Identity theft continues to be a growing problem in the United States. In 2021 alone, nearly 40 million Americans were victims of identity fraud, resulting in over $52 billion in losses according to a report from Javelin Strategy & Research.
Having your identity compromised can be extremely disruptive and difficult to resolve. Not only can identity thieves open credit cards and take out loans in your name, but they can also file tax returns under your Social Security number, steal your medical benefits, or even commit crimes that get tied back to you.
The best way to protect yourself from identity theft is to sign up for an identity theft protection service. These services provide monitoring across your credit reports, public records, dark web sites, and more to catch any suspicious activity associated with your personal information.
Many identity theft protection services also include credit monitoring. By keeping tabs on your credit reports and scores, you can catch any unauthorized credit accounts or inquiries and address them right away before major damage is done.
Below we’ll explore the top identity theft protection services that include credit monitoring and reporting features. We’ll look at what makes them stand out and help you determine which is the right fit for your needs and budget.
Our Top Picks for 2023
| Service | Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Norton LifeLock | $7.50/mo first year | Most identity theft insurance |
| IdentityForce | $8.99/mo | Comprehensive monitoring |
| Aura | $12/mo | Families |
| Identity Guard | $6.67/mo | Budget option |
Reviews of the Best Identity Theft Protection Services with Credit Monitoring
Here’s an in-depth look at our top picks for identity theft protection services that include credit reporting and monitoring:
Norton LifeLock – Best for Identity Theft Insurance
Norton LifeLock is one of the most well-known brands when it comes to identity theft protection. They have a variety of robust monitoring features and an impressive $1 million insurance policy.
The key highlights include:
- Up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement
- Dark web monitoring
- Alerts for credit inquiries, new accounts, payday loan requests, and more
- LifeLock Identity AlertTM System sending real-time notifications
- Three bureau credit monitoring (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian)
- Monthly credit score tracking
- Credit, checking and savings account activity alerts
- Address change verification
- 401k and investment account activity monitoring
- Credit, bank account and credit card application alerts
- Online Annual Access to Equifax Credit Report & Score
- USPS address change verification
- Data breach notifications
- 24/7 live member support
Norton LifeLock starts at $7.50 per month for the first year for one person. You can add additional adults for $6 per month and children for $3 per month.
If you want the maximum amount of identity theft insurance, you’ll need the Ultimate Plus plan which provides up to $1 million in coverage. This plan starts at $9.99 per month for one person.
LifeLock is an excellent choice if you want a high limit of protection against any monetary losses and headaches from identity theft.
IdentityForce – Most Comprehensive Monitoring
IdentityForce offers one of the most comprehensive identity monitoring services available. The UltraSecure+Credit plan includes advanced features like payday loan monitoring, sex offender registry monitoring, and even USPS address change verification.
Key features include:
- $1 million identity theft insurance
- Three bureau credit file monitoring
- Credit score tracking
- Dark web monitoring
- High risk transactions alerts
- Alerts for credit card applications, account logins, payday loan requests, court records and more
- Address change verification
- Lost wallet assistance
- Medical ID theft protection
- Online risk score
IdentityForce starts at $8.99 per month when you pay annually for UltraSecure+Credit. You can add family members for just $5.99 per month extra.
One advantage with IdentityForce is they offer plans just for credit monitoring and reports starting at $7.99 per month, in case you only need credit tracking.
Overall, IdentityForce is ideal if you want every possible monitoring feature for maximum identity protection.
Aura – Best for Families
Aura stands out with its specialized family plan that covers an unlimited number of kids for one flat monthly fee.
With Aura, you’ll get:
- $1 million identity theft insurance
- Three bureau credit monitoring
- Credit score tracking
- High risk transaction alerts
- Dark web monitoring
- Alerts for opening accounts, court records, payday loans, and more
- Lost wallet assistance
- Device security for PC and Mac
- Parental controls for kids devices
Unique family-focused features include:
- Child Identity Monitoring – Monitor your kids for fraudulent activity and get alerts
- Cyberbullying Monitoring – Alerts for cyberbullying across social media, texts, email
- Minor Identity Restoration – Licensed investigators specializing in child ID theft
- Family Privacy View – Control which alerts each family member sees
Pricing is $12 per month for an individual or $37 per month for the family plan. Aura offers one of the best values for families looking to protect their children and their own identities.
Identity Guard – Best Budget Option
If you’re looking for quality identity theft protection on a budget, Identity Guard is a great affordable option.
