Best Identity Theft Protection for Seniors

Compare Top Identity Theft Protection Companies

We chose EverSafe, Identity Guard, IdentityForce, and Aura for our list of the best identity theft protection companies for seniors. These companies stood out among the competition after we analyzed consumer reviews, government data and industry insights.

Features	EverSafe	IdentityForce	Identity Guard
24/7 Live Support	√	√	√
Lost Wallet Protection	No	√	√
Fraud Alerts	√	√	√
Identity Restoration	√	√	√
Credit Monitoring	√	√	√
Retirement Account Monitoring	√	√	√
Social Media Monitoring	No	√	√
Dedicated Case Manager	n/a	No	√
Data Breach Notifications	√	√	√
Free Trial	No	√	No
ID Theft Insurance	$1 million	$1 million	$1 million
Medical Monitoring	No	√	No
SSN Monitoring	√	√	√

Use this guide to learn how identity theft protection services work and their benefits. You’ll find tips to help you determine which identity theft protection services to buy and how to evaluate the best companies in the industry. These tips and our frequently asked questions about identity theft prevention will help you find the best identity theft protection for your circumstances.

Best Identity Theft Protection Services, Reviewed

After our evaluation, we chose the best identity theft protection services providers: EverSafe, Aura, Identity Guard, IdentityForce, Experian, and LifeLock. These companies deliver superior identity theft protection services.

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EverSafe is one of the only identity protection services we reviewed that offers a discount specifically for seniors. Equipped with several senior-focused features, users can also share security alerts with family members, monitor their investment and retirement accounts, and enact elder fraud monitoring. All three of EverSafe’s plans offer dark web scanning, credit and debit card monitoring, and 24/7 customer support.

EverSafe does not offer support for passports or medical identity cards and its services are oriented more towards monitoring than providing cybersecurity tools to actively protect your online safety. Still, they are one of the most affordable options for identity theft protection. 

• Most comprehensive plan: Gold
• Cost: $6.36/month for the Essential; $21/24/per month or $254.88/yr
• Senior discount: 20% 
• ID theft insurance: Up to $1 million for Gold and Plus plans 
• Credit monitoring: Yes

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Aura offers individual, couple, or family plans, all of which provide three credit bureau monitoring, 24/7 customer service, and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. In addition to claiming the fastest fraud alters in the industry, Aura stands out both for its family-integrated plans — these plans can include adults in different households, which means seniors and their adult children can share a plan. All members of an Aura family account can access account alerts, which makes identity protection a family concern.

Its most basic plan is also fairly comprehensive compared to other companies. It includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance and seniors can monitor their retirement accounts. 

Proactive cybersecurity measures, such as malware protection, VPN access, password managers, and even a privacy assistant that can request the removal of your personal information from data brokers, help prevent hackers from gaining unauthorized access to your personal data. 

Although customer satisfaction with Aura is high, this service does not offer senior-specific discounts or technology. Aura offers a 14-day free trial with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

• Most comprehensive plan: Family
• Cost: $15 – 27 per month or $144 – 600 annually
• Senior discount: Not disclosed
• ID theft insurance: Up to $1 million (includes in basic individual plan) 
• Credit monitoring: Yes, three-bureau monitoring on all plans

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One of LifeLock’s standout features is its stolen fund reimbursement, which is available for all plans and can help to reimburse stolen money in the event of fraud, lawyer fees, and personal expenses. LifeLock is a leader in alerts: on the Ultimate Plus plans, you receive alerts for misuse of your identity and social security number, social media accounts, and crimes in your name. 

While not available in the standard (basic) plan, LifeLock’s Ultimate Plus plan offers 401K, investment account, and savings account alerts should any suspicious activities occur. Cybersecurity tools to help prevent identity theft, such as mobile device security or VPN, are available through LifeLock for an additional fee.

