Best Identity Theft Protection Services

Most thieves target your credit card info and any related financial details to turn a quick profit, abusing so-called “pay day loans” and less than scrupulous banks. The Identity Force ID Protection keeps track of your credit score and monitors financial activity to make sure that not a single cent slips through the cracks. If anything happens, the company notifies you, your bank, and the appropriate authorities of the misconduct. You also get a quarterly credit report that goes in depth on every single charge to your account and overviews security issues.

The Identity Force ID Protection also offers some less common yet quite useful services such as the removal of all your email addresses from annoying mailing lists and offering access to the sexual offender registry and criminal record checks so you can make sure your neighborhood is safe for kids. Also, if you ever lose your wallet, you won’t have to make a hundred calls cancelling all of your cards, the company does it for you upon request.

Last but not least, you also get all the standard protective features with the company keeping your address, phone number, full name, and more safe and hidden away from would-be fraudsters. It’s a pretty comprehensive service and while it costs a bit more than usual you’re also getting a broader protection standard.

It’s tough to call any identity theft protection and insurance service watertight as criminals are finding new tricks every day and the risk is always there. However, the Identity Force ID Protection is being updated constantly and may just be your best bet in keeping personal info private. We really liked the extra features such as the sex offender registry parsing, the mailing list removal, and more. It does feel like the support options could have been broader especially since the rest of the service operates 24/7 no matter what and the availability of support is particularly important in a stressful situation that comes with your identity being stolen. Still, that’s a minor gripe against an excellent service and we do recommend turning to the Identity Force ID Protection if you want to keep your personal life safe.

We do have to commend the service’s alert system. While it may seem a bit overbearing if you frequently get false positives, it might just save your money one day. Once any suspicious activity is detected, the My FICO Identity 3B sends off several warnings to your dashboard on the site, to your phone, and to your bank. That way the activity gets monitored by the authorities and you’re immediately made aware so you can respond accordingly.

Older people and kids fall victim to fraud quite often so it’s recommended to protect not only your data but your family’s as well. However, the My FICO company doesn’t offer a family plan so you’ll have to sign up every member separately, which may take a while. Still, we’d say the security is worth some extra money and a few minutes out of your day.

We want to quickly reiterate just how comprehensive the credit checking system of the My FICO Identity 3B is as the service syncs with the three major credit bureaus and constantly updates the data so if there’s even a slight change you’ll be among the first to know. And, by the way, we don’t want to kick them while they’re down but after Equifax’s data breach many people lost their sensitive information that was stored with the company. The My FICO Identity 3B, though, is designed to combat that exact issue and stop data leaks from ruining your credit score or your life.

It wouldn’t be right to compare the My FICO Ultimate 3B directly to some of its competitors as this service is clearly focused on keeping track of your credit score and preventing financial fraud. However, it does offer some modest identity protection features even if they’re not as broad as they could be. If you want to make sure your finances are kept straight and your money is safe, the My FICO Ultimate 3B is a great choice. It has some of the most comprehensive credit reports and it’s much more convenient than hiring a financial consultant. Good middle-ground for those that want to keep their money safe without spending half of it on those same security measures.

If you’re among those willing to pay a little bit for the Credit Sesame services, you will get access to a $1 million insurance against identity theft as well as regular credit checks from all 3 major bureaus against a $50 thousand insurance and monthly check from one bureau on the free version. Plus, all those that upgrade to the paid tiers get 24/7 support to deal with lost wallets and identity fraud. A good solution for identity theft prevention is to always keep track of your finances and have professionals available to help you at all times so we do recommend getting that upper tier if you can afford it.

It’s still a bit disappointing that anything below Platinum level is not exactly effective at protecting your identity and other personal data. Sure, the soft credit checks won’t impact your financial situation but that’s not the only source of trouble on the internet as cyberthieves could be on the prowl for your credit card info at any moment.

The website itself, though, has multiple protection layers with safe connection at all times. It’s also certified by several cybersecurity firms, which is more than we can say for some of the alternatives. These stamps of quality guarantee that your data is in good hands with the Credit Sesame.

It’s still hard for us to believe that there is a truly free credit-checking service out there that doesn’t scam you in any way but facts are facts. Sure, the company could certainly improve customer service, namely by offering phone support, and the protection services require payment and aren’t as deep as those that competitors provide. But you get quite a lot of information without paying a dime and that certainly makes the Credit Sesame a valuable tool that’s available to all. It’s not exactly on par with the expensive identity protection services you may get elsewhere but that isn’t what the company’s aiming for in the first place.

Of course, true protection of your financial stability isn’t possible without an in-depth look into your finances. The Intelius Identity Protect provides thorough credit checks, using data from all three major bureaus and compiling it to reflect any expenditure and suspicious activity. You can track instances of attempted fraud to see the weak spots in your security or, if everything’s calm on that side of things, simply look into your credit score and see how well you’re doing financially.

One particular flaw that the Intelius shares with many of its competitors is the lack of family coverage. All services out there should take note: we want to keep ourselves safe and we want to keep our relatives safe. It’s strange that so many companies don’t have the option for you to pay more and get all-in-one coverage of the whole household.

The Intelius doesn’t just take the bad from its analogues though as the company also offers removal from mailing lists and phone and email 24/7 support. It may not seem like much but these two small features are actually some of the most used. The former rids of you of annoying spam mail and the latter extends a helping hand that you can rely on in a crisis at any time of day.

It may not boast as many features as some of the more expensive analogues but the Intelius Identity Protect is more than adequate at keeping your private info safe. The service actually offers 24/7 support to all customers via phone and email, helping you quickly deal with any issues. However, the company doesn’t have the clearance to freeze your account even in the case of criminal activity so you only get a warning and have to finish the job yourself. Still, it’s always vigilant and spots all types of attempted fraud and data leaks. The Intelius Identity Protect may be just what you need if you want a more affordable way to keep your identity safe from criminals.

Nobody likes to even entertain the possibility of criminals winning and getting to your money and identity even through all the protection layers. However, these things happen and a good service will have plans in place to resolve that particular situation. The Identity Guard sends out text message alerts at the slightest suspicion of foul play so you can be up to speed. But while we like that aspect, we’re a bit surprised that the service does not alert credit bureaus or other authorities, which would then have the means to investigate further.

One cool feature that we haven’t spotted anywhere else is the $2000 emergency cash fund. The company guarantees this sum to you for cases like lost wallets or frozen accounts. That way you aren’t left without a penny in your pocket just because some criminal tried to hack into your bank account or pocketed your wallet.

Last but not least, the Identity Guard, of course, keeps track of your social security number, medical insurance data, loan and lease documents, and much more. It’s a pretty extensive area to cover if you want full protection but the company seems to do it just fine. The service doesn’t offer access to the sex offenders registry, which a few of the competitors do, but you can still check criminal records so you’ll always know if the people you’re dealing with are trustworthy.

It’s easy to see how the Identity Guard stands out from the crowd thanks to its protection software that keeps data on your PC safe from keyloggers and viruses. That more than compensates for the modest alerts and the lack of 24/7 phone support, at least in our eyes. Other than that, the Identity Guard Credit Protection services are quite sensibly priced and not far behind the expensive competitors aside from a few small gripes. If you want to make sure the sensitive data on your computer is safe but aren’t good with technology, we definitely recommend getting the Identity Guard software. It’s one of the easiest ways to prevent fraud and identity theft.