In 2019, the U.S. had 3.2 million reports of identity theft. Being wise with your online purchases is not enough anymore. In fact, it’s not even close to enough.
As a result, many identity theft protection services have popped up, but the one that’s really making a name for itself these days is IdentityForce.
With IdentityForce, you get a whole suite of identity theft protection services that surpasses its competitors. Plus, it’s generally cheaper, too.
What IdentityForce Offers
IdentityForce’s identity theft protection service has five different branches of services it provides to its members. They are Monitor, Alert, Control, Recover, and Credit.
Monitor
The Monitor branch is the identity monitoring aspect of IdentityForce that attracts most of its users. It’s the part that constantly sweeps the digital world for traces of identity theft and stolen personal information. IdentityForce utilizes high-end technology that instantly notifies the central hub anytime your financial, personal, or credit information is at risk.
- Advanced Fraud Monitoring
- Change of Address Monitoring
- Court Records Monitoring
- Dark Web Monitoring
- Payday Loan Monitoring
- Sex Offender Monitoring
Alert
The Alert branch is the aspect of IdentityForce that informs you whenever you are at risk. IdentityForce can send alerts to either your phone, computer, or tablet.
- Bank and Credit Cards Activity Alerts
- Smart SSN Tracker
- Junk Mail Opt-Out
- Identity Threat Alerts
- Fraud Alert Reminders
Control
Control is short for Identity and Credit Score Control, and it deals with controlling what other people can see and learn about you. With this identity theft protection, you can see and understand your credit score and know when, how, and where your personal information is being used online.
It enables you to protect your keystrokes (meaning anything and everything you type), all of your PINs, all of your credit card information (numbers, security key, and billing address), as well as:
- Medical ID Fraud Protection
- Online PC Protection Tools
- Two-Factor Authentication
- Lost Wallet Assistance
- Mobile APP
Recover
Referring to IdentityForce’s Identity Theft Restoration and Insurance division, the Recover branch is on 24/7 and will help you handle every aspect of restoring your identity. This means IdentityForce will handle all necessary paperwork and make every call to get your life back to normal.
- Up to $1 Million in Identity Theft Insurance
- Fully Managed Restoration
- Toll Free Customer Service
Credit
Only included with the UltraSecure+Credit option (more on that shortly), the Credit division of IdentityForce is about empowering you with complete knowledge of your financial profile. Know whenever your scores drop, or a negative entry is posted on any of your reports. With this branch, there’s no need to track all three separately throughout the year. IdentityForce puts them all together in each member’s online portal.
- Credit score simulator
- Monthly credit score tracker
- Three Bureau Credit Monitoring. These include: Updates on credit scores and credit reports from all three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, four times a year.
IdentityForce Products
There are two different identity theft protection plans you can choose from that utilize some or all of the branches above. Here’s how each one breaks down so you can choose which one sounds right for you.
IdentityForce UltraSecure
UltraSecure comes with a 30-day free trial. After that, it costs only $17.99 per month or $179.90 per year (which means two months free). The plan includes all branches of protection mentioned above except Credit. UltraSecure provides identity theft insurance coverage for up to $1 million in losses. It monitors for fraud through social media, the dark web, court records, bank account, and credit card activity.
IdentityForce UltraSecure+Credit
UltraSecure+Credit is IdentityForce’s most popular product and comes with every branch (including Credit). You can get it for $23.99 per month or save a bit by paying for an entire year’s worth of services at once. The yearly price is $239.90.
How does IdentityForce work?
After your order is complete, IdentityForce sends you an email with a link to your unique online member dashboard. To complete your profile, you’ll need to input your personal information. The portal is highly secure and is done in this way so that no one ever sees your details but you.
If you do it over the phone or through the mail, you run the risk of your mail being lost or seized, or worse, someone trying to impersonate IdentityForce and stealing your information on the spot.
After you’ve enrolled, you’ll be texted or emailed anytime there is any suspicious activity linked to your identity. After you confirm the transactions aren’t yours, IdentityForce takes immediate action to secure you, your information, and all of your accounts.
Every month after you enroll, the identity theft protection company will update you on all account activity, including past alerts, and send you a summary of each benefit you receive as a member. Membership includes 24/7 access and support. In addition, you will always be able to log in to your online portal to read about alerts and worldwide news updates pertaining to identity theft and trending scams.
Is the UltraSecure+Credit plan worth it?
To get the credit score and credit report monitoring service added on is only $6 more a month. So if you’re considering getting a loan or line of credit in the not-so-distant future, then UltraSecure+Credit is a solid investment in your security. This includes any major financial decision such as a mortgage, auto loan, or even a new credit card.
Yes, the three credit bureaus each produce their own credit report for borrowers, and you can get a free credit report from each of them once a year through AnnualCreditReport.com. However, the credit report does not include your credit scores, and if you want to monitor your report more than once a year, you’ll have to pay extra. Prices for these services can range from $15 to $40. So, going with IdentityForce will save you money.
IdentityForce Special Features
With IdentityForce, you can also protect your children at no extra cost through ChildWatch. This feature comes with either product and includes the following services:
- Social security number tracking (which will also update you if your child’s SSN is ever associated with another address)
- Account restoration
- Up to $1 million in identity theft insurance
Children increasingly need identity protection as much as adults. Criminals can obtain your child’s information for only $300. With their personal info, they can open bank accounts and credit cards, apply for a loan, and apply for certain government benefits.
In short, they can wreck your child’s financial future long before they even graduate from elementary school. So the fact that IdentityForce offers its ChildWatch service for free is nothing short of amazing. It’s not something that all identity theft protection providers offer.
IdentityForce Reviews
One of the best ways to research identity theft protection services is by reading third-party reviews. You can discover what actual customers are saying about them before you choose to do business with them.
IdentityForce’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating is currently A+, an indicator of excellent customer service. They also have very few complaints. You can find more IdentityForce reviews at other review sites as well.
Bottom Line
IdentityForce offers high-end identity theft protection. For just a few dollars more a month, you can tack on the credit monitoring service, and with either plan, you get ChildWatch protection for free. So for only $18.95 a month, you can protect yourself and your children. It’s a small price to pay, considering the ubiquitous nature of online crimes these days.