6 Best Identity Theft Protection Services for ID Monitoring (2022 Reviews)

(Ad) Identity theft has become more prevalent than ever and fraudsters are deploying a variety of techniques and tricks to hijack your personal information. Identity thieves can wreak havoc on your life by opening up credit cards in your name, selling your information on the dark web, or even using your identity if arrested for a crime.

Luckily, there are identity theft protection services that can help keep your identity and personal information safe from criminals. The best identity theft protection companies will monitor your credit for suspicious activity, send real-time alerts if fraud is detected, and provide ID theft insurance in case you’re a victim of a data breach.

But with so many identity monitoring services to choose from, choosing the best company can feel like an overwhelming task. To help you decide, we’ve reviewed the best identity theft protection services. We evaluated each company on a variety of factors including protection plans, features, price, company reputation, and more.

If you’re serious about protecting your identity and keeping your personal information safe from criminals, here are the best identity theft services of 2022.

The 6 Best Identity Theft Protection Services of 2022

#1. Aura: Best Overall

Aura is a leading identity theft and fraud protection company that has transformed the way you protect your information online. The company’s founder, Hari Ravichandran, was inspired to create Aura after learning that a cybercriminal stole his credit card information in 2014.

Since then, Aura has revolutionized digital security by making expert encryption available to its users–and not just any type of encryption, either. Aura leverages the same type of encryption used by the military and major financial institutions to keep your personal information private.

The company has built its reputation on its highly advanced technology, which requires no technical experience to use. You can set up your account in minutes and start monitoring your personal information, financial data, Social Security number, and more.

Further, you can ensure that your family members receive the same protection, thanks to Aura’s customizable packages, which enable you to help protect up to five people and fifty devices (ten per adult). Most importantly, Aura promises to alert you to potential fraud or identity theft up to four times faster1 than its competitors.

Identity Theft Protection

As the top-rated identity theft protection service on the market, Aura monitors all your financial data, personal details, and more. With Aura, you can effortlessly manage your online accounts, store your passwords in its secure, easily accessible platform, and stay one step ahead of criminals trying to impersonate you by using your information.

Financial Fraud Protection

Financial fraud has become more prevalent, with the FTC reporting a 27% increase in 2020.2 Fortunately, Aura will help secure your finances with near real-time alerts, suspicious spending notifications, and credit report monitoring. You can even lock your credit file with Experian to prevent unauthorized credit pulls or take advantage of 24/7 dedicated support if you lose your wallet.

In the event of identity theft, Aura offers all of its users up to $1 million in insurance coverage** for eligible identity theft losses.

Device and Network Protection

More than likely, you browse the web every day for work, shopping, or social networking. However, an unsecured connection can put you at risk for identity theft or fraud.

Aura offers all-in-one protection from digital threats, allowing you to shop, comment, share, “like,” and work with confidence. The security platform safeguards most of your devices from malware, viruses, phishing, and more. Further, Aura offers a virtual private network (VPN) for at-home or mobile use, complete with expert encryption to keep your browsing activity secure from online threats.

Family Protection

The cybersecurity experts at Aura know how important your family is to you. With that in mind, the platform offers complete protection for up to 5 family members, all under one plan. With Aura’s family protection features, you can monitor fraud, protect your family’s information, and ensure that your children’s identities don’t end up on the Dark Web.

Further, adult members can take Aura with them wherever they go, thanks to the security platform’s military-grade VPN. Just to note, children in family plans can only get VPN protection if they are using an adult member service. 

Plans and Packages

Aura offers three plans to suit your needs. The packages range from $9 per month for the Individual plan, which includes all essential features such as online account monitoring, antivirus protection, and lost wallet remediation for one adult, to the Family Plan, which provides coverage for up to 5 people and 50 devices for $25 per month.

Pros

• All-in-one identity theft monitoring for individuals and families
• Simplify your digital life with Aura’s password manager
• Monitor financial accounts and credit files for suspicious activity
• Monthly credit score* tracker and annual credit report
• $1 million identity theft insurance for eligible losses**
• Steeper discounts for annual plans
• Powerful anti-virus and WiFi security to protect your data and devices

Cons

• Individual plans are a little more expensive than other identity theft protection services

Click Here to Learn More About Aura

#2 Identity Guard: Best for Families

In 1996, Identity Guard(R)’s founding company, Intersections Inc., emerged as one of the first identity theft protection services in the industry—right as the Internet was becoming mainstream. Since then, this Virginia-based identity protection firm has served over 47 million customers and earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Identity Guard has cemented its status as one of the best identity theft protection entities in existence by offering several helpful services including:

