Best identity theft protection services of 2022 - Top 10 services reviewed

Imagine finding out that your credit score has massively dropped because some hacker is using your personal information wrongfully.

Or, even worse, catching a criminal case because a fraudster nicked your personal details, fleeced people, and now the cops hold you as a suspect!

It’d be terrible!

And, in the current world where almost everyone has a digital footprint, we just can’t be too sure about how secure our information is out there.

But, how do we put ourselves at peace knowing our information is safe? Yes, you called it - The Best Identity Theft Protection Services.

Lucky you! We did all the legwork and selected the most reputable and highly-rated identity theft protection services for you. Assessed on factors like reputation, ID protection tools, loss reimbursements, extensiveness, and more, we chose sites that had all the marks of a top-tier ID protection service.

That being said, we believe Aura to be the top identity protection service out there. It comes with a stellar rating, 14-day free trial and a great reputation to match!

Reviewing the best identity theft protection services right now, this article breaks down all the leading ID protection options to safeguard your personal data security.

Jump in!

Best Credit and Identity Protection Services:

• Aura: Best overall identity theft protection service

• Identity Guard: Most intelligent protection service

• IdentityForce: Longest-standing identity theft protection company

• IdentityIQ: Great family-inclusive plans

• LifeLock: Best identity theft protection money-back guarantee

• Experian: Top national credit agency id theft protection service

• Intelius: Best credit monitoring service for scanning public records

• ReliaShield: Most affordable identity theft protection service

• IDShield: Most informative id theft education resources

• PrivacyGuard: Nice personalized plans

1. Aura - Best Identity Theft Protection Service Overall

Pros

• A+ BBB rated

• 14-day free trial

• Extensive protection services

• Works 24/7

• $1M identity theft insurance/person

• Best social security monitoring service

Cons

• Relatively pricey

Aura is like the holy grail of identity protection services.

The company is rated A+ BBB rated and has been featured in esteemed publications like Forbes, Bloomberg, Business Insider, and more for its exceptional services.

Besides, it has an Excellent 4.7/5 Trustpilot rating, so you can be sure it’s good at pleasing its clients.

Again, Aura touts itself as an all-in-one digital safety service, and they do live up to it. The platform gives one of the most comprehensive protection services that include;

• Identity theft protection

• Financial fraud protection - Covers any suspicious activity using your financial information

• Online and device security - with military-grade VPN to stave off hackers

• Family protection - up to 5 loved ones in a single package

When Aura notices any dodgy transaction using your Social Security Number, Driver’s License number, medical ID, bank accounts, and more, the platform will immediately send you an alert.

Better yet, the alerts are near real-time alerts and are estimated to be 4 times faster than competitors, helping you step in before any major damage is done.

Talking about damages, the service gives up to $5 million in identity theft protection insurance ($1M per person), hence you are compensated if you incur losses.

Furthermore, Aura has a dedicated round-the-clock 24/7 identity fraud resolution team to work on your identity case.

To supplement the fraud team has a responsive and friendly customer support team to answer all your questions.

Available Plans:

• Individual - Free 14 days + $12/m billed annually or $15/monthly

• Couple - Free 14 days + $22/m billed annually or $29/monthly

• Family/Group - Free 14 days + $37/m billed annually or $50/monthly

The best thing about Aura is that they give you a 14-day free trial, enough time to test the waters before committing to the service.

Of all the plans, the Group package seems to be the most cost-effective yet, and with it, you can protect yourself and four other loved ones from identity theft.

Try the 14-Day Free Trial With Aura

2. Identity Guard - Top Identity Protection Smart Service

Pros

• 20+ years experience

• 401k protection

• 47M+ users

• Preventive risk management

Cons

• No credit monitoring on value package

Carrying about 20 years of experience in the identity theft protection industry, with over 47M users, Identity Guard is undoubtedly one of the biggest fraud protection services.

Better yet, the company has a track record to show for it.

Hinted by its 4.7/5 customer Trustpilot rating and A+ BBB accreditation, Identity Guard illustrates its focus on protecting your information and those of the people you love.

With a cutting-edge IBM Watson Artificial Intelligence tool, Identity Guard intelligently and constantly scans the internet to catch potential identity theft fast.

Even more, apart from just looking for data breaches, the company also scours the dark web and social media in order to cover as much ground as possible.

