Do you use an identity theft protection service?

I've been contemplating signing up for one of the identity theft protection services. I'm a worrier by nature and having some "backup" in case of identity theft just might help move that worry down the list a few notches.

Do you use one of these services?

If so, which do you use and why?

Thanks in advance!

 

We had something for a few years. Got tired of paying for it every month - and of course they make it an easy auto payment...

I do not worry about my credit cards one single bit. Nada.

More concerned somebody actually gets into my checking account and/or starts taking out credit in my name.

Other than that - go for it folks.

 

I agree with you. Not really worried about credit card fraud. But the opening new credit is a concern also. A friend advised me to put a "hold" on my credit with the credit agencies. I need to look into that as well.

I am more worried about someone cleaning me out financially. Like one day your portfolio goes **poof**

Thanks.

 

The feds provide my wife and me a service that monitors credit and identity matters among other services. My credit card companies watch those cards too.
Still I change passwords on any online accounts often.

 

I froze our credit reports. It's bit of a hassle when you want to temporarily thaw them. Small fee to freeze/thaw but only when needed. No monthly charge.

https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-freeze-your-credit-report-at-each-credit-bureau-960796

 

Nope. I'm screwed down tight on getting alerts from my credit cards when ANY purchase is made, and I'm on top of my bank accounts. I also froze my credit reports a year or so back. Unless the service is capable of prevention, not just alerting after the fact, I am not interested. Here's something I rolled across:

"Consider paying for an identity theft protection service only if:

• You don’t want to freeze your credit reports...
• You know that you won’t go through the effort of actively monitoring your own credit...
• You’re already the victim of identity theft, if your Social Security number has already been disclosed in a data breach or you’ve lost your Social Security card."

 

I don't have any identity theft protection, but after the Equifax fiasco, I setup a security freeze with the major credit bureaus. Although if you freeze your credit, you'll have to unfreeze it, if you need to buy something that requires a credit check, apply for a loan, etc. Currently, I just have fraud alerts setup with the major credit bureaus which advises credit granters to verify your identity before extending credit in your name.

As for credit cards, I keep a close watch on mine, so if there is any suspicion activity on them I just notify the credit card companies and I'm not liable for any fraudulent charges. I never use debit cards for shopping, since that's the easiest way for the bad guys to clean out your bank account(s) if they get access to your debit card info.

 

This is the easiest way to watch for fraud on your credit cards. Every credit card we have, including the 20+ in the drawer are set up so that any charge over $5 gets an email. Any intl charge gets a text. We also get an email from our bank every morning with activity from checking and savings accounts.

Free. Easy.
And helps us manage our spending... well, not really, but we like to think so. LOL!

 

I'd recommend freezing the credit reports as well. There is also no longer a charge to do a freeze/unfreeze.
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2018/09/free-credit-freezes-are-here

 

That's great for the "cards you have' but not so good for the new ones opened by an identity thief.

 

Credit freezes at the three credit reporting companies will cover some idiot opening credit in your name.

 

I really should use one. I’m scared to death of identity theft!

 

Thanks for reminding me (to freeze my credit rpts). Now that it's free to do it is best to freeze them just in case someone wants to try something.


I have had credit monitoring a few years ago, before I retired I worked for the city and county and my job required a federal check but a few years ago there was a hacking or something so they allowed us to be put on credit monitoring just in case someone tried to do something with the data they hacked.

 

Yes, I froze ours probably 15 years ago. Ever listen to Clark Howard?

 

YES, and it has already paid off.

Like others, I'm NOT worried about wrong charges on my CC, I'm worried about new credit being opened that I don't know about.

Talked (Not yet then) hubs into it years ago, even though he really didn't want to pay for it on his credit. Luckily, sweetheart that he is, he knew it would make me stress less l so he subscribed to Lifelock. Lifelock caught a new Macy's Card opened in his name. We would have never know. We had a string of attacks after that.

I don't expect the credit protection company to catch every breach, I buy it for the insurance more than anything, if I ever have to involve lawyers etc. (The identity theft movie with Justin Bateman is bad, but it's also scary. While dramatized, you really are up the creek, and on your own, if something does happen.)

Credit is like a GPA. Bust your butt for years and the needle barely changes. One bad ding? It can take years to claw out.

If you don't want to pay the money for insurance, you can also put a credit freeze on too. If a company can't pull your credit, they can't open a new line. (We do both, Lifelock and frozen credit)

Ps read you CC updates too! Again, less worried about existing cards, but we had someone change our email on one of our cards. I recognized a weird io address and caught it, but lots of nasty shenanigans going on out there.

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this. I’m going to re-read every one of them.

Oh and later today I’ll be freezing my credit!

You guys rock. The collective wisdom on VMB never fails me.