• Data breach notifications
• Dark web monitoring
• Bank account monitoring
• Credit & debit card monitoring
• Home title monitoring
• USPS address change monitoring
• Credit score monitoring
• 401k monitoring
• Tax refund fraud alerts

Some of these services are available across all Identity Guard plans, while others are available only at certain levels. For example, Identity Guard’s credit monitoring service includes one yearly three bureau credit reports and one bureau monthly credit scores* from the three major credit bureaus in the premium Ultra plan. The Total plan includes one bureau score and isn’t included at all in the Value plan.

Another area worth looking at when choosing a plan is social media monitoring. You’ll only receive social media analyses in the Ultra plan, and cyberbullying alerts come with all family plans, making them excellent options for families with teens. Many identity theft protection services don’t even offer social media monitoring, so the fact that Identity Guard includes these features at all is a huge plus.

But no matter which plan you choose, you’ll get a dedicated case manager who is based in the United States, $1 million in identity theft insurance** for eligible losses, identity recovery assistance, and an easy-to-use online dashboard.

If the artificial intelligence detects certain changes, Identity Guard will send you some of the fastest alerts in the space.

Identity Guard offers three reasonably priced plans: Value, Total, and Ultra. All of the plans are available for individuals and as family plans, which include protection for up to 10 individuals in the same household. Furthermore, you can save up to $5 per month if you bill annually, depending on your plan.

When it comes to identity theft protection, you can’t go wrong with Identity Guard.

Pros

• Near-time fraud alerts
• Identity recovery assistance
• Uses artificial intelligence to identify threats
• Individual and family protection plans
• Notifications of data breaches
• Android and iOS mobile app
• $1 million in ID theft insurance in eligible losses**

Cons

• 3-bureau credit reports only available with most expensive plan

Click Here to Learn More About Identity Guard

#3 Credit Squad: Best Value

New York-based Credit Squad has distinguished itself among big-name ID theft protection companies by providing a personal touch you won’t find anywhere else.

Credit Squad offers a myriad of identity theft services for monitoring identity, including:

• Bank account monitoring
• Credit score tracking
• Lost wallet replacement
• Nearby sex offender monitoring
• SSN tracing

When you sign up, you tell Credit Squad what information you want it to track, which the company does using its proprietary Light Watch scanning technology. If Light Watch finds any of your information online, you’ll receive real-time alerts. And if you fall victim to identity theft, Credit Squad will provide coverage for up to $1 million in losses.

Credit Squad is hands-down the best identity theft protection firm for customer service, with 24/7 United States–based support and access to trained credit counselors who can give you personalized financial advice—no matter which plan you choose. You’ll also receive an assigned caseworker and paralegal to help you with the identity recovery process if your identity does get compromised.

Credit Squad’s standard plan only includes credit monitoring, while the company’s other two individual plans and three family plans all come with identity theft protection services. In fact, the basic family plan only includes ID theft services. Even if you’re childfree, you may still want to consider this plan if you want ID protection and already have a credit monitoring service with another company.

The top-tier Elite plans really have it all, though: tri-bureau credit monitoring, monthly credit reports, and in-depth identity theft protection—all for just under $50.

If you want hands-on credit monitoring and identity protection services, then Credit Squad is the company for you. You will be able to rest assured that you have ultrasecure credit.

Pros

• Three bureau credit score monitoring from Equifax, Transunion, and Experian
• Choose from individual and family protection plans
• Full-service identity recovery services
• $1M in identity theft insurance
• Free email address scan
• 3-bureau annual credit report included

Cons

• 3-bureau credit monitoring only available in most expensive plan
• Limited features compared to some of the best identity theft protection services

Click Here To Learn More About Credit Squad

#4 IdentityIQ: Best ID Theft Insurance

Las Vegas-based IDIQ founded its flagship brand IdentityIQ in 2010 to help keep their personal information safe. With the help of the company’s United States–based support team, IdentityIQ has maintained an A+ BBB rating ever since. In particular, IdentityIQ draws praise for its comprehensive identity theft insurance coverage across all plans.

