Best Identity Theft Restoration Services

We tested dozens of identity theft protection services and found that Identity Guard offers the most comprehensive fraud prevention tools and the best restoration services in the industry.

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Identity Guard® Image
Identity Guard®
SecureScore™: 9.3/10
Identity Guard is one of the most powerful identity theft protections on the market today. They offer a comprehensive list of protections against myriad types of fraud as well as a robust suite of restoration services to help you rebound if you fall victim.
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Aura Identity Theft Protection Image
Aura Identity Theft Protection
SecureScore™: 9.5/10
Since they hit the market in 2019, Aura has earned a reputation for thorough ID theft protection designed for digital users. But they’ve also made a name for themselves for the quality and depth of their restoration coverage.
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LifeLock Image
LifeLock
SecureScore™: 9.6/10
NortonLifeLock takes your cybersecurity seriously, and they’ve based their protections around making sure fraudsters never get their hands on your digital information. Should the worst happen, though, they also offer comprehensive restoration coverages to get you back on your feet quickly.
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  • Identity Guard® Product Image
    Identity Guard®
    SecureScore™: 9.3/10
    Identity Guard is one of the most powerful identity theft protections on the market today. They offer a comprehensive list of protections against myriad types of fraud as well as a robust suite of restoration services to help you rebound if you fall victim.
    View Packages
  • Aura Identity Theft Protection Product Image
    Aura Identity Theft Protection
    SecureScore™: 9.5/10
    Since they hit the market in 2019, Aura has earned a reputation for thorough ID theft protection designed for digital users. But they’ve also made a name for themselves for the quality and depth of their restoration coverage.
    View Packages
  • LifeLock Product Image
    LifeLock
    SecureScore™: 9.6/10
    NortonLifeLock takes your cybersecurity seriously, and they’ve based their protections around making sure fraudsters never get their hands on your digital information. Should the worst happen, though, they also offer comprehensive restoration coverages to get you back on your feet quickly.
    View Packages

If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate situation where your identity is stolen, you probably want everything to be resolved as quickly as possible. You could try doing this yourself, but it requires a lot of time and a lot of paperwork just to get the ball rolling in reclaiming your identity and repairing your financial situation.

A better strategy is to invest in identity theft protection services. Not only do they monitor your credit files and identifiable information, but they have the resources to work around the clock to resolve fraud incidents before they become a major problem.

When we tested identity theft protection services, we found that the Identity Guard had the best restoration tools. But Aura, LifeLock, IdentityForce, ID Watchdog, and Zander also have excellent resources to help you get things back on track. We’ll break down each option so you can choose the right one for your needs.

The 6 Best Identity Theft Restoration Services of 2024

Aura's three tiers of service.

  • 1 Identity Guard® - Best Overall Restoration Services

    Identity Guard® Product Image
    SecureScore™ 9.3
    Customer Service
    9.2
    Value
    9.3
    Features & Services
    9.3
    Ease Of Use
    9.4
    SecureScore™
    9.3

    Identity Guard is one of our top-rated identity theft protection services for good reason. Identity Guard’s comprehensive coverage protects your most sensitive information from all angles, and if a fraudster somehow makes it through, its restoration services are second to none.

    • Affordable basic identity monitoring starting at $7.50 per month
    • Family plans cover five adults and unlimited children (similar to Aura)
    • Preventative services powered by IBM’s Watson AI
    • U.S.-based customer service and expert fraud resolution
    • Near real-time alerts

    • Entry-level Value plan lacks credit and financial monitoring
    • No resolution service in Value plan
    • Total and Ultra Family plans are expensive, at $29.99 and $39.99 if billed monthly
    • Insurance coverage is the same regardless of the plan
    • Doesn’t offer antivirus protection

    When we tested Identity Guard we quickly learned not to judge a book by its cover. The app doesn’t have the same modern look as other identity theft protection services, but underneath the hood it packs a lot of power. Identity Guard’s preventative services are powered by artificial intelligence, which means it can analyze billions of data points while continuing to learn about any up-and-coming threats.

    Pro Tip: Make time to add as much personal information to your Identity Guard watchlist as possible. We signed up for the Ultra plan and added credit card numbers, passport details, and even health insurance numbers. The more you include, the less you have to monitor on your own.

    But we’re here to talk about the restoration services, and Identity Guard’s tools can make a big difference. You’re insured up to $1 million in identity theft insurance and Identity Guard can freeze your credit if someone is applying for loans in your name. But it’s the White Glove Fraud service that’s the gamechanger.

