Whether you’re seeking an individual or a family plan, you want to ensure that the ID theft protection service offers an option to suit your needs. We recommend considering the number of adults and children in your household, the number of devices, and how much you can afford to pay each month. Certain ID theft services offer more affordable plans for individuals, while others cater to family plans. Be sure to shop around.

Dark Web Monitoring

The “dark web” refers to intentionally hidden internet sites, typically used for illegal activities. Identity thieves use the dark web to buy, sell, and trade personal information.

One of the biggest values of ID theft protection services is the ability to analyze information across the dark web. While you may be able to handle things like social media monitoring on your own, accessing global information across dozens of languages in the depths of the dark web isn’t so easy.

We recommend seeking services with dark web monitoring to prevent your information from reaching dangerous internet audiences. Some options on our list feature in-depth dark web monitoring across dozens of languages and countries.

Identity Theft Insurance

While control tools, monitoring systems, and alerts can reduce theft risks, they can’t prevent them entirely. Identity theft insurance is the best safety net for worst-case scenarios. If someone accesses your bank account or personal information and steals your hard-earned funds, you will receive full reimbursement (depending on your plan).

You can typically select coverage amounts ranging from $25,000 to $1 million. We recommend considering your total assets and potential legal costs when selecting your coverage amount. For example, if you have $300,000 in bank accounts, retirement savings, and investment accounts, you may need a plan covering at least $500,000, so you can budget for legal costs and extra room.

Identity Recovery Services

Aside from the actual funds, recovering from identity theft involves many complicated and stressful steps. You typically need to change all of your account information, order new cards, dispute credit reports, and more. The best identity theft protection services will handle the recovery process for you so you don’t need to spend hours on the phone with various organizations stressing over your personal information.

We recommend selecting companies with excellent recovery service reviews. You should consider customer support availability, recovery services, and general feedback. For example, most of the options on our list offer 24/7 live support channels from U.S.-based teams, ready to help you at any time in case of an issue.

Social Security Number Monitoring

Your social security number is one of the most important aspects of your personal information. If someone gains access to your number, they can apply for loans in your name, lower your credit scores, file false tax returns, obtain medical care using your information, commit crimes in your name, and much more.

Social security number monitoring checks for fraudulent uses of your number across various avenues like your credit report, bank account, and criminal record to ensure that no one steals your information. We recommend making social security number monitoring one of your top priorities when shopping for ID theft protective services.

Types of Identity Theft Protection Services

As mentioned, identity monitoring is a blanket term for many different services. Most organizations offer multiple services for the most advanced protection. The most common types of identity theft protection services include credit report and identity monitoring, restoration features, insurance, and cybersecurity tools.

Credit Report Monitoring

Your credit report includes a lot of valuable insights surrounding your personal information. For example, any time you take out a loan or purchase a large item with your credit card, it will appear on the credit report, potentially impacting your credit score. Credit scores dictate your ability to take out loans in the future, open new lines of credit, purchase properties and vehicles, and more.

Credit report monitoring reviews your credit history, credit scores, and credit report for any suspicious activity so you can quickly locate potential criminals using your information on various lines of credit. If the service finds an issue on your report, it can dispute the activity to prevent it from impacting your credit scores.

Identity Monitoring

Identity thieves don’t always steal money. Sometimes, a criminal may steal your information for the dark web, commit criminal activities, file fraudulent tax returns, and more. For example, someone may commit a crime using your name, social security number, and address.

Identity monitoring checks to see if anyone uses your information in public records, criminal records, dark web databases, and more. If the system notices suspicious activity, you will immediately receive a notification.

Identity Restoration Services

Identity restoration services help you recover from fraud attacks. Whether someone steals your information or funds, you’ll need to take many complex steps to reclaim your identity. Restoration services can take care of these steps, helping you re-secure your accounts, dispute fraudulent credit report marks, rebuild your credit score, and refund your account.

Fraud Insurance

Fraud insurance works like any other insurance. If you lose money from a fraudulent event, the insurer will cover your losses to a certain extent. Usually, the plans cover any stolen money or legal costs relating to the event.

Most restoration services include a standard $1 million reimbursement coverage policy to replace any lost funds from the fraudulent event. The exact coverage amounts may vary, though most of the options on our list feature a plan with $1 million coverage.