Ideally, you won’t even need to use the insurance, since IdentityIQ offers a wide range of credit monitoring services, including:

• Single-bureau credit score monitoring
• Dark web surveillance
• Change of address monitoring
• Bank account monitoring
• Family identity theft protection with $25k in ID theft insurance
• Lost wallet assistance
• Social Security number alerts

In addition, the company’s top two plans include annual triple-bureau credit reports and scores. With the top-tier Secure Max plan, you can use a credit score simulator to see how potential fraudulent actions would affect your credit score.

IdentityIQ really stands out, though, in offering the best identity theft protection insurance in the industry. Even the lowest plan comes with up to $1 million in reimbursement, as well as coverage for attorney fees and personal expenses that are related to the recovery process. Therefore, you can rest easy knowing that safety nets are in place if your identity is ever stolen.

You’ll also let out a sigh of relief when you see how little IdentityIQ costs. The basic plan rings up at just $6.99 per month, and Secure Max costs only $29.99 each month, much lower than other companies’ top plans. If you’re looking for a family plan, Secure Max also includes family protection with $25,000 in ID theft insurance per child under 25 years old.

And before you sign up, make sure you take advantage of IdentityIQ’s seven-day trial for only $1.

For ultimate peace of mind with your ultrasecure credit and ID theft protection service, whether you want to protect your assets or safeguard your family, look no further than IdentityIQ.

Pros

• Daily credit score monitoring services for suspicious or fraudulent activity
• $1 million in identity theft insurance
• Full ID theft restoration
• Individual and family identity theft protection plans
• 12 credit reports and scores from all 3-bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion)
• Anti-virus software and VPN for online privacy
• Stolen funds reimbursement
• Enhanced credit protection
• Monitoring for unauthorized payday loan applications

Cons

• No mobile app available
• Social network monitoring not provided
• Basic plan only comes with annual credit reports

Click Here to Learn More About IdentityIQ

#5 LifeLock: Best for Comprehensive Fraud Protection

Twelve years after LifeLock’s founding in Arizona, antivirus company Norton purchased LifeLock in 2017, making it the best identity theft protection service for online protection. As of 2021, LifeLock serves over five million customers and has an A rating with the Better Business Bureau.

As its name implies, LifeLock is known for allowing you to easily lock—or “freeze”—your credit so that no one else can access your credit report. If you have the LifeLock Ultimate Plus plan and lose your wallet or detect fraud, you can instantly freeze your bank accounts and credit cards, as well as lock inquiries with the three credit bureaus.

In addition, LifeLock provides the following identity monitoring services in its user-friendly online interface and mobile app:

• Address change monitoring
• Bank account and credit card alerts
• Credit monitoring
• Dark web monitoring
• Data breach notifications

LifeLock’s credit monitoring service includes monthly credit reports and yearly credit scores, but where the company truly shines is online protection. All plans except for the base option come with Norton 360 antivirus software, which protects against computer viruses, phishing, malware, spyware, and more.

Furthermore, Norton 360 with LifeLock searches for all kinds of personal information on the dark web, including your SSN, date of birth, email addresses, credit card numbers, phone numbers, and so much more. If someone is using your information for nefarious purposes on the dark web, LifeLock will find it.

Plus, LifeLock can even help your kids stay safe online with LifeLock Junior, the family plan option. For an additional monthly fee per child, LifeLock Junior will protect your kids’ information from synthetic identity theft as well as monitor their peer-to-peer file sharing such as music and videos.

LifeLock plans come in four tiers: Standard, Select, Advantage, and Ultimate Plus. As the price increases, so does the number of features, but there’s also another important distinction: only Ultimate Plus offers $1 million in ID theft insurance. Advantage covers $100,000, and the lower two plans cover just $25,000.

However, with all plans, LifeLock does cover up to $1 million in lawyer fees if you have to recover your stolen identity.

LifeLock Ultimate Plus gives you the most bang for your buck at a maximum of $34.99 per month. This plan monitors the most kinds of data, including investment and retirement accounts.

Pros

• Includes Norton-360 to protect your devices from online threats
• One of the most trusted ID theft protection services in the industry
• Sends alerts via phone, text, email, or mobile app
• Save up to 25% the first year
• Up to $25,000 to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement
• Notification of data breaches
• 60-day money back guarantee on annual plans
• Monitor social media accounts with Ultimate Plus plan

Cons

• Basic plan has limited features compared to other top identity theft companies
• 3-bureau credit monitoring only available with most expensive plan

Click Here to Visit The Life Lock Website For More Information

#6 ExtraCredit: Best For Credit Monitoring

Since 1996, Credit.com has been a leader in the credit reporting industry with over a million members to date. Still, the company’s new ExtraCredit service takes credit monitoring a step further with an entire identity protection suite. Instead of paying different services to build, guard, track, and restore your credit, you can do it all with ExtraCredit for a low monthly fee.

