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ID Watchdog Identity Theft Protection Review |
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| Most straightforward recovery guarantee we have seen; Dedicated toll free number 800-233-1845 | |
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[Editor's Note: ID Watchdog has set up an exclusive toll free number where NextAdvisor.com visitors can speak to an ID Watchdog representative 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ask questions and ensure that they are receiving the best possible deal on the ID Watchdog service. If you are interested in ordering ID Watchdog, we recommend that you call the number: 800-233-1845.]
ID Watchdog takes a unique approach to detection based 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 3 to 6 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. |
Search our blog archives and frequently asked questions for more information about Identity Theft Protection Services
| Price: | Free 30 day trial; $19.95/mo |
| Type: | Detection - monitors public records databases for misuse of personal information |
| Credit Reports Delivered: | No |
| Fraud Monitoring: | Social security, driver's license, vehicle registration, criminal/court records, utilities and more |
| Mail List Removal: | No |
| ID Theft Insurance/ Guarantee: | 100% guarantee; no deductibles or limits |
NextAdvisor Identity Theft Protection Blog Headlines
A bad week for Facebook, MySpace
I thought I was using hyperbole on Tuesday when I used the headline "Another day, another Facebook attack." Or maybe I should have just saved it for today. While Tuesday's news concerned a phishing attack, today's attack is far more insidious. According to the Facebook application developer that discovered the Facebook security vulnerability, it could [...]
Don't open that email from the FDIC?
Because it isn't really from the FDIC. There has been a recent rash of phishing emails that appear to be sent by the FDIC. The emails say, "You have received this message because you are a holder of a FDIC-insured bank account. Recently FDIC has officially named the bank you have opened your account with [...]
ZoneAlarm offers 50% off: Virus and identity theft protection in one
ZoneAlarm is offering a deal that almost seems to good to be true. ZoneAlarm is taking 50% off of the regular price of its Internet Security Suite which comes with one-year of Identity Guard's Good Start identity theft protection. At $24.95 a year for a three-PC license, it's by far the cheapest Internet security software [...]
TrustedID introduces Identity Threat Score
TrustedID, our favorite identity theft protection service, has just added a new feature to help determine your personal risk of identity theft. TrustedID will assess millions of records on hundreds of public and private databases and analyze that information for patterns that could indicate if you have been or are about to be a victim [...]
It's easier to steal a passport than a television
A British insurance firm recently conducted a survey of burglary victims, and found that many burglars are looking for personal documents. In 2008, 15% of British burglary victims were targeted specifically for sensitive information, and 74% of burglaries resulted in the theft of some personal or financial documents. LV, the firm that conducted the survey, [...]
PYIW: Protect Your Identity Week
I guess it's fitting that in a month of costumes and masks we spend some time thinking about identity theft. The week of October 17th is National Protect Your Identity Week. A program of the Better Business Bureau, PYIW seeks to raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft. The site, protectyouridnow.org, site has [...]
Second PayChoice breach in one month
Earlier this month, PayChoice, a payroll processing firm, was breached by hackers. Last week, PayChoice was hacked yet again. The last hack was unusually complex, involving a data breach, phishing emails, malicious websites, and a Trojan horse. The latest attack hinged on a security vulnerability in PayChoice's online portal, OnlineEmployer.com. It appears as though hackers [...]
Identity theft victim spends weeks in jail
Some identity theft victims are never able to completely repair the damage to their credit. Some victims are declined mortgages or student loans. Some victims suffer monetary losses. Nearly all victims have to devote a great deal of time and effort to the restoration of their identities. But only a few victims suffer the worst [...]
FBI chief falls for phishing email
Last week, FBI chief Robert Mueller spoke about the dangers of cybercrime, and admitted that he had once been fooled by a phishing email. At first, Mueller believed the email to be a "perfectly legitimate" message from his bank, requesting that he verify some personal information. He followed a link to a spoofed website, where [...]
More phishing news?
Today, the FBI charged 53 defendants with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, the largest number ever charged in a cybercrime case. 33 have already been arrested and the remainder are being sought by law enforcement. Egyptian authorities charged 47 defendants linked to the same phishing operation. The arrests follow a multinational investigation [...]
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