    Identity Guard Credit Freeze

    Identity Guard makes it easy to freeze your credit to stop thieves from opening accounts in your name.

    Unfortunately, this is only available on Identity Guard’s top plan. But it’s worth every cent. Identity Guard will assign you an expert who will design a personalized mitigation and remediation plan. It will help stop thieves from doing any further damage while also trying to recuperate any losses or reputational damage.

    Identity monitoring Yes
    Credit monitoring 1-bureau or 3-bureau (except Value plan)
    Insurance Up to $1 million
    Free trial No
    Money-back guarantee 60 days on annual plans
  • 2 Aura Identity Theft Protection - Best Restoration Coverage

    Aura Identity Theft Protection Product Image
    SecureScore™ 9.5
    Customer Service
    9.6
    Value
    9.2
    Features & Services
    9.6
    Ease Of Use
    9.5
    SecureScore™
    9.5

    Its all-in-one digital approach makes Aura ID theft protection a great pick for identity coverage. But Aura is also heavily invested in helping folks in the worst-case scenario — with a full suite of white-glove restoration services in case you or anyone in your household falls victim to cybercrime.

    • Three-bureau credit monitoring
    • Includes antivirus protection, VPN, and a password manager
    • Antivirus protection with VPN and a password manager
    • Family plans include child safety tools and parental controls
    • 14-day free trial and 60-day money-back guarantee

    • A little pricey since it lacks tiered subscriptions
    • VPN and antivirus services are not feature-rich

    The problem with identity theft is you never know when it’s going to strike. But it does. About once every six seconds, according to the FTC. So having spending alerts and a credit lock in your back pocket is great. But if a thief sneaks off with your SSN, you’re going to want an identity monitoring service that’s willing to step up to the plate. We found that Aura goes above and beyond here with an unexpected range of cash payouts to cover every inch of your typical fraud disaster.

    Did You Know? Aura doesn’t just protect adults from identity theft. It has multiple parental control apps to keep kids safe on social media and gaming services.

    Setting Aura's alert thresholds

    You can set financial thresholds so Aura doesn’t spam you with alerts.

    We’ve reported extensively on Aura’s full battery of features in our complete Aura review. Enough to say that Aura is no lightweight. A premium Aura package is stacked with protections, including a free VPN and malware blocker, two pieces of tech you don’t want to leave the house without these days. That explains why, when you’re comparing top-of-the-line ID monitoring services, Aura packages tend to be a little pricier than average.

    But that slightly higher price tag will more than pay itself off if you ever fall victim to ID fraud. Aura’s $1 million in restoration services cover lost wages ($2000 per week for five weeks max) and travel expenses ($1,000). Aura will also cover elder child care fees (up to $2,000), and accountants’ costs.

    In our book, the degree of attention Aura pays to the fine points of identity theft recovery — from a consumer perspective — says a lot about Aura’s all-around service.

    Identity monitoring Yes
    Credit monitoring 3-bureau
    Insurance Up to $1 million
    Free trial 14 days
    Money-back guarantee 60 days (long-term plans)
  • 3 LifeLock - Best Customer Service

    LifeLock Product Image
    SecureScore™ 9.6
    Customer Service
    9.6
    Value
    9.5
    Features & Services
    9.6
    Ease Of Use
    9.7
    SecureScore™
    9.6

    LifeLock takes an interesting approach to identity theft protection in that you’ll get multi-layered cybersecurity protections for all your devices. This helps prevent fraudsters from gaining access to your most sensitive information. However, Norton are realists and understand that even with the strongest protections available, you can still fall victim. That’s why Norton offers some of the best reimbursements and restorative services in the industry.

    • Up to $3 million in identity theft coverage per adult
    • Can be bundled with Norton 360, a high-quality antivirus
    • All plans include at least $1 million in identity theft coverage
    • Quality notifications with helpful descriptions and tips for minimizing exposure

       

    • Expensive even with an annual plan discount
    • Cheaper subscriptions only include one-bureau monitoring
    • Free trial is hard to find on the Norton website
    • Prices increase after the first year

    During our testing of LifeLock, we discovered first-hand how Norton shields us from cyber criminals. But for the purposes of this guide, we’re interested in how they’ll protect you should your identity be stolen. The good news is that coverage is as robust as the protective services.

