I Tested Over 15 Best Identity Theft Services — Here's My Favorites For 2025
I independently tested 15+ identity theft protection services on my own data and think Aura, LifeLock, and Identity Guard top the list with the best features and value. Here's why.
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Best Overall
4.8
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
If you're seeking identity theft protection like me, the best identity theft protection services on the market are Aura, Norton LifeLock, Identity Guard, OmniWatch, and IDShield by LegalShield. I tested 17 identity theft services with my own data and think Aura is the best overall due to its robust identity and credit monitoring, full coverage cybersecurity suite, and value for the price.
In this comprehensive review, Ie'll explore the key features of our top 5, including but not limited to credit monitoring, identity theft insurance, and identity theft recovery services, as well as pricing plans for adults and families with children, and more. Let’s get started.
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
4.8
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
4.6
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
4.5
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
4.3
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Starting price
Starts at $9.00/mo (billed annually)
Starts at $10.42/mo for first yr (billed annually)
Starts at $8.99/mo
Starts at $10.00/mo
Starts at $14.95/mo
Number of people covered
Up to 5 adults and unlimited children
1-2 adults, up to 5 children
Individual or up to 5 adults and unlimited children
1 adult
1-2 adults, up to 10 children
Free trial
Yes — 14 days
Yes — 30 days
Yes — 30 days
ID theft insurance
Up to $1 million
Up to $3 million
Up to $1 million
Up to $2 million
Up to $3 million
Types of identity monitoring
Identity, credit, SSN, home & auto title, criminal & court records, lost wallet remediation
Identity, credit, SSN, dark web, phone takeover, home title, social media
Identity, credit, SSN, financial accounts, home title, social media, lost wallet remediation
Identity, credit, SSN, dark web
Identity, credit, SSN, dark web, social media, public records, address change
Identity restoration services
Extras
Antivirus, VPN, data removal, parental controls, cyberbullying alerts, credit lock with Experian
Home title and investment account monitoring, data removal
Password manager, safe browsing tools, data removal services
Antivirus, VPN, ad blocker, credit lock with TransUnion
How we test and rate identity theft protection services
To review identity theft protection services, we sign up for the service several days prior to our review. This allows the service time to begin populating our dashboard with identity and credit monitoring information and send us real-time alerts. During this time, we also evaluate the service's ease of use, contact customer support, and play around with the extra features.
After spending some time with the service, we use our proprietary grading rubric which calculates a star rating based on prices, identity monitoring features, credit features, and other criteria.
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
#1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
Includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance for up to five adults
Protect your children with robust parental controls and gaming alerts
Who it’s best for
Aura is my top choice for individuals seeking a well-rounded approach to identity theft protection and digital privacy. It's particularly beneficial for tech-savvy users who value advanced technologies such as AI for combating identity theft.
Moreover, Aura’s family plans make it a viable option for households looking to prevent child identity theft and safeguard the personal information of all family members.
What I liked
AI technology: I appreciate Aura's use of artificial intelligence to detect potential scam calls and texts before they manifest into identity theft losses. Aura's use of innovative AI technology can provide comprehensive and proactive protection against identity theft. Its service goes beyond basic identity and credit monitoring, providing features like spam call and message protection, data removal services, white glove fraud remediation, and more.
Cybersecurity suite: Aura includes other cybersecurity features across plans, including antivirus protection, data removal, and a basic VPN. I opted for the family plan, which means it also came with features like Safe Gaming with cyberbullying alerts and parental controls so I can keep my kids safe, too.
Identity monitoring: All Aura plans include credit score monitoring with all three bureaus, data breach alerts, and dark web scanning, ensuring I was promptly informed of any suspicious activities. I also had access to Experian CreditLock, which a lot of credit monitoring services don't include.
What I didn’t like
Price: Despite its advanced features, Aura’s services might come at a high price point for some. While I do believe I got what I paid for, it may not suit those on a tight budget. However, competitors like LifeLock increase their prices after the first year, so that's something to consider if you're seeking long-term protection.