• Most comprehensive plan: Ultimate Plus (2 individuals)
• Cost: $11.99 – $69.99 per month or $89.99 – $395.88 per year. Prices increase about 40% after the first year 
• Senior discount: Not disclosed
• ID theft insurance: Up to $1.05 million for standard plans; up to $3 million per adult on Ultimate Plus plans 
• Credit monitoring: One-bureau monitoring with Standard; Three-bureau monitoring with Ultimate Plus

Read our comprehensive LifeLock review

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IdentityForce by Transunion aims to help you protect against identity theft through both monitoring and cybersecurity approaches such as VPN and other PC protection. They offer two months of free coverage on their annual plan, and their UltraSecure+Credit plan is one of the least expensive premium options available. One of its standout features is its mobile device scanning, which can help detect unsafe websites visited on your phone. IdentityForce provides a personal dashboard where you can see alerts related to your account activity. 

Almost half of Trustpilot reviewers rated Identity Force at 5 stars. Seniors will appreciate IdentityForce’s monitoring of medical identity fraud and investment account alerts. For the UltraSecure +Credit plan, 100% of calls related to account recovery are answered within the U.S.A.

• Most comprehensive plan: UltraSecure+Credit
• Cost: $17.99 – $35.90 per month or $179.50 – $359 per year
• Senior discount: Not disclosed 
• ID theft insurance: Up to $1 million in identity theft insurance 
• Credit monitoring: Three-bureau monitoring only for UltraSecure+Credit

Read our comprehensive IdentityForce review.

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A step up from Identity Guard with Watson is Identity Guard Total Protection, which offers quarterly reports from all three credit bureaus, 24/7 monitoring and alerts. Identity Guard Platinum also is available, adding monthly credit scores and reports. In terms of customer support, Identity Guard is unmatched. The company boasts best-in-class 100% U.S.-based customer support and provides its security experts with extensive identity theft case training. Identity Guard has already helped more than 47 million customers protect their personal information and has been awarded the Online Trust Alliance Honor Roll annually since 2012.

Identity Guard offers up to $1 million in identity theft insurance on all of their plans—this includes elder care reimbursements, lost wages, and travel expenses. Its premium plan (Ultra) offers bank account and 401K and investment account monitoring, home title monitoring, Experian credit lock, and several cybersecurity support tools. The company also provides U.S.-based customer support. 

Its family plans cover up to five adults in multiple households and unlimited children under the age of 18, which makes sharing a plan with older parents and minors alike a breeze. There is no free trial of Identity Guard, but it does offer a 60-day money-back guarantee.

• Most comprehensive plan: Ultra 
• Cost: $6.67– $17.99 per month
• Senior discount: None
• ID theft insurance: Up to $1 million on all plans 
• Credit monitoring: Three-bureau monitoring on the Total And Ultra plans

Read our comprehensive Identity Guard Review.

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Our Research Methodology

Searching for the right identity theft protection services company may be tricky, especially for older adults. We compared 10 of the most subscribed-to identity theft protection services companies and consulted with six industry experts to identify the best identity theft and fraud monitoring services for seniors:

1. We evaluated the identity theft protection services marketplace. We examined the top identity theft protection services companies based on client and expert reviews. Then, we removed companies rating three or fewer stars from consideration.
2. We assessed the top identity theft protection services companies based on industry ratings and awards: We considered value, customer satisfaction, and customer support.
3. We shopped for identity theft protection services and followed our own advice: Based on our buyer standards, we evaluated the different types of identity theft protection services provided by each company, the costs associated with these services and other relevant criteria. If a company failed to provide both monitoring and recovery services, we removed it from consideration. Also, if a company did not include online tools or resources to teach consumers about identity theft, we excluded it from our search.

How to Pick an Identity Theft Monitoring Service

For seniors especially, it’s important to find a monitoring service that provides enough coverage for your budget. Many services offer discounted rates for seniors on fixed incomes. In many cases, a top-tier plan will offer the most features,  but a cheaper plan could be a better fit depending on your needs and budget. Basic credit monitoring and reporting, including alerts for suspicious activity in your financial accounts, are important for almost everyone and are often available in the basic or lower-tier plans.

Mid-range plans offer additional protections such as dark web monitoring, social media monitoring, and change-of-address alerts, which could be useful for seniors who are planning to relocate during retirement or stay active online. Some ID theft protection companies also offer computer protection, including safe web browsing tools, protection from malware, and/or a VPN.

Premium identity theft plans offer three-bureau credit reporting, file-sharing network searches, medical ID monitoring, and real-time notifications if someone tries to use your personal data to open an account. 

