Identity theft is the unauthorized use of personal information that includes social security numbers, credit cards, health care insurance, and other personal records. Once your personal data gets hacked, hackers can use your identity to create accounts on your behalf, get a passport, file a fake tax declaration, and much more.
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What is Identity Theft Protection?
Identity theft protection professionals and credit protection services continually scan databases and websites for unusual or suspicious behavior using professional identity theft and credit protection services. You will be quickly alert via a text message, email, or phone alert when any fraudulent activity is detected. If you become a victim of identity theft, most companies will provide recovery assistance to secure your information from further damage.
Many identity theft protection firms offer individual and family plans ranging from $70 to $200 per year, depends on the features and number of individuals.
Signs that you may be the victim of identity theft:
- False updates in credit card
- Fake applications for loans
- Social security number for sale on the dark web
Identity theft protection services that contribute the following recovery aid:
- Freezing credit
- Correcting credit reports
- Reporting to the police
- Closing accounts that opened in your name
4 Best Services for Identity Theft Protection
IdentityForce
There are two types of plans offered by IdentityForce are UltraSecure and UltraSecure+Credit, with credit and scoring later included. The credit score monitoring not only checks all reporting agencies but also providing a visual tracker that allows you to track your credit rating over time.
IdentityForce monitors much beyond credit information. It checks changes in public records information, address changes, records of arrests and court orders, payday loan applications, and identity checks for identity sharing on a range of malicious websites to guard as a watchdog.
IdentityForce offers a 14-day free trial version. Right now, it’s $100 a year ($9 a month with two free months) for the UltraSecure program. UltraSecure+Credit is normally $287.88 per annum ($24 per month).
Identity Guard
In order to detect identity theft through predictive analytics, Identity Guard uses IBM Watson artificial intelligence. During your setup, you can create an Identity Guard watchlist to track your email, credit, accounts, and telephone numbers. The company also gives recovery assistance if identity theft occurs.
Identity Guard presents all your personal data on an easy-to-use dashboard and provides immediate alerts about the activities which could lead to identity theft or fraud. The company is trusted by around 46 million customers for over 20 years, keeping its price affordable. Identity Guard is one of the most recommended identity theft protection services with plans beginning at $6.67/month. It also offers a clear summary of its insurance terms. A basic plan is available at $80 a year, but no credit monitoring is available.
IdentityIQ
The protection of IdentityIQ includes monthly 3-bureau credit reports, dark web monitoring, changes in address monitoring, SSN tracking, and, tradeline monitoring. If your information is being used to retrieve your Social Security Number, instead of sending an alert, which most ID Protection Services do, it notifies you every time you use it. Thanks to the SSN trace, that even when a fraudster applies for a loan on your behalf with every single detail. This is how comprehensive IdentityIQ monitoring is.
IdentityIQ also offers an advanced identity restore solution in the case of identity theft. The Secure Plan at $6.99 per month is the basic plan and it is quite affordable. It is also possible to afford even the medium to high-level plans.
LifeLock
LifeLock is an industry leader that is committed to secure your identity. It integrates with Norton Security partners to monitor your information and devices closely. With LifeLock, Experts will monitor your social security numbers, devices, and bank accounts. You can also track any crimes committed on your behalf and follow credit reports from all credit offices.
The identity theft protection technology at LifeLock is designed in such a way that instantly analyzes your account transactions to suspect activities every second. The LifeLock coverage plans start at $8.29/month.
Features to Consider While Choosing an Identity Theft Protection Service
Below are some of the features to consider while you choose an identity theft protection service:
- Dark web Monitoring: Not everyone on the internet has noble intentions. The dark web is the darkest portion of the web where criminals might try to steal and misuse your personal information. These internet areas are examined with a dark web monitoring feature to detect if your information is utilized fraudulently.
- Insurance coverage: Most IDPs additionally give insurance for fraud loss and recovery procedure fees. Generally, many providers have a limit of $1 million. This is a useful feature that helps in recovering all legal fees and additional charges during the recovery procedure.
- Family Plans: It is crucial for you to choose a provider that has a family plan or to add your family members if you are seeking identity security for children, spouse, or your parents. Some companies offer kid social security monitoring and family members insurance coverage.
- Bank Account Monitoring: Credit and debit accounts are also monitored by most Identity theft protection companies. You will be alerted if anyone is suspecting to use your account. You should also regularly check your credit and debit card accounts in order to ensure that everything is secure.
- Restoration Services: Dedicated help for the recovery process is another crucial feature that you will want to seek for. Check if the service you want has access to a counselor or specialist who will contact credit agencies and lawyers throughout the process and complete documentation in order to get your identity on track.
Note that identity theft protection services can not protect your identity from being hacked. The services constantly monitor and alert any suspicious activities immediately. It is up to you to take quick action in order to prevent the damages.