No FICO monitoring: I also wish Aura provided my FICO score and not just VantageScore. Most lenders use the FICO model, so this felt like a gap when evaluating my credit profile. However, only a few credit monitoring tools, like Experian and myFICO, offer more than 3-bureau credit monitoring, but Aura is so robust that it would make sense to have FICO insights included.
Pros
Up to $1 million in identity theft insurance per adult
Robust tools for children's security, including parental controls and Safe Gaming
Includes a password manager, VPN, and antivirus, and more
Norton LifeLock: Best for digital security and identity protection
4.8
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Multiple monitoring features including dark web, home title, and social media monitoring
Who it’s best for
Norton LifeLock is an ideal choice for anyone seeking a well-rounded identity theft protection solution. It offers extensive ID theft protection features, up to $3 million in identity theft insurance, and superb customer service with 24/7 live chat support.
What I liked
Robust monitoring: I really liked that Norton LifeLock offers unique features. These include, but are not limited to, home title monitoring, 401(k) and investment account activity alerts, credit file detection for children on family plans, phone takeover monitoring, bank account takeover alerts, and file-sharing network searches.
Insurance: I was also impressed with LifeLock’s identity theft insurance coverage of up to $3 million with the Ultimate Plus plan. That’s broken down into the following:
$1 million in stolen funds reimbursement
$1 million in compensation for personal expenses
$1 million in coverage for legal and expert expenses
You can select a plan that covers one individual, a couple, or families with two adults and five kids. (You can also get Norton antivirus bundled with LifeLock if you opt for a Norton 360 plan with LifeLock.) LifeLock offers a 60-day money-back guarantee, coupled with a 30-day free trial, so you have plenty of time to determine if it's the right ID theft protection for you.
What I didn’t like
Limited child coverage: Despite unique features that many LifeLock alternatives don't offer, LifeLock isn’t without its drawbacks. Its family plan covers only up to a maximum of five kids, while other identity theft solutions like Aura and Identity Guard cover an unlimited number of kids.
Premium price: Only with LifeLock’s most expensive plan, Ultimate Plus, can you reap the benefits of three-bureau credit monitoring, sex offender registry reporting, and social media monitoring. Plus, all of its plan prices also go up after your first year.
Pros
Provides up to $3 million in coverage with Ultimate Plus
Offers financial, identity, credit, dark web, home title, and social media monitoring
Has highly-rated mobile apps
Cons
Features like 3-bureau credit monitoring and social media monitoring are only included with Ultimate Plus
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
My budget pick, Identity Guard, is one of the best identity theft protection services for tech-savvy folks and anyone who values the power of artificial intelligence (AI) for proactive credit monitoring and keeping identity thieves away from your personal data. The AI-driven alerts came in handy for protecting my personal information, like my Social Security number (SSN).
What I liked
Value: For the price, Identity Guard’s user-friendly interface and straightforward identity theft and credit monitoring protection are notable positives. Identity Guard is worth it for those seeking to mitigate potential identity theft losses — especially older adults who are often targets of identity theft crimes and scams — without breaking the bank.
AI technology: I was intrigued to discover that Identity Guard leverages IBM Watson AI, using a futuristic and effective approach to identity theft detection. Watson excels at monitoring and reporting fraudulent activity, helping me stay on top of breaches, phishing, and malware. But it's not a total surprise that Identity Guard optimizes protection with AI since it's owned by Aura.
What I didn’t like
Limited Basic plan: Even though I found Identity Guard's AI capabilities impressive, I was saddened to discover it doesn't include credit reports or monitoring with its basic plan. I needed to get the Total plan for three-bureau credit monitoring and the Ultra plan for three-bureau annual credit reports.
No remediation assistance: Additionally, Identity Guard provides remediation tools like identity theft insurance and white glove fraud resolution, but it doesn't seem to provide remediation assistance. So if I ever did fall victim to identity theft, I'd receive funds from Identity Guard, but otherwise, I'd be on my own.