ID Theft Reimbursement

No matter the tier, we recommend prioritizing ID theft monitoring services that include identity recovery services, like a dedicated customer service agent and insurance, to help with recovering your identity if it’s stolen. Be sure to identify just how much assistance you’ll receive to restore your identity if it’s stolen, and what identity theft insurance covers. Along with recovery support, choose a company that permanently deletes your data if you cancel the service. You can find this practice in the company’s terms of service and conditions if offered.

The Importance of Credit Monitoring

Credit monitoring services, often offered as part of identity theft protection services, are an important tool to help protect older adults against financial crimes. These services actively screen your credit reports across all three major bureaus. Any new accounts or inquiries made in the senior’s name will trigger an alert, allowing you to spot concerning activity and limit damage done. Many services also monitor public records, dark websites, and other sources to detect fraud.

“Credit monitoring is critical for seniors because they are most vulnerable,” says Peter Gordon, Certified Senior Advisor and president, New York Financial Organizers. “That’s because they very often have good credit scores and established life savings.” 

In addition to monitoring, robust credit protection services offer assistance with resolving cases of confirmed identity theft or fraud. Resolution experts can help seniors through the often complex process of contacting agencies, placing fraud alerts, disputing charges, and restoring their good name and credit.

However, it’s important to compare plan types when shopping for credit monitoring services. Some plans only offer one-bureau credit monitoring, and the frequency by which they monitor the bureaus vary. Some send reports monthly while others send them quarterly or annually.

What Features Should Seniors Prioritize in a Service?

While Identity theft protection services vary by company, all aim to provide you with a layer of awareness of unusual activity on your accounts. 

Based on our conversations with identity theft experts, there are some key features older adults should look for when choosing an identity theft protection service:

• Coverage for multiple types of fraud: Protection beyond just financial and credit fraud, including medical or criminal identity theft. 
• Sensitive data monitoring for home titles, SSNs, etc.: Seniors with more equity in their homes are vulnerable targets. Features such as home title protection and Social Security number/change of address monitoring can help safeguard important information. 
• Bank account and asset protection, such as your 401k and retirement accounts: With larger savings or investments, seniors can benefit from comprehensive account monitoring and transaction alerts. 
• Monitoring of credit reports: Services should check all three major credit bureaus and alert customers of any suspicious activity. This can detect fraud early.
• Credit freezes: Ability to easily freeze credit with all three bureaus to prevent criminals from opening new accounts. Important prevention tool.
• Alerts for suspicious activity: Real-time notifications if the service detects potential fraud like new account openings or address changes. Determine how you’ll be alerted should your data be compromised. Some services have mobile apps.
• Resolution support: Identity restoration services with dedicated staff to assist customers who experience identity theft.
• Lost wallet assistance: Assistance with canceling and replacing stolen or lost ID cards, driver’s licenses, etc. 
• Password manager: Provides secure storage of passwords so seniors don’t have to remember them. It can also autogenerate complex unique passwords that help prevent hacking of reused passwords.
• Tech support: Less tech-savvy seniors should look for access to computer security experts who can provide installation assistance and troubleshooting for protective software. 

Thankfully, a variety of companies offer identity theft protection services. But with so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to know which one is best for you. We created this guide to help you learn how identity theft protection services work, why they are beneficial, and how you can choose the service that best meets your needs.  

How Much Does Identity Theft Protection Cost?

Plans offered by the identity theft protection services in our buying resource vary widely in cost from $7 to $89 a month. In many cases, higher prices reflect more services, but this isn’t a guarantee, so remember to comparison shop. Paying for an annual subscription upfront usually results in a lower effective monthly cost. You can also take advantage of the free trials, family plans, and senior discounts that many of the companies we feature on this list offer. 

The table below shows the month-to-month and annual prices of the most comprehensive plans offered by our best identity theft protection services for seniors.

Company	Comprehensive Plan	Monthly Cost	Annual Cost
Aura	Family	$32	$288
EverSafe	Gold	$24.99	$254.88
LifeLock	Ultimate Plus (2 adults) UltmatePlus (1 person)	$66.99 for the first year $34.99 for the first year	$395.88; renews at $679.99 $239.88; renews at $339.99
Identity Guard	Ultra	$29.99	$359.88
Identity Force	UltraSecure+Credit	$23.99	$239.90
Experian	Family	$34.99	$419.88
ReliaShield	Elite Family	$34.99	$384.89

Ways for Seniors to Protect Their Identity

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), the United States saw the most data breaches ever in 2023. Although anyone can become a victim of identity theft, the FBI reports that the senior population accounts for more than $3 billion in losses related to online fraud per year. Cybercriminals who obtain your personal information can access your bank account and your credit cards, open new accounts in your name, or even commit healthcare and tax-related fraud in your name. 