Credit.com’s ExtraCredit provides a ton of services for the price. The company breaks them down into five categories: Build It, Guard It, Track It, Reward It, and Restore It. For our purposes in this review, we’ll focus on the identity monitoring services in Guard It and the credit monitoring ones in Track It, including the following:

• Data breach alerts
• Dark web monitoring
• Three-bureau credit monitoring
• 28 FICO credit scores

Who knew you could get such comprehensive ID protection services from a company whose business is mainly monitoring your credit? And if your identity is stolen, ExtraCredit has your back, with financial identity theft insurance for up to $1 million.

But if building and maintaining your credit is equally as important to you as identity protection, then you’ll enjoy ExtraCredit’s additional features. Credit.com reports your rent and utility payments to credit bureaus helping you bolster your credit report. Plus, the company’s expert U.S.–based restoration team will help you repair your credit if it has seen better days.

And if all that wasn’t enough, the ExtraCredit program can also help you earn up to $300 in cash offers. Who doesn’t love earning money?

Unlike other identity theft protection services, ExtraCredit doesn’t have different tiers. Instead, everyone pays $24.99 each month for the entire suite. Credit.com estimates that if bought separately, ExtraCredit’s five services could total roughly $90, so you’re getting an exceptional deal. And if you’re not satisfied with ExtraCredit, you can cancel at any time.

If you want an all-in-one solution for monitoring identity theft and building your credit score, ExtraCredit will meet all of your needs with ease.

Pros

• Try ExtraCredit for free
• Track your credit history with 28 FICO scores
• Raise your credit score with rent and utility reporting
• Variety of identity theft protection features to keep your identity safe
• ID theft insurance included
• Dark web monitoring
• One low monthly-fee

Cons

• No tiered pricing plans based on the features you need most
• Doesn’t monitor social media accounts
• No online tools to prevent identity fraud

Click Here To Learn More About ExtraCredit

What Is Identity Theft?

Identity theft is a crime involving the unauthorized use of someone else’s personal information, such as Social Security numbers, credit cards, bank accounts, health insurance, and other records.

There are several types of identity theft,—financial, medical, tax, employment, and others. Basically, thieves can carry out a wide range of actions with your personal information, including making purchases, opening accounts, getting a passport, filing a false tax return—the list goes on and on.

Of course, you’re probably familiar with credit card fraud, but there are a few other specific types of identity theft to be aware of.

For instance, identity cloning occurs when someone lives their daily life as another person. This sounds like the plot of many movies, but it happens in real life more often than you’d expect, often in the case of undocumented immigrants or U. S. citizens with criminal records and poor credit masquerading as other people, especially on social media.

Another type of identity theft is synthetic, which means a mix of real and fraudulent personal information—a real SSN with a fake name and birthday, for example. Eventually, the fraudulent identity records could merge with the victim’s real records, which could lead to several complications.

How Do Identity Protection Services Work?

An identity protection service uses a combination of technology and professionals to regularly scan websites, databases, and social media in search of suspicious activity involving the personal information you provide. Plus, the ID theft protection company will look at your credit reports for any irregularities.

If the service detects any fraudulent activity, it will notify you immediately via email, text message, or mobile app alert. And if you become a victim of identity theft, most identity protection service providers will offer identity restoration assistance and reimbursement for up to $1 million in damages.

It’s important to remember that credit monitoring services don’t prevent identity theft—no company can do that. That said, their constant identity monitoring and instant alerts will help you quickly take action to nip damages in the bud.

Features to Look for in a Good Identity Theft Protection Service

Credit Monitoring

Your credit score can be a good indicator of identity theft, especially if you see actions on your credit report that you don’t recall, like applications for credit cards or loans. Identity theft protection companies will monitor your credit score for any changes or suspicious activity. Your goal is ultrasecure credit.

Some companies include credit reporting from just one credit bureau, but most obtain reports from all three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Dark Web Monitoring

The dark web is a deeper part of the Internet that isn’t indexed by search engines; instead, it requires specific software, configurations, or authorization to access. The dark web is a hotbed for the sale of illicit personal information: credit card numbers, login credentials, Social Security numbers, and more.

An identity theft protection service with dark web monitoring will scan this part of the Internet to detect if anyone is fraudulently using your information.