    Did You Know? Password cracking is one way identity thieves can gain access to your most valuable accounts. LifeLock, however, heads them off at the pass by offering an encrypted password vault. This means you can use extremely strong randomized passwords without having to memorize them.

    LifeLock is one of the few services in the industry to not only offer up to $1 million in stolen fund reimbursements, but also offer $1 million in personal expense compensation and $1 million to cover the costs of lawyers and other experts you might need to recruit in resolving your identity theft incident.

    LifeLock’s dashboard showed us key information from each submenu.

    Reviewing the LifeLock dashboard for monitoring updates.

    LifeLock has multiple plans, and they’re not exactly easy to find on the website. This is one of the reasons why we didn’t rank it higher. Some are listed on the budget-friendly page, and others are in the all-in-one section. But we couldn’t find a page to compare each plan one side by side. We’ve done the hard work for you and broken down every LifeLock package so you can make the right decision for you.

    Identity monitoring Yes
    Credit monitoring 1-bureau or 3-bureau
    Insurance Up to $1 million
    Free trial 30 days (standalone LifeLock plans)

    7 days (LifeLock-Norton 360 bundles)

    Money-back guarantee 60 days (long-term plans)

    14 days (monthly plans)

  • 4 IdentityForce - Best Personalized Solutions

    IdentityForce Product Image
    SecureScore™ 8.5
    Customer Service
    8.7
    Value
    8.6
    Features & Services
    8.3
    Ease Of Use
    8.4
    SecureScore™
    8.5

    IdentityForce is one of our favorite services for several reasons. It features robust credit monitoring, identity protection, and cybersecurity functionality. And — of course — IdentityForce’s resolution team is going to have your back should the unthinkable happen.

    • Comprehensive, 24/7 identity theft monitoring
    • 3-Bureau credit monitoring, scoring, reporting
    • Cyberbullying, phishing, and ransomware reimbursement
    • Exclusive digital safety protections for families
    • Extremely detailed reports
    • Actionable notifications
    • Excellent desktop interface with intuitive design
    • VPN access through mobile app

    • Underwhelming mobile app
    • Somewhat high price tag
    • No external frills

    IdentityForce is a family-owned company that’s been around for over 40 years. The company doesn’t just have a stellar reputation for monitoring for fraud and identity theft, it is also renowned for its customer service. Especially when an incident occurs, and you need all hands on deck.

    FYI: One of IdentityForce’s clients is the U.S. Government. The company provides data breach response and dark web monitoring for local, state, and federal agencies.

    IdentityForce - Resources Page

    IdentityForce has a ton of resources to protect you from identity theft.

    For starters, IdentityForce is one of the few identity theft protection services on the market today that offers $1 million in identity theft insurance which will cover your out-of-pocket costs as well as up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursements. But it’s the restoration team that’s the star of the show. IdentityForce’s experts will take everything off your hands by filing legal claims and calling credit card bureaus on your behalf. Any company that’s willing to sit on hold to credit companies on our behalf is a legend in our books.

    IdentityForce’s two plans are easy to compare, with the main difference between them being credit card monitoring. But thankfully, the resolution team is available for all plans.

    Dark Web Monitoring Yes
    Credit Protection Yes
    Family Plans Yes
    Insurance Coverage $1 million
    Free Trial 30-Day
    Guarantee None
  • 5 ID Watchdog - Best Restoration Guarantee

    ID Watchdog Product Image
    SecureScore™ 8.7
    Customer Service
    9.0
    Value
    8.7
    Features & Services
    8.7
    Ease Of Use
    8.4
    SecureScore™
    8.7

    ID Watchdog has won several awards for its monitoring services that zero in on everything from change of address records to payday loans. But its restoration assistance is just as impressive. What lets ID Watchdog down is its poor mobile app and its history of data breaches, which left us wondering if we should hand over our most private information.

    • Robust Credit Monitoring and Protections
    • Credit Lock Functionality
    • Identity Theft Insurance Covers 401(k) and Health Savings
    • Powerful Financial Monitoring
    • Extra Protections for Families With Children
    • Affordable Monthly Price

    • Glitchy Website
    • Underwhelming Mobile App
    • Stale Design

    It’s worth mentioning upfront that ID Watchdog is owned by the major credit bureau Equifax. So as you would expect, its credit monitoring features are exceptional. ID Watchdog is also great at scanning the dark web and social media. But how good is it at reclaiming your identity?

