The Best Identity Theft Protection Services

With a $1,100 average loss per victim according to a 2021 identity fraud study, identity theft is a threat many of us are concerned about. One way to prevent it (or at least to get alerted as soon as it happens) is through identity theft protection software. But with confusing websites and marketing jargon, it’s hard to know which service is best. Have no fear — we’ve tested out all of the most popular identity theft protection services so you don’t have to. 

The best identity theft protection services monitor your credit reports from all three bureaus, as well as other criminal and financial areas for your information. While no service can guarantee that it’ll prevent identity theft, the best software can let you know right away if your information has leaked so you can take action. They also include identity theft insurance with limits of up to $1 million, plus identity restoration services. 

When evaluating the top services, we looked at each one’s monitoring scope, insurance coverage, and restoration services. We also took pricing into account and factored in preferences for individual identity monitoring, as well as for the whole family.

Methodology

• Areas monitored: We checked that each identity theft protection service monitored key financial, criminal, and web areas like checkings and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, crime registries, and the dark web. We also looked for companies with credit monitoring from all three major credit-reporting bureaus.
• Company background: We looked at each company’s history...