What’s more, Identity Guard also offers;

• Medical identity monitoring

• Home title monitoring

• Tax identity theft protection

• Credit monitoring, bank accounts protection

Additionally, the company gives a $1M identity theft insurance policy cover to compensate you for any damages suffered on identity theft.

They say prevention is better than cure, and Identity Guard appears to be intentional about this.

To complement everything, the service also has a Risk Management Score feature that estimates your identity fraud risk. Hence, you too can make proactive ID securing adjustments before it gets into fraudulent hands.

Available Plans

• Value - Individual - $8.99/m or $90 annually

• Value - Family - $14.99/m or $179.88 annually

• Total - Individual - $19.99/m or $200.04 annually

• Total - Family - $23.99/m or $239.88 annually

• Ultra - $29.99/m or $300 monthly

Identity Guard’s prices are pretty good. And, the family packages are better in that they include all adults and children living in the same household. So, from just $12.50 a month, you too can protect your whole family.

Preventive Risk Management With Identity Guard

3. IdentityForce - Most Experienced Top Rated Identity Protection

Pros

• 40+ years experience

• Has business identity protection

• 3-bureau credit monitoring

• 30-day trial

Cons

• Family package limited to two adults

Operating on 40+ years of experience in identity protection, IdentityForce is the oldest timer of this bunch. Needless to say, they are very seasoned in helping people secure their information.

Along with experience, it’s assuring to know that IdentityForce is now owned by TransUnion, one of the three major credit reporting agencies, further lending it credibility.

IdentityForce tackles identity theft risk in four major ways;

• Identity monitoring - Scanning around for identity and credit info risk

• Alerts - Prompt notifications on sketchy transactions with your info

• Control - Protect and lock your credit files, PINs, and keystrokes

• Recover - Works 24/7 to restore your credit

Being owned by a credit reporting agency, IdentityForce goes all in protecting your credit and bank account information.

Besides, it tracks your info from all 3 major credit bureaus making it very comprehensive in protecting your credit reputation and works almost like credit repair services.

Also, with an IdentityForce $1M ID theft insurance policy, you can handle any financial hurt you suffer from identity theft.

Another angle is Identity’s user-friendliness.

In addition to the websites, the company has some amazing Android and iOS mobile apps to give you an easier time managing your online account.

Moreover, this gives you a VPN to secure your online experience by staving off marauding identity thieves.

You’ll like that the platform has 24/7 US-based live support, so you can reach out to them whenever without worrying about time zones.

Available Plans:

• Individual - $17.99/m or $179.90 yearly

• Family - $24.90/m or $249.00 yearly

IdentityForce’s Family package might be limited to two adults, however, it covers an unlimited number of children below 18 in a common household.

30-Day Trial With IdentityForce

4. IdentityIQ - Fraud Protection Company With Family Inclusive Plans

Pros

• Credit reports monitoring with all plans

• $25,000 child identity theft insurance

• Plan inclusive of family protection

• Compatible on all devices

Cons

• Basic starting plan

Recognized as the best identity protection company in the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards 2022, IdentityIQ’s reputation speaks for itself.

On top of that, it’s BBB accredited, thus you can have confidence in them to protect and resolve any identity theft threats on your information.

Not just you, IdentityIQ protects your family too, and all plans include family protection at no extra cost.

The company’s extensive security forte is built on;

• VPN protection

• Real-time credit monitoring

• Data breach monitoring

• Internet and Dark web monitoring

• Family protection

Along with the VPN protection, the service also uses a robust Bitdefender Total Antivirus software to nab cyberattacks on your computers and mobile devices.

Moreover, it monitors the dark web, internet, and your credit to make sure nothing sinister harms your private information.

In case of a dodgy activity, IdentityIQ will send you a timely alert and also go all the way towards restoring your identity.

In the event of a loss, there’s a $1M reimbursement policy to offset your losses. Furthermore, if your child’s identity is compromised, the company offers a $25,000 insurance policy to cater for any damages.

Available Plans

• Secure Plus - $9.99/m

• Secure Pro - $19.99/m

• Secure Max - $29.99/m

The Secure Plus plan here is a tad limited for people that want comprehensive identity and fraud detection services. However, the Pro and Max plans are very inclusive, with the Max even giving you your monthly credit reports and credit scores as an extra perk.

