IDShield Review: Reliable Identity Theft Protection

Get comprehensive coverage at low prices, with credit score monitoring included in all plans, with IDShield.

Identity theft can happen to anyone, anywhere, even if you’re incredibly careful with who has access to your personal information.

You check your credit report, you make sure all your accounts have unique passwords, and you don’t just give out your Social Security number every time a website asks for it. But still, you personal information is at risk from theft and fraud, which can leave you picking up the pieces.

While you can take the steps necessary to protect yourself and monitor your identity on your own, there are a lot of different data points to scan and places where criminals hide. This makes it difficult to keep a close eye on all your personal information while also living the rest of your life.

That’s where identity theft protection services such as IDShield come in.

About IDShield Identity Theft Protection

The company keeps tabs on mentions of your personal information throughout the internet, notifying you if they detect anything that looks fraudulent or out-of-the-ordinary. While IDShield doesn’t take specific proactive steps to protect your personal information, they can help you know more quickly if there is an issue and take corrective steps to prevent further damage.

With data breaches popping up on a nearly weekly basis, it’s more important than ever for consumers to take protective action with their personal information.

IDShield is among the most affordable options on the market for identity theft protection, especially for their family plans, which cover two adults and up to 10 dependent children for one price.

Choose from two tiers of plan options, one-bureau credit monitoring and three-bureau credit monitoring, to find the plan that’s right for you. They also offer a free 30-day trial, so you can take their service for a test run without paying a dime.

If you’re on the hunt for comprehensive credit monitoring and identity theft protection for an individual or large family, IDShield is a great option.

IDShield: What You Need to Know

IDShield provides three main services as part of all of its plans: scanning the internet for use of your credit files or personal information, alerting you to potential fraudulent use of your personal information, and assistance with recovering in the event that your identity has been stolen.

Like other identity theft protection services, IDShield does not proactively protect you from having your identity stolen. That is up to you in taking actions such as maintaining secure passwords, keeping track of where you give out your personal information, and only entering important information into websites you trust.

However, in the event that your identity is stolen, IDShield is one of the best at helping you out.

They provide 13 types of alerts in the event they see your personal information on the internet, including:

• Personal data used in a credit card application
• Personal data on the dark web
• Privacy risks and content posted on social media that could damage your reputation
• Monitoring of sex offenders who live within 1 to 5 miles of your home

In addition to monitoring your personal data and alerting you if it’s stolen, all of IDShield’s plans provide credit score monitoring in some form. The lower-tier plan offers monitoring of your score from one credit reporting bureau - TransUnion - while the higher-tier plan monitors your score with all three credit bureaus.

If your identity is compromised, IDShield’s other service - identity theft recovery - kicks in.

You receive unlimited consultations with IDShield’s identity theft specialists, who can help you take important steps to secure your personal information and protect yourself from further harm. Additionally, IDShield has a team of US-based licensed private investigators who can work on your behalf with a signed Power of Attorney.

These private investigators can work to determine who is behind the theft of your identity, and help you find ways to fix any problems that may have been caused by the theft.

IDShield’s plans provide up to $1 million per person - or $2 million for family plans - in reimbursement for costs related to identity theft recovery. This can include reimbursement for lost wages, travel expenses, or legal consultation and representation.

For the price, especially if you have several children whose personal information you’d like monitored, IDShield provides a high level of monitoring for a relatively low price.

How Does IDShield Work?

IDShield is not a proactive identity theft protection service, so you cannot just sign up and trust that your information is always going to be safe, no matter what. That’s not how identity theft protection services work.

Instead, IDShield monitors your personal information online to see if there’s any suspicious activity using your identity. This can include:

• Credit cards taken out in your name
• New loan applications in your name
• Uses of your Social Security number
• Uses of your name, birthdate, or other personal information
• Changes to the contact address on financial or other accounts
• Use of your personal information in court records
• Instances of your username and password together
• Changes to your main phone number, such as routing it to a new number
• Monitoring of sex offenders who live within 1 to 5 miles of you
• Mentions of your personal information on the dark web

If IDShield finds that your personal information has been used in a potentially fraudulent manner, they notify you. In the event that you initiated the data change, such as you moved and issued changes of address to all your financial accounts, you can ignore the alerts the company sends you.

However, if you did not know about the use of your personal information, IDShield helps you take steps to protect your personal information.

With every plan level, you receive unlimited consultations with IDShield’s identity theft specialists, so you never have to worry about paying extra to ask a question. They can guide you through the process of freezing your credit, making phone calls, and filling out paperwork.

Some identity theft cases are more serious than others, and that’s where IDShield’s certified private investigators come in. They work on your behalf, through a signed Power of Attorney, to get to the bottom of your identity theft and help you repair the damage that’s been done.

If you are hesitant about paying for IDShield’s services, they do offer a free 30-day trial so you can test out their service before you have to pay.

Where is IDShield Available?

IDShield is available to residents of all 50 states.

How Much Does IDShield Cost?

IDShield has two tiers of plans, and both are available for individuals or families. Family plans cover the planholder, their spouse, and up to 10 dependent children.

For an individual plan that includes one-bureau credit monitoring with TransUnion, it is $12.95 per month for an individual or $25.95 per month for a family. If you pay annually, the cost is $155.40 for an individual and $311.40 for a family.

If you want three-bureau credit monitoring, IDShield’s plans cost $17.95 per month for an individual and $32.95 per month for a family. If you elect to pay for a full year, plans are $215.40 for an individual and $395.40 for a family.

What Does IDShield Identity Theft Protection Cover?

IDShield offers monitoring of the internet and other records for mentions of your personal information, looking for a variety of potentially fraudulent uses.