The mid-tier Total plan provides:
- $1 million identity theft insurance
- Daily three bureau credit monitoring
- Credit score tracking
- Dark web monitoring
- High risk transactions monitoring
- Alerts for credit inquiries, accounts opened, suspicious activity and more
- Lost wallet protection
- Device protection
- Online risk meter
Individual plans start at just $6.67 per month when you pay annually. You can add family members for $3.33 per month each.
While you sacrifice some advanced monitoring features, Identity Guard still provides robust protection focused on the essentials of credit reports, dark web, and suspicious activity alerts. The low pricing makes it easily fit most budgets.
What to Look for in Identity Theft Protection with Credit Monitoring
When comparing services, here are some key factors to consider:
Credit Monitoring – At minimum, you want monitoring of your credit reports at the three main bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Monitoring should include alerts for credit inquiries, new accounts opened, or changes to your credit file.
Credit Scores – Your credit scores give insight into your creditworthiness. Look for a service that provides tracking of your credit score from at least one bureau. Monitoring changes in your score helps reveal potential fraudulent activity.
Insurance – Identity theft insurance helps reimburse you for both time and any money lost due to fraud. Look for coverage of at least $1 million, which is usually plenty to cover costs.
Alerts – Real-time alerts keep you on top of any suspicious activity found. Make sure the service offers alerts by email, text, phone, and/or mobile app notifications.
Dark Web Monitoring – Your information being sold on the dark web is usually the first sign of potential identity theft. Dark web scanning helps catch compromised data before it’s used for fraud.
Remediation Tools – If you do become an identity theft victim, make sure the service provides professional assistance and guidance with resolving the issue.
Do I Really Need Identity Theft Protection and Credit Monitoring?
With data breaches so common now, everyone‘s personal information is regularly exposed online to criminals. Identity theft protection services provide constant monitoring across your credit reports, public records, dark web sites, and more. This helps quickly detect misuse of your identity and prevent major identity theft disasters.
Even if you already check your credit reports each year, you can miss a lot of suspicious activity in between those annual reviews. Identity theft monitoring gives you 24/7 vigilance, sending alerts at the first sign of fraud. Early notification prevents criminals from racking up substantial amounts of debt or stealing significant funds in your name.
While no service can prevent all identity theft, they provide an invaluable early warning system. Plus the insurance policies they include help reimburse you for any losses or costs associated with restoring your identity and credit if you do fall victim.
For most people, spending $5-15 per month is worthwhile for the peace of mind and financial protection that identity theft monitoring provides.
What Are the Different Types of Identity Theft?
Identity theft comes in many forms. Here are some of the most common types:
- Credit card fraud – Criminals open new credit cards in your name or make unauthorized charges on your existing accounts.
- Loan fraud – Fraudsters take out auto, mortgage, personal and other loans using your information. This can severely damage your credit.
- Government benefit theft – Identity thieves use your SSN and other details to claim government benefits like Medicare, unemployment or tax refunds.
- Medical identity theft – Scammers obtain medical services and prescription drugs under your name and health insurance. This clogs up your medical records.
- Criminal identity theft – Someone arrested gives your personal details instead of their own. You become associated with crimes you didn’t commit.
- Driver’s license identity theft – Imposters obtain fake licenses under your identity for criminal purposes.
- Social Security number theft – Fraudsters open financial accounts or get jobs using your SSN. This is one of the most damaging forms of identity theft.
- Synthetic identity theft – Thieves combine real and fake information to create a new fabricated identity, often using your SSN.
- Child identity theft – Children’s unused SSNs get targeted for fraud that often goes undetected for years.
Identity Theft Protection Tips
While a monitoring service provides 24/7 vigilance, there are also steps you can take to better protect yourself against identity theft:
- Check credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion at least once per year. Look for any errors or unknown accounts.
- Place fraud alerts and credit freezes on your credit reports when not applying for new credit. This restricts access by potential thieves.
- Review all bank, credit card and other financial statements closely each month. Look for any unrecognized transactions.
- Shred documents with personal information before throwing them out.
- Don’t carry your Social Security card or write down your SSN unnecessarily. Provide only when absolutely mandatory.
- Use strong unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication everywhere possible.
- Be cautious when sharing personal information online or with companies. Provide only what is required.
The Bottom Line
Identity theft can happen to anyone. But protecting yourself is easier than ever with comprehensive identity theft protection services that provide 24/7 monitoring.
For thorough protection that includes advanced credit monitoring and maximum insurance, Norton LifeLock is our top overall pick.
Those wanting the most complete monitoring capabilities should consider IdentityForce.
Aura offers specialized family plans focused on protecting kids.
And Identity Guard provides strong protection on a budget.
Review our recommendations, compare features and prices, and select the best identity theft protection for your situation. Don‘t wait to sign up – make sure you have vigilant monitoring working hard to protect your identity.