    Thankfully, it’s very good. Regardless of your ID Watchdog plan, you’re assigned a resolution specialist who will help you every step of the way until everything is resolved. ID Watchdog also insures you up to $1 million in reimbursement. If you subscribe to the premium plan, ID Watchdog will even reimburse up to $1 million in stolen funds from your 401K. When we spoke to the consultant, they said it would also include coverage for employee stock options, health savings, and retirement accounts sponsored by our employers.

    That’s comprehensive coverage. However, one of the issues is that Equifax has a history of data breaches. A big one occurred in 2017 and exposed data for 147 million people. It’s something to consider if you’re concerned about your personal information falling into the hands of the wrong people.

    Dark Web Monitoring Yes
    Credit Protection Yes
    Family Plans Yes
    Insurance Coverage $1 million
    Free Trial 30-Day
    Guarantee 60-Day
  • 6 Zander Insurance - Most Affordable

    Zander Insurance Product Image
    SecureScore™ 8.6
    Customer Service
    8.6
    Value
    9.1
    Features & Services
    8.2
    Ease Of Use
    8.6
    SecureScore™
    8.6

    Zander is a bit of an oddball. A very affordable oddball. While Zander doesn’t offer credit monitoring, it does have some of the best recovery specialists and protections on the market today for rock bottom prices. Here’s a punch list of their pros and cons, then we’ll talk about their remediation services.

    • Extremely Affordable
    • Specialists Handle Recovery Work
    • AntiVirus & Malware Protection Included
    • Powerful Dark Web Monitoring
    • Endorsed by Dave Ramsey

    • No Credit Monitoring
    • Poorly Designed App
    • Outdated Design

    We were shocked to see how much Zander’s plans cost. But then we started digging into the features, and we quickly discovered why. Don’t get us wrong. Zander does an excellent job monitoring for things like Social Security Numbers and Change of Address. But it doesn’t keep an eye on your credit rating, bank accounts, or credit cards.

    Zander Insurance - Compromised Data Alert

    Zander will alert you when it finds compromised data.

    However, should your identity be stolen, Zander offers 24/7 access to their team of certified recovery specialists that will work with you to resolve any issue. They’re also going to provide up to $1 million in coverage for expenses and to replace any stolen funds. All that peace of mind for an extremely reasonable price tag? We’re on board.

    While Zanders won’t monitor your credit, it can help you lock and unlock your Experian credit file. This will stop banks from doing credit checks and thieves opening new accounts in your name.

    Dark Web Monitoring Yes
    Credit Protection Yes
    Family Plans Yes
    Insurance Coverage $1 million
    Free Trial None
    Guarantee None

What To Do If Your Identity Is Stolen

Identity theft can happen to anyone. If you suspect you’ve become a victim, you need to act fast. Time is working against you, and the longer the fraud is allowed to continue, the worse the potential damage can become. But don’t panic, there is a way out.

Did You Know? 2.6 million cases of fraud were reported to the FTC in 2023, and over $10 billion was reported lost. This was up one billion dollars from 2022. 1

Of course, each situation is unique, so your incident might require additional steps. Generally speaking, though, here’s what to do if your identity has been stolen.

  • Contact the company behind the incident: Speak to the fraud team (if they have one) to resolve the matter. Alternatively, ask them to freeze any impacted accounts and change all your login information.
  • File a fraud alert with credit reporting bureaus: A fraud alert indicates to creditors and lenders that there is suspected criminal activity associated with the report and that they should scrutinize requests more closely than they typically would.
  • Report your identity theft to the FTC: Use the online portal to enter the incident. Include as much detail as possible, as the FTC will generate a personalized recovery plan for you.
  • Speak to your local authorities: Provide them with the information from your FTC plan so they can put together a case file, and you don’t have to repeat yourself.

Did You Know? In 2024, credit card fraud was the most common type of identity theft in the first three quarters of the year. 1 All the more reason why you should invest in identity theft protection services with credit monitoring.

Then you’re going to want to get in contact with the credit reporting bureaus and tell them to place a fraud alert on your credit reports. A fraud alert indicates to creditors and lenders that there is suspected criminal activity associated with the report and that they should scrutinize requests more closely than they typically would.

Next, report your identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission. Using their online portal, you can report the exact type of identity theft that occurred and details of your incident. Based on this information, the FTC will generate an Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery plan for you. You’ll need this report moving forward, so hang on to it.

Depending on your circumstances, you might want to contact local authorities to inform them what happened. They’ll use the information in your FTC Identity Theft Report to start building their case, and they might require additional information from you to bring the fraudster to justice.