Cybersecurity Software

Cybersecurity software is a full suite of preventative control tools that help secure your browser and devices. Typically, ID thieves steal your information by hacking into various software, browsers, or systems.

You can reduce security breach risks with more advanced firewall protection, like two-factor authentication. We recommend adding cybersecurity software to your identity protection plan, as this can reduce your chances of needing to deal with identity restoration. Secure browsing is the best way to protect your information from online thieves.

What Is Identity Theft Insurance, and Do You Need It?

Identity theft insurance covers monetary losses you suffer from fraud attacks. For example, if someone purchases items in your name, your insurer will reimburse you for the losses and any related legal costs.

Typically theft insurance covers up to $1 million in damages, though it depends on your specific plan. Our list offers options ranging from $25,000 up to $1 million, so you can select the coverage amount that works best for you.

You may not think you need theft insurance until identity theft happens. In some scenarios, you may be able to easily restore the funds on your own, though often, the process involves lengthy, complex steps that could result in fund losses for long periods. We recommend $1 million theft insurance coverage for anyone who wants to protect their hard-earned funds and assets.

Types of Identity Theft Scams

We’ve mentioned identity theft, though not exactly how it happens. Identity theft can come in many forms from various places. The most common types of identity theft scams include phishing, data breaches, medical theft, financial theft, and criminal identity theft.

Phishing

Phishing is an identity theft tactic that involves sending fraudulent messages that appear to be from a legitimate organization. For example, you may receive an email or text message stating that your Amazon package is experiencing shipping delays and you must sign in to confirm your payment and address details. The message and directing link may look legit, but by entering your information, you inadvertently give your private information to ID thieves.

Sometimes phishing can be more subtle too. You may receive a similar message as above, though as soon as you click the link, you may accidentally download a virus that infects your device, allowing hackers easier access to your information. As a general rule of thumb, you should never click on any links or provide information unless you prompted the conversation and feel 100% confident that the organization is legitimate.

Data Breaches

Data breaches happen when cybercriminals access large databases without authorization. A common example of this identity theft is company-wide data breaches. When this happens, the hackers can receive information on your name, social security number, address, email, phone number, and much more.

While you can’t always prevent data breaches, you can reduce your risks by using trusted browsing security measures. Hackers enter databases without authorization by altering the website’s code or IP addresses or using other complex tactics. The strongest security tools, like two-factor authentication, can make it far more challenging for hackers to enter unauthorized internet spaces.

Child Identity Theft

Child identity theft occurs when someone steals a child’s information to open up new banking accounts, apply for loans, seek medical attention, and more. You may not notice that someone used your child’s information for many years until they grow older and attempt to begin building their own credit or bank account. Some criminals purposefully target child information for this reason, so it’s critical to include any children on your identity theft protection family plan.

Medical Identity Theft

When someone gains access to your name and information, they can use this to obtain medical treatment using your health insurance. Occasionally, ID thieves may even open medical plans under another person’s name or seek prescriptions using that person’s information.

Aside from the associated costs, medical identity theft can cause confusion on your medical record, as any healthcare provider would chart notes from the criminal’s faulty claims. Such scenarios can lead to misdiagnoses and other issues in the future, , You must review all past medical records if you suffer from a medical identity theft incident.

Financial Identity Theft

Financial identity theft may be the most common type of ID theft and the one that most people think of. Financial ID theft occurs when an individual uses your information to access your various financial accounts to steal funds. The criminal may open lines of credit in your name, or they may purchase items or withdraw cash using your existing accounts.

You can monitor for financial identity theft by regularly checking credit score changes, bank account balances, and credit reports across the primary credit bureaus. If someone attempts to take out a loan or open a new credit card in your name, you will find this information on your credit reports. You can discover any suspicious transactions simply by checking your bank account funds.

Criminal Identity Theft

Criminal identity theft occurs when someone commits a crime in your name. The person may have preexisting warrants for arrest, citizenship complications, or other reasons they don’t want to use their own name. When this happens, you will have a faulty criminal record displaying actions you did not commit.

Criminal identity theft can cause severe rebounding effects in your professional and personal life, so it’s critical to find an organization that can help you recover from the event as quickly as possible. Many options on our list provide top-notch legal services to help you remove faulty criminal marks from your record.