Best Family Protection With IdentityIQ

5. LifeLock - Great Identity Protection Program Satisfaction Guarantee

Pros

• 60-day money-back guarantee

• 30-day free trial

• Social media accounts monitoring

• 80M+ users

Cons

• $25k starter plan reimbursement

Looking to create a safer digital space for you, LifeLock has seen its services attract over 80M users across the globe, so they’re very popular.

The service takes five main rigorous actions to protect your identity;

• Signup

• Scan and look for threats

• Send alerts

• Resolve and restore your identity

• Reimburse

Once the company finds harm to your personal and financial identity, it immediately sends you alerts. With the on-time alert, you have the chance to lock your relevant accounts to block further cyber harm.

After that, the service takes the front foot in restoring your identity and also compensates you between $25,000 - $1M on funds lost.

Again, LifeLock does credit monitoring to uphold your financial health.

Along with this, the ID theft protection company also does social network monitoring to catch any impersonation using your social media profiles.

During your identity restoration process, a US-based restoration specialist will be assigned to your case and work on it to the end.

Available Plans:

• Individual - Standard - $8.99/m or $7.50/m billed annually

• Individual - Advantage - $17.99/m or $14.99/m billed annually

• Individual - Ultra Plus - $23.99/m or $19.99/m billed annually

LifeLocks’ plans come with credit monitoring, with the Ultra Plus adding home title monitoring, 401k account alerts, and other protection offers.

In addition, there are two family plans: one for two adults, and the other for two adults and up to five children, so you can choose a fitting one.

30-Day Free Trial With LifeLock

6. Experian - National Credit Bureau Identity Theft Programs

Pros

• National consumer credit agency

• Free dark web surveillance

• Offers easy credit lock services

• 30-day free trial

Cons

• No 24/7 support

You’ve heard of Experian, right?

If not, the company is one of the three major credit bureaus, and that gives it all the credence.

Experian also doubles up with a goal to make the digital space safer for you and your family through;

• Comprehensive identity theft monitoring

• 3-Bureau credit monitoring

• Financial accounts monitoring

• Threat alerts

• Dark web scan

Additionally, Experian scans over 600,000 web pages for any threat to your information, e.g. SSN, Medical ID, Driver’s license number, and more.

Also, it offers a free dark web scan to see and take immediate action if your personal details are being used for cybercrime.

While it’s unfortunate that you may suffer loss from ID theft, Experian helps you take the edge off with its $1M identity theft insurance policy.

While it doesn’t have 24/7 customer support, the user reviews point out that the support team is responsive to any credit and identity-related queries.

Being a credit reporting agency, Experian offers one of the best 3-credit bureau monitoring services. Thus, you can continue enjoying a good standing before potential creditors.

Available Plans:

• IdentityWorks Plus - $9.99/m

• IdentityPremium - $19.99/m

Experian affords you ample time to see how its service works with a nice 30-day trial period.

Furthermore, the advanced family identity theft protection plan can include up to 10 children, a good way to protect your whole family.

30-Day Free Trial With Experian

7. Intelius - Identity Protection Program With Wide Public Record Access

Pros

• Free trial

• 24/7 personal support

• 20+ billion public records

• A BBB rating

Cons

• Costs more for 3-credit reports

Intelius is one of the world’s most popular consumer information gathering services, and it now has its hands on identity protection. On top of that - it has also made the list of the most well-reputed background check sites.

Moreover, the platform has an A BBB rating and has been around since 2003, hence they are actually reputable too.

The company majorly protects your SSN, bank, and credit details, and this goes a long way in maintaining your financial well-being.

On top of this, Intelius also does;

• Phone number monitoring

• Address monitoring

• Bank account monitoring

Like most companies, you also get a $1M identity theft insurance coverage to handle damages caused by ID thieves.

Even more, you’ll also have access to a personal 24/7 customer assistant, thus you and your identity will be getting all the attention you need.

Above all, it’s also amazing that Intelius has access to 20+ billion public records, and in a few minutes, you can view any records in your name and possibly catch dubious additions in your name.

Available Plans:

• 12-month plan - 19.95/m

Intelius only has a single plan, but you can choose a quarterly payment option and lower the monthly amount.

Also, all plans come with a free annual credit report, and you can choose to add $25 if you want all three credit reports delivered.

24/7 Support With Intelius

8. ReliaShield - Great Top Rated Affordable Identity Protection Program

Pros

• Family plans free kids coverage

• Unlimited restoration services

• High success rate

• Affordable prices

Cons

• Family plan limited to two adults

ReliaShield covers two main identity protection boxes; comprehensiveness and cost-effectiveness which puts you in a position to get bang for your buck.

