 |
ID Watchdog Review: Identity Theft Protection |
| Sign up for ID Watchdog | |
Rating: |
 |
| Most straightforward recovery guarantee we have seen; free 30-day trial | |
|
ID Watchdog takes a unique approach to identity theft protection. Instead of monitoring credit reports, ID Watchdog monitors a very long list of public records databases including the Social Security Administration, drivers or pilots licenses, auto, boat or plane registrations, criminal records, Homeland Security watch lists, address or name changes, bankruptcy, liens and other judgments or filings.
Each month, ID Watchdog's patent pending technology scours each of these public databases for misuse of your personal information. What makes ID Watchdog unique is that, in theory, their monitoring should catch not only traditional financial identity theft attempts but also things such as employment fraud where a criminal uses your social security number to secure employment. There are many types of identity theft that don't show up on your credit report immediately, or at all, but are likely to be identified by ID Watchdog's monitoring system. Once you sign up for the service and provide them with all of your personal information they will begin the monitoring process. ID Watchdog provides a monthly report which includes a detailed breakdown of all the checks they have run against your identity. If the system finds any potential identity theft then you are alerted and a recovery counselor from ID Watchdog handles all aspects of recovering your identity. ID Watchdog has the most straightforward and extensive recovery guarantee that we have ever seen. There are no limits on how much time or money they will spend to recover your identity if is stolen while you are a member of their service. Their guarantee covers essentially every foreseeable form of identity theft including financial, medical, benefits, employment, criminal, tax or utilities fraud. The only items that the ID watchdog guarantee won't cover are actual reimbursement for financial losses or loss of income related to an identity theft. ID Watchdog claims a 100% success rate in recovering stolen identities and says that most recoveries take three to six months, although some can take up to two years. ID Watchdog does have a few downsides from our perspective. At $19.95 per month, the service is nearly two times as expensive as many other services we have reviewed. Also, while the monitoring is extensive, ID Watchdog doesn't provide any credit report data which is not only useful for detecting identity theft but also helps inform consumers about their overall financial health. We highly recommend ID Watchdog due to the unique approach to detecting identity theft and the 100% recovery guarantee. However, you may want to consider another service if you prefer a more preventative approach to identity theft protection or would like access to credit report data. Sign up for ID Watchdog | Compare to Other Identity Theft Protection |
|
| Price: | Free 30-day trial; $19.95/mo |
| Fraud Monitoring: | Monitors Social Security number, driver's license, vehicle registration, criminal and court records, utilities |
| ID Theft Insurance/ Guarantee: | 100% guarantee; no deductibles or limits |
| Reports Delivered: | None |
| Computer Security: | None |
NextAdvisor Identity Theft Protection Blog Headlines
Does Identity Guard have a toll-free phone number to call for more information?
Q: Does Identity Guard have a toll-free phone number to call for more information? A: Yes, Identity Guard does have a toll-free phone number you can call for more information about their product: 1-855-727-5801. Identity Guard customer service representatives are available via that phone number from 8am to 8pm EST Monday through Friday. This is [...]
Zappos hack exposes passwords for 24 million customers
Last Sunday night Zappos.com, the online retailer of shoes and clothing owned by Amazon.com, had its server hacked. The hackers gained access to the personal information of its 24 million customers, including name, email address, billing and shipping address, phone number, the last four digits of their credit card number, and a "cryptographically scrambled" version [...]
Will enrolling with TrustedID prevent my husband from accessing the bank acco...
Q: I have just enrolled in TrustedID identity theft protection. My husband is a joint account holder on the bank and credit union accounts. He's worried he'll get blocked from using his cards on the accounts – will he? A: TrustedID's identity theft protection service will not prevent your husband from using his bank or [...]
Does Lifelock protect my bank account?
Q: Does Lifelock protect my bank account? A: Lifelock does help protect your bank account from fraudulent use (and a whole lot more – see our Lifelock review for details). The basic Lifelock service will monitor the Internet black market for fraudulent usage of your bank account number and alert you if it occurs.You'll be [...]