There are several steps that you can take to safeguard your personal information and protect yourself from identity theft:

1. Never give out personal information via email, text message, or phone unless you are confident that you are speaking with someone you trust. Scammers are great at impersonation. When in doubt, look up company contact information on your own – not through any contact information supplied in suspicious communication –  and reach out to verify whether that company has sent you a request. 
2. Avoid reusing the same password for different accounts. If a hacker gets the login information for one of your accounts that shares a password with others, your information will be relatively easy for them to access.
3. Create passwords longer than 12 characters and contain a mix of numbers and letters. Hackers can quickly “crack” simple passwords; it is much harder for them to crack passwords that are longer, more complex, and less like simple words. 
4. Beware of emails, texts, or phone calls that warn you that you must act with urgency. Hackers are great at impersonating reputable organizations in phishing scams. When an email message urgently warns you that you must click on a link or send funds, avoid trusting it. Call the company to see if they have indeed sent the message. 
5. Keep your digital devices up to date. Whenever an update is released for your phone or computer, apply it as soon as possible. Hackers seek to exploit known vulnerabilities; tech companies try to patch those vulnerabilities with the updates that they release. 
6. Avoid using public wifi when possible. Trusted networks or VPN services will help to protect your online activities from criminals.

Beyond these identity protection measures that you can take on your own, choosing an identity protection service can provide additional monitoring and support to keep your identity and your assets secure. 

How Does Identity Theft Happen?

Hackers want your personal information: your name, address, identification numbers, and financial information. They can either sell this information or use it to open fake accounts or access your financial information. Hackers can get your personal information in several ways:

• Phishing: Criminals craft emails, text messages, or phone calls to seem like they are from a reputable company. They urge victims to click on links or to visit websites, often by warning victims that they must act with urgency. Phishing scams trick victims into sharing their personal information. 
• Data breaches: When companies are subject to data breaches, criminals sometimes release stolen data – names, passwords, account numbers, etc –  to the dark web, where it is sold. Data breaches have become the number one cause of identity theft. 
• Hacked accounts: Cybercriminals hack into networks to gain access to customer information such as passwords, credit card information, personal identification numbers (PINs) and more. They can then use this information to commit identity theft.

Identity theft can also occur when thieves gain access to paper copies of your social security number, your bank account numbers, and other personal information. Avoid putting documents with sensitive financial information into your trash or recycling containers. 

Identity Theft FAQs

Related Identity Theft Resources

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Additional Identity Theft Resources

Readers of this guide also found these articles helpful.

• Identity Theft Statistics
• How Many People Are Affected by Identify Theft?
• How to Know if You’re a Victim of Identity Theft
• Is Identity Theft Protection Worth It?
• What is Synthetic Identity Theft?
• How to Report Identity Theft

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Conclusion

Bottom Line: Identity theft protection services help you safeguard your identity and address identity theft faster than ever before.

No one is immune to identity theft. Criminals want your personal information and will do almost anything to obtain it. Fortunately, identity theft protection services help reduce the risk of having your data exposed, assist you with the recovery of a stolen identity and most service plans include insurance to replace lost funds.

The best three identity theft protection services companies we recommended stand out for different reasons while meeting our selection criteria. We came to our conclusions after reviewing market research and expert analysis, resulting in recommendations designed to help you choose the ideal identity theft protection services based on your individual needs.

The Best Identity Theft Protection

	Expert Review	Company
1	Great for cybersecurity support	Aura
2	Great U.S.-based support	Identity Guard
3	Great plan options	IdentityIQ
4	Great Credit Monitoring	IdentityProtect.com
5	Great for ID theft insurance	LifeLock
6	Great for medical ID fraud	Identity Force
7	Great service	Experian IdentityWorks
8	Great for families	ReliaShield
9	Great for seniors	EverSafe