Pros
User-friendly identity theft protection service
Affordable Value plan
Includes extra features like a password manager
Cons
White glove fraud remediation is limited to Ultra plan
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Protect your devices with included VPN and antivirus
24/7 access to identity restoration experts
Who it’s best for
OmniWatch is best for individuals who just want basic identity theft protection without extra bells and whistles. Individuals looking for light identity theft monitoring with credit monitoring coverage can benefit from OmniWatch's no-nonsense approach.
What I liked
Simple plans: Omniwatch makes it easy by offering only two subscription plans: Basic and Premium. The Premium plan provides credit scores and monitoring with all three credit bureaus as well as $25,000 in ransomware protection. Both plans offer antivirus and a VPN, but I needed the Premium plan to get an ad blocker for ultimate browsing protection. The Basic plans includes TransUnion® credit monitoring, while the Premium will get you 3-bureau monitoring.
Insurance: OmniWatch plans include up to $2 million in identity theft insurance, which is twice as much as Aura and Identity Guard and more than LifeLock's starting plan. It also features 24/7 access to identity theft remediation specialists, which is a must-have if you don't want to grapple with remediation alone.
What I didn’t like
Limited monitoring: Most ID theft services offer more than identity and credit monitoring. OmniWatch also offers dark web monitoring and data breach alerts, but it still has several gaps to fill, like financial account and social media monitoring, to become a comprehensive ID theft protection service.
Glitchy features: Although OmniWatch includes a basic virtual private network (VPN) and antivirus protection, I had trouble getting both security features to actually work. I wasn't actually able to activate the antivirus software because I never received a registration key, despite contacting support. I also received an error when trying to download the VPN.
Pros
No-frills service that provides good basic coverage
Robust ID theft insurance with 24/7 remediation
Cons
Doesn't offer social media or financial monitoring
IDShield by LegalShield: Best for identity theft legal support
4.3
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Full identity protection features included on all plans
Comes with bonus VPN and password manager
Affordable pricing compared to other options
Who it’s best for
IDShield by LegalShield provides helpful legal support in the event of an identity theft incident. Its unique strength lies in providing legal assistance, which may be indispensable if you’re grappling with the complex legal aftermath of ID theft.
If price is a concern, this may be a good option, as IDShield offers competitive pricing options that can fit many budgets. It's also worth considering for families, as it offers a family plan providing identity theft protection for you, your spouse, and unlimited dependents.
What I liked
Legal support: What sets IDShield apart from other services like LifeLock or Aura is its comprehensive legal support, including licensed private investigators. It also provides up to $3 million in identity theft insurance with every plan, unlike LifeLock, which limits that amount to its Ultimate Plan subscribers.
IDShield is adamant about providing assistance, no matter what situation you’re in. I especially like that each plan comes with consultation services and 24/7 emergency assistance.
Access to all features: I also like that IDShield offers the same features across all of its plans. All you need to do is select whether you need an individual or a family plan and select if you want one-bureau or three-bureau credit monitoring. The service is also ready to assist you if you need to freeze your credit or place a fraud alert on your report.
What I didn’t like
Limited child identity theft protection: Despite being a solid option for step-by-step support, IDShield has some drawbacks. While IDShield does provide child identity protection, its services are not as robust as those of other providers, such as Norton LifeLock, which offers a LifeLock Junior plan focused on protecting children from identity theft.
Limited credit monitoring: Even though IDShield provides your credit score as well as credit monitoring alerts, you don't have access to your actual credit report.
Pros
All plans have the same identity protection features
Up to $3 million in identity theft insurance
Easy-to-use dashboard
Cons
No credit reports provided, only monthly credit score
No 24/7 customer support, only emergency assistance
Identity theft is a crime where someone illegally acquires and uses another person's personal information, like their Social Security number or bank account numbers, typically for financial gain.
Identity theft happens in several ways. Fraudsters may use sophisticated methods like phishing scams, data breaches, or malware to gather personal information. More traditional methods include dumpster diving for discarded documents containing personal data or outright stealing wallets or mail.