Frequently Asked Questions about ID Theft

Selecting the best ID protection service for your needs can feel overwhelming, so we understand you likely have additional questions. Whether you want to learn more about monitoring credit scores across major credit bureaus or how to prevent theft with secure browsing practices, we can help. Explore answers to the most frequently asked questions below so you can confidently find the best service for your needs.

What Is ID Theft?

Identity (ID) theft is a blanket term referring to all criminal acts related to stealing another person’s identity. Criminals may steal your identity to use your funds, take out lines of credit, take advantage of your medical insurance, sell your information to others, commit crimes in your name, and much more. If you experience identity theft, you may suffer financial losses, legal complications, and credit score impacts, requiring complex restoration steps.

What’s the Difference Between ID Theft Protection and Credit Monitoring?

ID protection involves monitoring various channels to see if unauthorized people use your data, including social media monitoring, dark web alerts, bank monitoring, etc. Rather than just looking at your finances, ID protection focuses on all potential avenues where criminals may attempt to take advantage of your information. ID protection may also include preventative tactics, like secure browsing tools.

Credit monitoring refers specifically to checking credit reports and credit scores from the three primary credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. By monitoring credit reports, you can check for unauthorized activities, such as someone taking out a loan in your name. Most of the options on our list offer monitoring across all three of the major credit bureaus, though you can also choose to save money by only selecting one credit bureau,

Is Identity Protection Worth It?

ID theft can happen at any time, causing severe complications. From your credit scores and finances to your reputation, a single fraudulent incident can cause overwhelming, rebounding effects.

Paying to protect your identity may not seem worth it at first, though if theft occurs, you’ll be glad to have it. Like purchasing medical or auto insurance, anti-ID-theft services have your back in case anything happens. Aside from the insurance you receive, you can also enjoy a full suite of protective tools that offer safer and more secure browsing experiences for you and your entire family.

How Do I Report ID Theft?

If you think someone stole your information, you should report the activity to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and local police. Both organizations will begin an investigation to help restore your name and credit scores. When filing any reports, include as much clear, accurate, and honest information as possible.

To report ID theft to the FTC, follow these steps:

1. Go toIdentityTheft.gov and enter the theft portal.
2. Complete the ID theft report with as detailed answers as possible.
3. Receive the FTC recovery plan with step-by-step information on what to do next.

You may also file the FTC report by phone if you’d prefer to talk with a representative.

To report ID theft to your local police department, follow these steps:

1. Complete the steps above and download or print a copy of the FTC report.
2. Gather your photo ID, proof of address, and official proof of identity.
3. Provide these materials to your local police department.

After creating the initial report, you’ll need to follow up with various steps to secure your information from future attacks, restore your credit, and reimburse your accounts. Your protection service may handle these steps for you.

How Can I Protect Myself From ID Theft?

The best way to protect yourself from ID theft is by selecting one of the comprehensive protection services on our list. Aside from that, you can practice other protective measures to reduce risks. We recommend the following:

• Destroy outdated items that display your information, like old credit cards, delivery boxes with your address, banking statements, ATM receipts, etc.
• Keep your mail in a locked and protected box and empty it daily to reduce mail theft.
• Lock your social security number in a safe place, never carry it with you, don’t write it down, and never share it with anyone.
• Keep your cards in a safe wallet where they cannot easily fall out or get swiped.
• Only give out information when necessary and ensure that the source has security measures to prevent data leaks.
• Regularly monitor your credit report and banking statements for suspicious activity.
• Never click links from messages that you did not begin or prompt.

Final Thoughts on Identity Theft Protection

Your identity is everything. Your unique information allows you to control your finances, reputation, medical services, and more. As more services embrace digital technology, identity theft becomes more frequent and advanced.

The best identity theft protection services offer comprehensive coverage, monitor your information, alert you of suspicious activity, secure your devices and browsers, and help you recover if anything happens. We reviewed all the top providers and compiled a list of the best five options. We recommend selecting whichever plan suits your needs best.

Summary of the Top Recommended ID Theft Protection Services of 2023

• Aura: Best identity theft protection service overall
• Identity Guard: Best for 3-bureau credit monitoring
• IdentityIQ: Best fraud protection for families
• LifeLock: Best identity monitoring for seniors
• IdentityForce: Best ID protection for businesses