Identity theft protection

Identity theft protection is worth the investment for many people because it helps them stay a step ahead of risks that they might not notice on their own. An identity theft protection service monitors for signs of fraud across your credit reports, financial accounts, and even the dark web.

If it detects suspicious activity that might indicate fraud or identity theft, you’ll get an automatic alert that prompts you to take protective action quickly. Plus, you’ll get personalized recovery support and reimbursement coverage from experts if you ever fall victim to identity theft.

It might be particularly worth it if you:

• Are at high risk of identity theft because you’ve been a victim before or you fall into one of the most common identity theft target demographics.
• Have a large digital footprint, which might mean scammers or fraudsters have plenty of information they can use against you.
• Don’t have time to monitor your own identity and want an automatic solution to detect potential identity theft threats.
• Are concerned about the risk of financial losses following identity theft and want reimbursement coverage to help protect your finances.
• Have a complex financial portfolio involving lots of accounts, making it tricky to monitor all of them for potential signs of fraud.
• Are a public figure that might be at increased risk of identity theft due to your position, job, or fame.

Identity theft protection can’t prevent every threat (it won’t stop a data breach from happening or a scammer from targeting you, for example), but it does offer peace of mind by reducing the amount of time and energy you need to spend looking out for risks. And, it gives you financial protection that many banks don’t always offer.

Closely monitoring your financial accounts for suspicious activity, using strong and unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication on your accounts, and limiting how much you share online can all protect you from identity risks. But identity theft protection services like LifeLock make it easier to reliably monitor more risk surfaces. They also offer access to restoration support and reimbursement coverage if you need it.

Identity theft protection services like LifeLock act like a security guard for your personal information. With 24/7 monitoring, they can help you spot suspicious activity — including fraud — before it can wreak havoc on your life. And, if the worst happens, these services provide essential support in the recovery process, helping you bounce back from any financial damage.

Identity theft protection services work by scanning for your sensitive personal or financial information online and in applications for credit or services. They also typically include credit monitoring that detects changes to your credit report and financial account activity alerts that can tip you off to potential fraud.

Some services, like LifeLock, also go beyond monitoring and alerts: they include tools that help reduce the exposure of your personal information online and spot scams when you’re targeted. They also offer tailored recovery support from a restoration expert if you ever fall victim, along with reimbursement for covered losses.

In short, identity theft protection makes it easier to minimize your risk of being targeted, catch the signs of identity theft, and recover if it does happen.

Identity theft protection plans typically cost between $10 and $35 per month. A basic package might offer essential features, like credit and dark web monitoring, while more advanced plans add more features like investment account alerts and higher reimbursement coverage.

LifeLock plans start at $12.49 a month, with credit monitoring, an automatic data broker removal service, and up to $1 million in reimbursement4 coverage all included.

Some commonly cited limitations of identity theft protection services include that they can’t completely remove the risk of identity theft, their monitoring capabilities are limited, and they don’t include coverage for funds stolen through scams.

However, choosing a comprehensive service, like LifeLock, mitigates some of these downsides, with proactive alerts, broad monitoring features, and scam reimbursement coverage. Plus, you can bundle LifeLock with Norton 360 for additional cybersecurity features like a VPN and award-winning antivirus, providing all-in-one protection.

Identity theft protection services are designed to help you monitor for a wide range of identity-related threats, including financial, tax, medical, synthetic, and criminal identity theft.

They offer broad monitoring features that can spot telltale signs your identity has been stolen, such as changes to your credit report, suspicious activity in your financial accounts, and new mentions of your personal information online or on the dark web.

But identity theft protection doesn’t stop at monitoring. Many services also offer proactive protective features, like automatic data broker removal tools, credit locks, and scam detection capabilities. And, if you ever fall victim to identity theft, you’ll be able to get recovery support from an expert, plus reimbursement coverage for eligible losses.

Most identity theft protection services focus entirely on identity theft risks and don’t provide scam protection features or reimbursement for funds sent voluntarily to a scammer.

However, LifeLock Advanced and LifeLock Total both offer scam protection, including a virtual assistant available 24/7 to help identify scams, expert scam recovery guidance, and up to $10,000 in reimbursement for eligible scam-related losses.⁴

To choose the right identity theft protection service for your needs, start by looking for one that has suitable monitoring capabilities. It should cover your credit reports, financial accounts, sensitive personal information like your Social Security number, and the dark web. If you want the best protection, look for services that go beyond this with additional features like investment account, home title, phone takeover, and social media monitoring.

Then, think about how the service would protect you if you do fall victim to identity theft. Good options should offer 24/7 support so you can get help when you need it, dedicated U.S.-based restoration specialists, and sufficient reimbursement coverage. If you have a lot to protect, then it makes sense to choose a service that offers higher reimbursement limits.

LifeLock’s identity theft protection includes features that help you monitor your credit and personal information — such as your Social Security number, name, and address — for signs of fraud or identity theft. It also offers financial account monitoring, expert restoration support, up to $3 million in identity theft reimbursement, and scam protection capabilities.

Yes, your Social Security number is a critical piece of sensitive information that could be used in financial fraud, credit fraud, and other types of identity theft. If someone has your SSN, key actions to take to protect yourself include freezing and monitoring your credit, creating an Identity Protection PIN with the IRS, and reporting identity theft to the FTC.