Identity Guard Reviews - Personal ID Theft Protection & Financial Credit Monitoring Service Worth It Or Fake Hype?

Updated on: 31 May 2023 8:10 am

Identity Guard

A summary of the current data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shows that consumers reported losing more than $5.8 billion to fraud in 2021, an increase of more than 70% from the year before. Prizes, contests and lotteries, internet services, and business and employment prospects account for the top five scam categories. All of this proves that although data aids society in making decisions, some will always abuse it. What, then, can be done to avoid becoming a victim of fraud and losing personal data? One company wants to ease everyone's anxieties through the protection services they are renowned for. Without any further delay, here's everything there is to know about Identity Guard.

What is Identity Guard?

Identity Guard provides identity theft and credit protection services. The team behind these services, in particular, is on a mission to assist families and individuals in protecting their personal, credit, and financial assets against fraud risks. The Identity Guard plans are appealing because each was created with specific aims and tools that meet particular needs. Seeing how this company has been in business for over 25 years, individuals can rest assured that the services provided are of high quality and security. Imagine how proud the Identity Guard team must be to have protected over 47 million people to date! To get a sense of how relieved and at peace people might be after having chosen Identity Guard, it is imperative to assess the services in place.

How will Identity Guard protect against threats?

Identity Guard monitors different types of threats to ensure that individuals and families feel protected from cybercrime. Here are the preventative measures imposed by this service:

Advanced Threat Detection

Identity Guard claims to monitor and process billions of information before sending notifications for possible threats. Due to the near-real-time nature of these notifications, people can take appropriate action to avoid sensitive information from being completely compromised.

Dark Web Monitoring

Identity Guard scans through the Dark Web and, once again, will provide alerts if any sensitive information has been exposed online. Such monitoring is imperative, seeing how the Dark Web is where compromised identities are exchanged. This could include anything from one's Social Security Number (SSN), credit card information, and other financial account numbers.

Predictive Risk Management Score

The predictive risk management score calculates a person's likelihood of being an identity theft victim. This team promises to provide a score and recommendations for people to follow to maintain a low score (the lower the score, the lower the risk). Normally, the latter entails assessing one's financial health and overall online footprint.

Child Identity Monitoring

The Child Identity Monitoring service is based on the assertion made by Identity Guard that fraudsters frequently target children's SSNs. In this way, parents can ensure their kids grow up stress-free and without having to worry about the misuse of registered personal information or I.D. numbers.

$1 Million Identity Theft Insurance

Identity Guard will compensate for certain losses in the event of a total compromise. This covers theft-related damages, $1 million in identity theft insurance for each adult family member, and restoration of stolen funds.

Credit Protection

Identity Guard's three-bureau credit monitoring alerts people whenever changes are made to one's individual credit profile and the potential risk of fraud. This protection will reveal whether a new credit card or bank account was opened.

Home Title Monitoring

Ever wonder how fraudsters might use home titles? It turns out that stealing home titles might provide the offender with several financial gains. They may manufacture a false deed, change the owner of the property, take out loans using the house as collateral, and potentially even sell the house. To avoid these cascading effects, Identity Guard's Home Title Monitoring feature has been developed to prevent scammers from draining home equity and alert individuals if their deed changes.

Social Media Monitoring

In an age where people present or spend most of their time on social media, it should be evident that fraudsters are among those spending an equal amount of time. Identity Guard created a social media monitoring system that assists in identifying impersonation detection and cyberbullying because there is so much personal information, images, and timelines readily available at one's fingertips. This service also seeks social media accounts to ensure no data is taken without permission.

Medical Identity Protection

Medical identities can also be misused, just like when home titles. By manipulating protected health information (PHI), fraudsters typically steal medical information to destroy the victim's credit and reputation. Health benefits can be obtained through medical identity theft. Fraudsters only require access to a person's full name, birthdate, contact information, SSN, information from their driver's license or passport, and medical and financial history.

We were shocked to discover that PHI information may easily sell for $250 to $1,000 on the Dark Web, which, according to the Identity Guard team, is 1,000 times the value of a stolen SSN and more than 200 times the value of a stolen credit card number.

What types of plans are offered through Identity Guard?

Identity Guard now offers three plans suitable for individuals (one person) and families (up to 5 adults and unlimited kids). The following is a synopsis of what each one has to offer:

Basic Identity Protection

The Basic Identity Protection package offers $1 million in identity theft insurance. Starting with identity theft protection, this service includes sending out data breach notifications after monitoring any Dark Web activities and high-risk transactions. For people hoping to get financial protection, the Basic Identity Protection package is not the best choice. Finally, safe browsing and password manager means have been introduced to protect device security.

Standard Identity & Credit Protection

The Standard Identity & Credit Protection package includes everything found in the Basic Identity Protection, bank account monitoring, three-bureau credit monitoring, and monthly credit score checks. This is a significant improvement over the basic plan, as individuals (or families) will better understand how secure their funds are. The latter is essential since scammers frequently steal people's identities to obtain financial information.

Premium Identity & Credit Protection

Lastly, we have Premium Identity & Credit Protection, which provides as much protection as one could have hoped for based on the listed features. Simply put, it comprises all the features found in the Standard Identity & Credit Protection package along with white glove fraud remediation, social media monitoring, credit and debit card monitoring, 401K & investment account monitoring, home title monitoring, criminal and sex offense monitoring, USPS address change monitoring, three-bureau annual credit report, and Experian credit lock.