On signing up, ReliaShield begins safeguarding your personal and financial information with 24/7 monitoring to not miss a thing.

Once they flag suspicious activity, their recovery experts will work on your behalf to restore your identity.

Of course! In case of any financial damage, the company also protects you with a $1M stolen funds and expense insurance policy.

In addition, ReliaShield holds its weight on comprehensiveness covering;

• Credit theft

• Social media account theft

• Bank detail theft

What’s more, ReliaShield comes with unlimited restoration services to protect you immeasurably throughout the lifetime of your subscription.

Available Plans

Individual plans;

• Essential - $7.99/m

• Prime - $14.99/m

• Elite - $21.99/m

Family plans;

• Essential - $14.99/m

• Prime - $24.99/m

• Elite - $34.99/m

ReliaShield’s starter plan is relatively wider than those of many ID protection services.

Also, the family plans offer the best value if you have a family to think of as well.

Better yet, the family packages give free coverage for kids. Suffice it to say, no matter the number of kids you have, they’re all sorted.

9. IDShield - Excellent SSN Protection With Education Resources

Pros

• 30-day free trial

• Guaranteed ID restoration

• Uses licensed private investigators

Cons

• Limited credit monitoring on basic plan

• No annual plan discount

Praising itself as a great 24/7 ID protection company, IDShield also has a Forbes feature to illustrate its greatness.

IDShield looks at your ID protection in a variety of ways including;

• Full-service ID restoration

• Cybersecurity and device protection

• ID and credit monitoring

• $1 million expense insurance

The company also assures you of ID restoration in case of any theft. Better yet, it uses licensed private investigators for restoration - with this - you can be sure of the expertise to reclaim your identity.

To supplement everything, IDShield also protects your device.

With a secure VPN, the service can help you browse the internet hassle-free. And, they also give a high-tech antivirus program to protect you from ID tracking malware.

You’ll love the convenience that comes with the company’s mobile apps, which means you’ll receive alerts as soon as they come.

Equally important, IDShield has an educative blog section that can educate you into making fewer ID security mistakes.

Available Plans:

• Individual - $14.95/m

• Family - $29.95/m

Having a free 30-day trial, you can see IDShield’s keenness to prove its worth before you get into a monthly payment.

Unfortunately, IDShield doesn’t offer a yearly discount, but the family plan includes up to 10 kids to make it more cost-friendly.

10. PrivacyGuard - Awesome Tailored Identity Theft Protection Plans

Pros

• Three bureau credit monitoring, credit reports

• Great iOS, and Android apps

• Targeted plans

Cons

• $1 trial

PrivacyGuard seeks to help you maintain control of your sensitive information, and they achieve this with public and dark web monitoring.

The ID security service protects information like your SSN, Passport number, and credit cards.

Other than that, PrivacyGuard also throws in triple-bureau daily credit monitoring and monthly triple-bureau credit scores and credit reports to secure your financial state as well.

In addition, there’s also a wide berth of ID protection and credit education services, and they can help you make informed ID protection measures.

Capping off, the company also has great mobile apps to ensure you can always access ID protection wherever you are.

Available Plans

• Identity Protection - $9.99/m

• Credit Protection - $19.99/m

• Total protection - $24.99/m

Before paying for the service, you get started with a two week trial period. However, it costs a dollar -which is not much - but it could be free.

On the brighter side, Privacy Guard has tailored plans for identity, some of the best credit protection services, and total protection, giving you a chance to secure only what you want to secure.

How We Chose Our Top Identity Theft Companies

Personal Details Monitored

Identity is tied to anything we do in the digital space.

To see that a large base of your identity is protected, we selected identity theft protection companies that protected the most personal and financial information.

On top of the regular financial details and Social Security Number monitoring that most ID theft companies cover, our identity theft services secure even more information, e.g. your medical, address, social media, passport, bank, credit, and other details that are important to you.

Tools Offered

Generally, the more ID theft protection tools a company has the better it is, and we made sure to choose the most extensive companies for you.

All our companies offer near real-time ID risk alerts, to allow you to counter fraudsters before they do much harm.

Even more, our credit monitoring services also have a variety of credit monitoring, lost wallet protection, device and malware protection, and more identity theft protection features to give you a wholesome ID securing experience.