Identity theft can lead to significant financial loss and a host of other issues, like damage to your credit score. This is why services offering the best identity theft protection and credit monitoring are vital.
Do I need identity theft protection?
As identity theft crimes are on the rise and more young people are becoming victims of ID theft, it’s unquestionable that ID theft protection is worth it. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 1 million reports of identity theft, with imposters topping the list of types of identity theft.[1]
Identity theft protection services are beneficial for many reasons. They continuously monitor various databases and the dark web for any misuse of your personal information, alert you to potential threats, and assist in the recovery process if you're a victim of identity theft. They can also help prevent child identity theft by monitoring for any fraudulent use of your child's personal information.
Keep in mind, though, that no service can completely guarantee the prevention of identity theft. You may find the costs of these services a deterrent. But, considering the potentially severe consequences of identity theft, many find these services a worthwhile investment.
How does identity theft protection work?
Identity theft protection services work by continuously monitoring various databases and online platforms for your personal information. Here are some typical features:
Credit monitoring: They monitor your credit reports from major credit bureaus, like Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, and alert you to any changes. Be sure to note whether the identity theft protection plan you're choosing offers one-bureau or three-bureau credit monitoring services. One bureau is usually enough, but you may prefer the extra security of three-bureau credit monitoring.
Dark web scanning: These services scan the dark web for your personal information, reducing the chance that criminals can sell your Social Security number or other details.
Public data monitoring: You may need help scouring public records for home title theft or other types of fraud. Look for ID theft protection plans that monitor your social media accounts, court records, and even USPS change of address requests.
Identity recovery services: If you become a victim of identity theft, these services will guide you through the recovery process.
Identity theft insurance: Most services offer ID theft insurance that can cover out-of-pocket costs related to restoring your identity.
Credit lock and credit freeze: Most ID theft protection services assist you with placing a credit lock or freeze on your account. This is essential if you've been targeted by fraud since it ensures no one can open a new account in your name.
Credit score simulator: Some identity theft protection companies help you build your credit by offering credit score simulators that guide you toward making the best decisions to boost your credit score.
Additional cybersecurity features: Many of the top identity theft protection service providers on our list offer extra digital security features like a password manager, VPN, and antivirus. This is ideal since hackers can target your Wi-Fi connection or device with malware to extract your sensitive data.
How much does identity theft protection cost?
An identity theft protection plan can run you anywhere from less than $10 a month to over $70 a month. Factors that affect your pricing include:
Are you seeking an individual plan or a family plan? Do you need to cover children with your plan?
Can you commit to an annual subscription, or would you prefer to pay month-to-month?
Do you need the premium plan with additional cybersecurity features, or are you only seeking identity theft protection?
Is credit protection a priority,y or do you only need identity monitoring tools?
After considering these questions, you can review the table below and get started on finding a pricing plan for you.
Individual starting price
Family starting price
Aura
$9.00/mo (billed annually)
$17.00/mo (billed annually)
LifeLock
$10.42/mo for first yr (billed annually)
$20.83/mo for first yr (billed annually)
Identity Guard
$8.99/mo
$14.99/mo
OmniWatch
$10.00/mo
N/A
IDShield
$14.95/mo
$29.95/mo
IdentityForce
$19.90/mo
Contact IdentityForce for family plan pricing
Complete ID
$8.99/mo
$11.98/mo
IdentityIQ
$7.44/mo (billed annually)
$27.00/mo (billed annually)
Zander Identity Theft Protection
$6.75/mo
$12.90/mo
How to choose the best identity theft protection service
When choosing an identity theft protection service, consider the following questions:
How much does it cost? Can you save money by signing up for an annual plan?
Does it alert users to data breaches in multiple areas?
Does it monitor credit reports from all three bureaus — Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax?
Does it allow you to access annual credit reports or, better yet, quarterly or monthly credit reports?
How often does it provide credit score updates?
Does it assist with identity recovery?
Does it provide identity theft insurance, and if so, how much? (Up to $1 million is most common.)