Some of the things IDShield looks for include:

Credit Bureau Monitoring

For many people, the first time they will notice their identity has been stolen is when they see a change in their credit report. But unfortunately, many consumers do not check their credit reports often enough to quickly catch potential fraud, compounding the issue.

IDShield monitors your credit score and other credit report activity with one credit bureau - TransUnion - on all its plans. If you opt for the higher-cost plan, you receive monitoring of all three credit bureaus.

If IDShield detects potentially fraudulent activity on your credit report, you are alerted so you can protect yourself.

Social Security Number Monitoring

Your Social Security number is one of the main things that sets your personal information apart from other people’s, and it’s a very valuable piece of information for thieves to have. If they have your Social Security number and other basic personal information, thieves can open new financial accounts, apply for loans, and commit other crimes.

IDShield monitors the internet for new mentions of your Social Security number, and alerts you if it finds anything that looks potentially fraudulent.

Payday Loan Monitoring

Payday loans are among the easiest, fastest loans to get, and they’re often a target for criminals looking to get access to fast cash. And, unfortunately, they can be among the most ruinous to your credit due to their high interest rates.

Many payday loans aren’t recorded on your regular credit report when they’re first taken out, so they can quickly do damage if you’re not monitoring for them.

IDShield looks for evidence of new payday loans, rent-to-own loans, and online loans that have been taken out in your name or using your personal information.

Child Monitoring

Children are increasingly becoming the targets of identity theft, as they have clean credit reports and most parents don’t routinely check their children’s credit reports. However, that can mean that fraud can go on for years unnoticed, becoming problematic once those children are adults and are applying for student loans, trying to buy cars and houses, or looking for jobs.

With IDShield’s family plans, you can keep an eye on uses of up to 10 dependent children’s Social Security numbers, receiving alerts in case someone’s using their information.

Telecom Monitoring

Sometimes, criminals reroute people’s phone numbers to their own, allowing them to gain access to that person’s incoming phone calls. Additionally, they sometimes open new wireless, VOIP (voice over IP), and landline phone numbers in other people’s names, using them for fraudulent purposes.

IDShield monitors more than 1.5 billion phone numbers and notifies you if they see anything strange happening with your personal phone number or your personal information.

IDShield Identity Theft Protection Features:

• Operates as part of LegalShield, which sells legal service plans
• Affordable monthly plans
• A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau
• Family plans include coverage for two adults and up to 10 dependent children
• All plans include some level of credit score monitoring
• Discounts for paying annually
• Wide variety of information monitored, including Social Security number, address change, and changes to your telephone number
• 24/7 customer helpline
• Unlimited consultations with identity theft specialists
• Team of certified private investigators work on your behalf if your identity is stolen
• $1 million in related reimbursement for individual plans; $2 million for family plans

Pros and Cons of IDShield Identity Theft Protection

Here are some of the pros and cons of choosing IDShield for your identity theft protection service:

Pros:

• Over 40 years in business
• Affordable monthly plans
• A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau
• Family plans cover up to 10 dependent children, the best in the industry
• Discounts for paying annually
• Large variety of information monitored, including some that other identity theft protection services don’t advertise
• 24/7 customer helpline and unlimited consultation with identity theft specialists
• $1 million in reimbursement available to individuals, and $2 million for families, which covers lost wages, travel expenses, and legal representation related to identity theft
• Credit score monitoring included with all plans
• Comprehensive identity theft monitoring available with all tiers of plans
• 30-day free trial offer

Cons:

• Three-bureau credit monitoring only available with highest-cost plan
• Large volume of alerts could lead to email fatigue, causing you to miss important information
• Some former customers report that cancelling can be difficult
• More expensive than some other more bare-bones identity theft protection services

Discounts on IDShield Identity Theft Protection

IDShield offers discounts on all its plans if you sign up to pay annually instead of monthly.

IDShield Reviews from Existing Customers

IDShield has been in business for more than 40 years, collecting a wide variety of largely positive customer reviews.

Here is what some customers have said on ConsumerAffairs:

“I really like this service. I spotted some weird activity on my credit report and called the team at IDShield. They gave me a few tips and helped me resolve it with my credit card company. When my identity was stolen a few years ago, I wish I would have had this service. They are cheaper than other services and I will be a life-long member.” - Kristen

“Love the new IDShield Plus app! I just logged in, got an immediate alert on a potential problem with a social media site - I had no idea there was a problem. But I got both an email and mobile notification - made it so easy!” - Sheryl

How to Purchase IDShield Identity Theft Protection

1. Visit www.idshield.com.
2. Select your plan type, and whether you want individual or family coverage.
3. Enter the requested information, including your name, address, and birthdate.
4. Enter your payment information.

How to Contact IDShield

Address: 1 Pre-Paid Way Ada, OK 74820 Customer Service: (888) 494-8519 Website: www.idshield.com Email Support: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getidshield/ Twitter: @GetIDShield YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbKz4A6SDwQEAj7HzItpweQ

IDShield Review – Summary

Finding affordable, effective identity theft protection can be a challenge, especially if you have a larger family that you want protected. You either have to opt for a sub-par, less expensive service, or pay more to get the coverage you need.

With IDShield, you can have both the protection you want for your family without spending an arm and a leg.

All IDShield’s plans come with credit score monitoring, something that’s often an additional cost with other identity theft protection services. All customers also receive comprehensive identity theft monitoring and unlimited access to identity theft specialists, giving them peace of mind knowing they will be notified quickly in the event that someone’s stolen their identity.

Many of IDShield’s customers point to the affordable monthly fees, comprehensive coverage, and helpful recovery specialists as reasons they trust the company that’s been in business for more than 40 years.