Lost Funds Insurance

It’s estimated that Americans lose $50 billion to identity thieves every year, and, sadly, most people never get any form of compensation.

Considering this, we chose ID theft protection services that offer lost funds or expenses and stolen funds reimbursement to offset any financial damages suffered.

Most of the services here offer $1M lost funds insurance, and all give good reimbursements to protect customers that may suffer financial loss.

Trial Period and Guarantee

We bet you want to use ID protection services that you can trust. While all our services are experienced and reputed we figured this wasn’t enough.

So, most of the identity theft protection providers we reviewed give you free trial periods of up to 30-days to prove their worth to you.

Additionally, some services also offer a money-back guarantee to protect your investment in their services.

Best Identity Theft Programs - FAQs

Which Identity Theft Protection Service Is Best?

The best identity theft protection service is Aura.

Aura thrives on wide ID protection tools to protect you and your family’s personal and financial information. Furthermore, it also offers device protection and scores high customer ratings, hence you can have confidence in it.

Is Identity Guard Worth the Money?

Yes, Identity Guard is worth the money.

Identity Guard sets itself apart with an ID protection intelligent Artificial Intelligence tool. The AI is able to capture ID threats fast and work to prevent identity theft or reduce potential harm.

Also, Identity Guard has a proven track record in satisfying clients, and this is demonstrated by the site’s 4.7/5 current Trustpilot score.

Which Is Better: Identity Guard or IdentityForce?

Identity Guard and IdentityForce are similar in what they offer in many ways.

IdentityForce has 40 years of experience in ID protection, has a 30-day trial, and is also available for businesses.

On the other hand, Identity Guard offers both ID and device security, has 47M+ users, and boasts an intelligent ID theft detection system.

On the whole Identity Guard’s smart AI ID theft detection just gives it the edge over IdentityForce regarding the speed of noticing and resolving identity threats.

Which Are the Top 10 Identity Theft Protection Services?

The top 10 identity theft protection services are;

• Aura

• Identity Guard

• IdentityForce

• IdentityIQ

• LifeLock

• Experian

• Intelius

• ReliaShield

• IDShield

• PrivacyGuard

How Can I Find Out if Someone Is Using My Identity?

To find out if someone is using your identity, you can pull your credit reports or bank statement and look for any inquiries or new accounts you didn’t make.

Also, the easiest way to know if someone is using your identity is to enrol with an ID protection company like the ones we’ve reviewed above.

These companies will handle everything for you, and also send you timely alerts immediately your ID is at risk.

Is Identity Theft a Felony?

Identity theft isn’t explicitly a felony, but it can be in some states and if the case has caused massive financial loss to a victim.

In most instances, identity theft is charged as fraud or impersonation, and it can either be a misdemeanour or felony depending on state laws and the seriousness of the crime.

Why Should I Buy an Identity Theft Service?

You should buy an identity theft service because of the convenience it affords you.

Most people have a hard time monitoring their ID or how to restore it in case of theft. Even for people who know, ID theft monitoring and resolving can be a tedious and long process.

With an identity theft protection service, you can sit back, and have peace of mind as the service handles everything while keeping you informed.

Which Is the Best Identity Theft Protection for Families?

The best identity theft protection for families is Identity Guard.

Unlike most ID theft protection companies which put a cap on the number of people protected, IdentityForce covers all adults and children living in the same household.

Still, IdentityIQ is another good choice for families as all plans automatically come with family protection.

How Do I Report Identity Theft?

You can report identity theft to the national Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-438-4338 or through their website at www.usa.gov/identity-theft.

Alternatively, you could also report identity theft to the police if you have good details of the identity thief.

Top Identity Theft Protection Companies According to Reviews - Conclusion

No more fretting over how safe your personal information is, with these best identity theft protection services, you can sit back as ID security experts protect your identity.

All our top ID theft companies hold and even surpass their weight, but above all, Aura stands as the best identity monitoring company yet.

The top-rated company gives you 24/7 ID protection and identity recovery services, and it has good plans for individuals, couples, and larger families.

Nonetheless, Identity Guard and IdentityForce are very good too and are some of the most seasoned ID theft companies today.

DISCLAIMER: Make sure to use these best identity theft protection services responsibly to avoid attracting heavy debt. Opinions expressed within the content are solely the author’s and do not constitute advice.