Why choose Identity Guard?

Several factors may influence people's decision to use Identity Guard over competing services. Our editorial team finds value in Identity Guard after considering their overall existence because they are:

A leader in identity theft protection services, serving for over 25 years;
Rated #1 as the best identity theft protection service by U.S. News in 2022;
Specialists in the realms of device security, data protection, and identity fraud services while providing critical features such as their monitoring services and insurance;

Partners of IBM, a feat for collecting and analyzing data using advanced methods;
Regarded for their collection of services rather than offering a single-point identity monitoring service;
They invested in protection, depicted not only in their services but also in their mobile app, safe browsing tools, and data broker removal efforts (i.e., reducing the amount of spam and scam calls and texts, among others).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is Identity Guard's customer support based in the U.S.?

A: Yes, Identity Guard has a US-based customer service team. A victim of identity theft will most likely be thrown off by language barriers and accents. This team chose to maintain their support systems in-house to ensure the best possible local support.

Q: Are there any limitations to using Identity Guard?

A: As with any service, there might be some limitations depending on one's respective budget. One obvious rule is that many protective features are found in the higher-priced packages. For instance, credit protection is only offered with higher-tiered packages. Similarly, white-glove resolution concierge is only included in the premium package.

Q: How long does it take to enroll in Identity Guard?

A: It takes just five minutes to enroll on the official website. Individuals will be asked for their name, address, phone number, date of birth, email, and SSN. Credit card information will be required for invoicing purposes and more from those seeking additional monitoring services, such as financial protection.

Q: How soon does the Identity Guard coverage start after enrollment?

A: The Identity Guard membership is in effect after completing the enrollment.

Q: Is the information entered during enrollment to Identity Guard secure?

A: Yes, Identity Guard's highest priority is individuals' and families' security. For this reason, they have put bank- and military-grade levels of encryption in place to guarantee the security and safety of all collected data.

Q: Can I still enroll in Identity Guard if I have a security or credit freeze in place?

A: Individuals can still enroll in Identity Guard if there is an existing security or credit freeze in place.

Q: How can I enroll family members?

A: The Identity Guard family plan allows up to five adults and unlimited children. Individuals can invite (name and email will be required) adults via their Identity Guard dashboard. It goes without saying that parents will be the primary member if they wish to add children or a minor (under the age of 18) to the plan.

Q: Can I cancel my membership to Identity Guard?

A: Yes, individuals can choose to cancel their Identity Guard membership anytime. This can be done by either logging into one's respective Identity Guard accounts or calling customer support.

Q: Is Identity Guard protected by a refund policy?

A: Yes, Identity Guard has been protected by a 60-day money-back guarantee. This applies to all of their annual subscription plans only. For more information on what the refund process entails, consider reaching out to the team in one of the following ways:

Email: customercare@identityguard.com.
Phone: 1-833-692-2187

Purchasing Identity Guard Services

Identity Guard's subscription plans vary in pricing depending on whether the services are for individuals or families and the desired protection level. You can sign up online from the official website. Listed below is a quick rundown of the monthly pricing:

Basic Identity Protection – Individual: $7.50 monthly
Standard Identity & Credit Protection – Individual: $16.67 monthly
Premium Identity & Credit Protection – Individual: $25 monthly

Family Plans:

Basic Identity Protection – Family: $12.50 monthly
Standard Identity & Credit Protection – Family: $25 monthly
Premium Identity & Credit Protection – Family: $33.33 monthly

Final Verdict

It should be evident from the review above that Identity Guard's business protects individuals and families against the risk of identity theft. The various monitoring tools and services that Identity Guard has created cover a wide range of possible vulnerabilities, which is not entirely unexpected given their knowledge of the subject. Identity Guard stands out in the big picture since they concentrate on preventing identity theft from different angles, including financial, medical, tax-related, children vs. adults, property ownership, etc. Their services, mainly social media monitoring, are highly applicable today.

Transparency is another very intriguing feature. Everything has been put out in-depth, essential for decision-making. Even their service's limits are listed, most related to price. Given the variety of services offered, however, Identity Guard's plans are reasonably priced (and slightly lower) than the competitors. The team is also praised for being extremely helpful, professional, responsive to inquiries, and entirely devoted (whether resolving difficulties or informing individuals about the effects of identity theft). What more could potential victims, who are already in a panic, possibly want? Visit the official Identity Guard website to learn more today!

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The links contained in this product review may result in a small commission if you opt to purchase the product recommended at no additional cost to you. This goes towards supporting our research and editorial team. Please know we only recommend high-quality products.

Disclaimer:

Please understand that any advice or guidelines revealed here are not even remotely substitutes for sound medical or financial advice from a licensed healthcare provider or certified financial advisor. Make sure to consult with a professional physician or financial consultant before making any purchasing decision if you use medications or have concerns following the review details shared above. Individual results may vary and are not guaranteed as the statements regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA, or Health Canada approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease and do not provide any kind of get-rich money scheme. Reviewer is not responsible for pricing inaccuracies. Check product sales page for final prices.

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The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.