Is the service encrypted with AES-256?
Does the service offer an app that’s compatible with your device?
Does the service’s privacy policy state that it doesn’t sell data?
Advice from the experts
Keeping your identity safe online should be a top priority. Understanding the risks and the potential dangers currently out there is the first step. That’s why the All About Cookies team consulted a panel of experts to better understand the state of identity theft today.
Click below to see expert opinions on the following questions:
What are the most dangerous consequences of having your identity stolen?
What kinds of newer scams should consumers be on the lookout for?
What does the future of identity theft scams look like?
What long-term solutions are there to curbing the risk to consumers?
What are the most dangerous consequences of having your identity stolen?
Identity theft means criminals will steal your information to impersonate you, typically for financial gain. This could mean impersonating you in commercial transactions, such as taking out a credit card in your name. It can also mean posing as you towards your friends or family to convince them to send money. If your identity is stolen, you may lose money, and your credit may be destroyed. Recovering from identity theft can be costly and takes a lot of time.
What kinds of newer scams should consumers be on the lookout for?
Text-based scams via SMS, WhatsApp or iMessage are on the rise. Some scams start out by pretending they mixed up the number (e.g. “I’d like to schedule a vet appointment for my cat”) and then pull you into a conversation to eventually present you with a too-good-to-miss investment opportunity. Other text-based scams ask you to pay an invoice or road tolls by clicking on a link in the text message. These scam messages will include instructions, such as “Respond Y, then close and open the message to click the link”. These are a good indicator that you’re dealing with a scam.
What does the future of identity theft scams look like?
A type of scam we are studying in our research are deepfake scams. These scams use generative AI to clone the victim's voice or face and use it in scam calls where criminals present themselves as “you.” These scams are becoming more and more convincing and can be challenging to detect at first. If you receive a call from your boss, friend, or a family member and they are asking you to do something with financial implications, be extra cautious.
What long-term solutions are there to curbing the risk to consumers?
A key challenge that makes identity theft so prevalent and successful is that we lack consistent and reliable identity verification methods in the US. Better identity verification protocols, such as standardized IDs, could help reduce risks. A step that consumers can take today is to place a “credit freeze” with the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion). A credit freeze blocks vendors from checking your credit report/score which is often part of high-value transactions (e.g., opening new financial accounts, etc.). Most people do not regularly engage in such transactions (e.g., applying for a new credit card, buying a home) and if you do you can relatively easily “unfreeze” your credit report when doing so.
What are the most dangerous consequences of having your identity stolen?
Having your identity stolen can be an absolute nightmare. One of the worst things that can happen is a thief opening credit cards or, even worse, taking out a mortgage in your name. The process of recovering from identity theft can be time-consuming, costly, and emotionally draining. Victims often spend years navigating complex legal and financial systems, potentially paying tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to restore their credit and financial standing. In extreme cases, identity theft can also lead to tax fraud, medical fraud, or even criminal records being falsely linked to the victim, further complicating the recovery process.
What kinds of newer scams should consumers be on the lookout for?
Scammers are still using classic tricks like phishing emails and phone calls to steal personal information or money, but with generative AI, their tactics have become much more convincing. AI allows criminals to create incredibly realistic emails, texts, and even voice messages that sound exactly like a trusted friend, family member, or company representative. These messages are nearly flawless — no more obvious typos or awkward phrasing — and AI can even mimic specific voices and accents, making phone scams harder to detect. Consumers should also be on the lookout for deepfake videos, AI-generated investment scams, and fake customer service chatbots that can trick people into handing over sensitive information.
What long-term solutions are there to curbing the risk to consumers?
The best defense? Stay vigilant. My research shows that simply pausing for a brief moment —having a "Wait, what?” moment — can help people make better decisions and avoid falling for scams. If you ever receive an email, text, voicemail, or phone call that seems even slightly suspicious, don’t respond right away or just hang up. Instead, look up the organization’s official contact information and reach out directly. Never trust inbound requests for sensitive information, no matter how legitimate they seem. The more we build habits around verifying sources, the harder it becomes for scammers to succeed.
