IdentityForce ID theft protection review 2024
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BLUEPRINT
Published 6:42 a.m. UTC Aug. 21, 2023
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Our Take
IdentityForce offers fee-based services that can monitor your credit, personal identifying information, financial data and attempt to protect your identity in more than a dozen other ways. Of course, no identity theft protection service can keep you 100% safe. As a result, IdentityForce customers also receive the benefit of alerts when certain types of fraud are detected, along with $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage.
Pros
- Full service remediation in the event of identity theft.
- Up to $1 million in ID theft insurance and stolen funds replacement.
- UltraSecure+Credit plan offers credit building tools such as a credit score simulator.
Cons
- No credit monitoring on basic plan.
- No virus protection or VPN.
- Complaints about poor customer service.
IdentityForce plans and costs
The cost of membership with IdentityForce varies based on a few different factors — the level of service you choose and whether you opt for monthly or annual billing. They have two plans to choose from, the UltraSecure and the UltraSecure+Credit. The cost for each plan is:
- UltraSecure: $17.95 per month (per member) or $179.50 per year.
- UltraSecure+Credit: $23.95 per month (per member) or $239.50 per year.
Only the UltraSecure plan offers a 30-day free trial. After the free trial period ends, IdentityForce will bill your credit card for the plan you selected unless you cancel.
Both plans offer fraud monitoring, social media identity monitoring, stolen funds replacement, medical ID fraud protection, lost wallet assistance, alerts on your bank and credit cards and alerts to data breaches. They also both offer $1 million of identity theft protection and identity theft restoration services.
It’s important to note that if you want credit monitoring you will have to upgrade to the UltraSecure+Credit plan. The higher plan will monitor all three credit bureaus and give you access to your VantageScore. It also includes mobile phone threat detection and alerts on your investment account alerts.
When you sign up you’ll have the option to add on child identity theft protection to your plan. This includes identity monitoring and $1 million in identity theft insurance for the child.
The identity theft protection provider also has family packages available at a discounted rate. However, you must give a sales agent a call directly to inquire about family plan options and pricing as IdentityForce no longer lists these prices on its website.
Aura Individual
Disclosure
¹$1,000,000 Identity Theft Insurance for Eligible Losses: Identity Theft Insurance underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group‚ Inc.. The description herein is a summary and intended for informational purposes only and does not include all terms, conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.
No one can prevent all identity theft or monitor all transactions effectively.
IdentityForce key features
IdentityForce offers two levels of service. Its highest level of protection, the UltraSecure+Credit plan, includes features that aim to protect you in five different ways.
If you want credit bureau monitoring you’ll need to sign up for the UltraSecure+Credit plan. It monitors all three credit bureaus and offers credit reports and a credit score based on the VantageScore 3.0 model. You’ll also get a credit score tracker and credit score simulator.
Both plans offer a million dollars in identity theft insurance. If your identity is stolen these funds will cover the costs of lawyers and other out of pocket costs required to remedy the identity theft.
IdentityForce has 4.5 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot with over 850 reviews. 58% of the reviews are four or five stars. The negative reviews often state that the customer found fraud on their accounts but had not been notified by IdentityForce and unresponsive customer service.
Not all credit scores are created equally: Here’s the difference between FICO and VantageScore
What is IdentityForce and how it works
IdentityForce is part of the TransUnion family and is headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts.
IdentityForce works by monitoring your identity and credit and alerting you via phone, tablet, or computer if they see something suspicious. They also have apps for both iPhone and Android.
If you are the victim of identity theft, IdentityForce offers full support. Your dedicated specialist will fill out the paperwork and do the legwork needed to clear up your accounts. They also offer $1 million in insurance if you have out-of-pocket costs due to the identity theft.
Any stolen funds that are not reimbursed by the banks will be reimbursed with their stolen funds replacement coverage, up to $1 million depending on which plan you choose.
If you want to cancel your plan you can do so online in your member dashboard or by calling 877-694-3367. You will be refunded on a prorated basis.
How IdentityForce compares
As with any service, it’s smart to shop around and compare your options before you sign up for an identity theft protection program. There are numerous other identity theft protection services available, along with companies that provide credit monitoring tools as well.
Identity Guard, LifeLock and McAfee all offer similar ID theft programs. LifeLock and McAfee both offer plans that include virus protection and VPNs for additional cyber protection.
Neither IdentityForce nor Identity Guard offer credit monitoring on their lowest level plan but both offer 3-bureau monitoring on higher level plans.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of what each company charges for its basic individual plan.
| STARTING MONTHLY PRICE | STARTING ANNUAL PRICE | CREDIT MONITORING | FAMILY PLANS | CYBER PLANS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IdentityForce
| $17.95
| $179.50
| No
| Yes
| No
|
Identity Guard
| $6.67
| $80 (if billed annually)
| No
| Yes
| No
|
LifeLock
| $11.99
| $89.99
| 1-bureau
| Yes
| Yes
|
McAfee
| N/A
| $89.99
| 1-bureau
| Yes
| Yes
|
Final verdict
While its cost is higher than some competitors IdentityForce offers full service remediation which is not a standard feature. However, if you want credit monitoring, which is an important feature when it comes to ID theft protection, you’ll need to spring for their highest-tier plan.
You should also know that there are actions you can perform yourself at no cost. For example, placing a credit freeze on your three credit reports with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion is free. And if you suspect you’re a victim of fraud, federal law allows you to place free fraud alerts on your credit reports as well.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
IdentityForce is a brand of TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus. The credit bureau acquired IdentityForce in December 2021, but the company has over a 40-year track record of providing identity theft protection services to consumers and businesses alike.
One feature that lends credibility to IdentityForce is the fact that the company allows customers the ability to cancel their membership at any time via phone (877-694-3367) or via your IdentityForce account. (To cancel online, select the top right drop down menu, click on “Protection Plan”, then click the Cancel Button.)
You might consider paying for membership with IdentityForce if you’ve been a victim of identity theft or you’re worried you might become one. While you can access some of the services IdentityForce offers at no cost on your own (like free credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com or free credit freezes), the ability to manage your identity and credit protection strategy from one user-friendly dashboard can be convenient. The company also provides other features, like identity theft insurance, alerts and more, that you wouldn’t be able to access for free.
Before you join IdentityForce or any other identity theft protection service, however, it’s important to examine your budget. You should make sure that you can afford the cost of the service and that the additional monthly bill won’t put you in a financial bind.
IdentityForce is an identity theft protection company that is owned by TransUnion — one of the three major credit bureaus. The company has over 80 years of combined experience in the identity security industry.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