What are the most dangerous consequences of having your identity stolen?
Scammers could impersonate victims and deplete their financial accounts or even open new financial applications and damage their credit. Legal consequences may also arise when someone uses a victim’s identity to commit crimes. All these consequences usually have a high psychological impact on the victims.
What kinds of newer scams should consumers be on the lookout for?
Some of the older scams such as those offers to receive a large sum of money have become more sophisticated and are harder to recognize than in the past. Nowadays, those phishing scams include reliable supervisor or colleagues names. People need to check the email address to be sure an urgent request from a coworker is legitimate. Some of the newer scams involve social media impersonation scams where scammers create social media profiles of friends and family members, fake job offers where scammers offer employment with high salaries and minimal work, or AI-generated voice impersonations of family members or coworkers.
What does the future of identity theft scams look like?
Identity theft will likely evolve to include advances in technology, in particular the broader use of AI-powered scams, which may include exploitation of biometric authentication. Social engineering scams will also be enhanced to include a broader variety of forms of manipulation. At the same time, as smart IoT devices become more prevalent, their exploitation for nefarious purposes will likely increase.
What long-term solutions are there to curbing the risk to consumers?
People must use strong security measures, monitor their financial accounts, and be cautious about sharing sensitive personal information. In the long-term, people will be able to use real-time fraud detection for financial transactions, more secure digital payment systems, and other enhanced cybersecurity measures.
What are the most dangerous consequences of having your identity stolen?
Identity theft can have far-reaching and serious consequences for individuals and/or organizations. The most obvious impacts are financial loss and reputational damage. You could even have legal complications on top of that if the threat actors commit crimes using your identity. However, the most dangerous consequence of identity threat to me is the emotional and psychological impact. Even with some kind of identity protection service, dealing with identity theft can be extremely stressful and the ongoing effort required to restore your identity and finances can cause significant life disruption. There are typically remnants of this type of event that show up later after the case is closed that you still have to deal with.
What kinds of newer scams should consumers be on the lookout for?
"Never let a good crisis go to waste" is the mission statement of the threat actors. Whatever the latest natural disaster, political conflict, and/or other major headline (e.g. Super Bowl Winner, Wildfires Spread, DeepSeek, Taylor Swift Sneezed, etc.) is what they center their scams around. Right now, the main scams we are seeing in the US are related to all the political and administrative changes at the federal level. As a university employee, the rapid changes in federal rules and personnel is very challenging for us to monitor and track for our day to day operations. Scammers are absolutely taking advantage of this confusion and sending emails, phone calls, and even old school mailers with scams encouraging individuals to make some changes based on something that happened or was said around federal government events.
What does the future of identity theft scams look like?
With the current ubiquitous nature of GenAI tools, the sophistication and volumes of scams are going to continue to increase significantly. Historically, it would take a high level of personal touch to orchestrate and deliver a really good scam. With AI tools, threat actors can get that same level of believability but now in mass volumes.
For example, some of the techniques we have previously used to spot scam via phishing email would be to look for bad grammar in an email. With AI, the grammar will be perfect. We have almost had to flip our mindset so if something has perfect grammar, it likely signs of a potential scam. Part of my research focused on cybersecurity awareness and skills training to help counter phishing attempts and I see the latest techniques utilized. One technique we have recently observed is leveraging malicious CATPCHAs. CAPTCHAs typically present puzzles or tests that are easy for humans to solve but difficult for computer programs that enable the computer to distinguish the user from some bot. Threat actors are building fake login pages but prompting users to solve the CAPTCHA challenge first. However, it is not a real CAPTCHA but just a simple image of a real one that links to some malicious site or download. Most people think the website is trying to be more secure by adding that extra layer of security but it is just part of the scam technique.
What long-term solutions are there to curbing the risk to consumers?
To counter these types of scams, I can offer lots of little tips and tricks to help:
If you get a suspicious email with links or attachments, copy (don't click) the information into VirusTotal and see if it identifies anything malicious. VirusTotal (virustotal.com) is an online service (by Google) that aggregates many antivirus engines and other tools to analyze files, URLs, domains, and IP addresses for potential malicious content.
Don't answer the phone for any number you don't know or are expecting.
If you receive an unsolicited call, email, or message claiming to be from a bank, government agency, or well-known company, independently verify the contact information (using a number or website you trust) rather than replying directly.
Scammers often create a false sense of urgency (“act now!” or “limited time offer”) to pressure you into making a quick decision. Take your time, verify the facts, and don't rush.
Be wary of requests to pay by unconventional methods (like wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency). Legitimate businesses and services typically offer secure and traceable payment options.
Educate yourself on common scams that enable you to familiarize yourself with the patterns of common scams (advance-fee scams, lottery or inheritance scams, tech support scams, etc.). Many consumer protection agencies share alerts and tips that can help you spot red flags.
If you’re uncertain about an offer or request, discuss it with a trusted friend or a professional advisor. Sometimes an outsider’s perspective can spot red flags that you might miss.
If something seems too good to be true or feels off in any way, take extra time to research before proceeding. Often, your gut reaction when something doesn’t feel right can save you from falling victim to a scam.
It is very difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to track down cyber criminals who carry out these scams. Even if we can identify who, most of these individuals are in a foreign country that we can't do anything about. I believe it will take some extreme measures at the federal level and a significant decrease in usability on individuals' part to make a real difference on a large scale.
My best advice for folks is to reduce your digital footprint as much as you can, be politely paranoid, and don't be afraid to ask someone for a second opinion before you rush into something.
FAQs
Which identity theft protection is best?
If you want identity and credit monitoring plus a full security suite, Aura is my top pick. If you want tried-and-true digital protection, LifeLock by Norton is a reputable choice. Learn more about my top two recommendations in our Aura vs. LifeLock review.
Is LifeLock worth getting?
LifeLock can be a good investment thanks to its extensive monitoring services and real-time alert system. Their service can prevent identity theft losses and give you peace of mind, making it worthwhile. Plus, LifeLock can be bundled with other top Norton security software, covering all your bases. Learn more in my comprehensive LifeLock review.
Is LifeLock or Aura better?
Both LifeLock and Aura offer robust identity theft protection services, but I think Aura edges out LifeLock. LifeLock has comprehensive credit monitoring, while Aura is known for its advanced technology and preventative approach to identity theft. You can view my comparison of Aura vs. LifeLock for more details.
Will changing my name help with identity theft?
No, changing your name won't necessarily protect you from identity theft, as thieves can still access other personal information, like your Social Security number or birthdate. Instead, I recommend working with an identity theft protection provider that also offers identity restoration services.
How do I check to see if someone is using my Social Security number?
Regularly check your credit reports for unfamiliar and suspicious activities, track your Social Security statements at SSA.gov, and monitor your tax records to spot any misuse of your Social Security number. You can also sign up for free credit monitoring services to see if someone is trying to open new lines of credit using your SSN.
Bottom line: The best ID theft protection
Choosing the best identity theft protection service boils down to personal needs, but I believe Aura is the best all-around product to meet most needs based on its features, coverage, and price point.
Aura protects your identity and online privacy, Norton LifeLock offers comprehensive ID theft protection with 24/7 live chat support, Identity Guard is the best budget pick, OmniWatch offers light coverage for individuals, and IDShield by LegalShield provides necessary legal support.
4.8
AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Mars is a California-based cybersecurity professional and writer currently pursuing a B.S. in Cybersecurity. With interests ranging from OSINT to ethical hacking and threat intelligence, Mars leverages hisyears of writing experience to produce informative content on topics such as Internet guides and VPNs.
Kate is an Editor at All About Cookies. She has 8+ years of digital publishing experience as a content manager, developmental editor, and curriculum writer. She leverages specializations in EdTech and educational publishing to create impactful, well-researched content that aids learners of all ages.
#1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
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