But we’re not done yet. Because you were the victim of identity theft once, that means you’re more likely to become a victim again. There’s no telling the amount of information the fraudster collected, or what they might have already done with it. You’re going to need to be vigilant for the next few months, or even the next few years.

Did You Know? About 20 percent of individuals who have become the victim of identity theft become victims again.

You’ll have to close all the new accounts opened in your name, and remove any fraudulent charges. This process can be painstaking, so make sure to take meticulous notes during this period. You’ll want a record of who you talked to, when you talked to them, and what they told you.

You’re also going to need to correct your credit report. With your FTC report in hand, contact the credit monitoring bureaus. After a review process, they’ll be able to remove fraudulent activity from your report. You might also consider placing an extended credit freeze on your file to prevent future fraud.

Finally, you’re going to want to be diligent about checking your credit scores, credit reports, and financial accounts. The latter you should check daily, and the former items you should check at least once a month for a full year.

Identity theft is a huge headache, but overcoming the damage isn’t insurmountable. Take a deep breath. You’ve got this.

Identity theft protection is critically important in today’s world, but acknowledging and preparing for the worst is arguably more important. By selecting a service that offers robust restoration services, you can rest easy knowing that even if the worst comes to pass, you’ll be protected.

Still not sure which service suits you? Our identity theft buyer’s guide has lots more info on how all these different identity theft protection plans work.

Start the Recovery Process

Identity theft is a huge headache, but overcoming the damage isn’t insurmountable. Especially if you have help from identity theft protection services.

By selecting a service that offers robust restoration services, you can rest easy knowing that even if the worst comes to pass, you’ll be protected. In our testing, Identity Guard provided the best experience with its White Glove Fraud Resolution service. Instead of writing yourself a list of companies to contact, Identity Guard will do all the hard work on your behalf. However you will need to take out Identity Guard’s top plan for this level of service.

If that doesn’t work for you, there are several excellent alternatives from Aura, LifeLock, IdentityForce, ID Watchdog, and Zander that can help get your life back on track.

Features of Identity Theft Restoration Services

Here are some other features of identity theft restoration services that you should look for when shopping for a plan.

SSN Monitoring

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, then SSN monitoring is a must-have feature. After all, if a thief steals your SSN, they could go on to cause tremendous damage. SSN monitoring scans billions of data points across the internet, looking for your personal info. If suspicious activity is flagged, you’re the first to know.

Bank Account Takeovers

One minute your bank account is looking pretty healthy, the next minute it’s completely drained. That’s the reality for victims of bank account takeover. Thankfully, many identity theft protection services offer a Bank Account Takeover feature along with a restoration guarantee. This feature sends alerts when questionable transactions occur, and also restores funds in the event of takeover and theft.

Credit Score Reporting

Credit Score Reporting is a top feature offered with identity theft restoration plans. Your credit score is a surefire way to know if your identity has been stolen. The service will come with monthly and/or yearly reports. This way you can track your credit and monitor for suspicious activity. Just remember — if your score dips, you may have been duped.

Credit Score Monitoring

Credit Score Monitoring goes one step further than the reporting feature mentioned above. Identity theft restoration companies stack serious value by monitoring your credit score, day in and day out. They tap the main credit bureaus to keep a hawk-eye on the almighty credit report. And they monitor for unusual activity so that you don’t have to. Now that’s white-glove service.

Identity Theft Insurance Coverage

Insurance is another must-have feature when shopping for identity theft protection and restoration plans. Some providers really put their money where their mouth is by offering $1 million in coverage. This policy covers the costs associated with identity theft restoration. As you know, identity theft often comes with a steep price tag. So don’t pass up the peace of mind.

401k and Investment Activity Alerts

If you could prevent fraud from happening, you would never need a restoration service. While eliminating fraud is unrealistic, there are features like 401k and Investment Activity Alerts that make it far less common. This feature is not to be missed. If you care to keep your hard-earned savings and investments in your possession, it’s recommended you get this alert feature.

Bank and Credit Card Activity Alerts

Not every identity theft protection plan includes this helpful feature, so be on the lookout for it. Bank and Credit Card Activity Alerts will pay dividends if a cybercriminal ever gets his thieving hands on your personal information. This technology constantly monitors your accounts, and you receive timely alerts if suspicious activity unfolds.

Loan Application Monitoring

Here’s yet another top feature included with many identity theft restoration plans. Loan Application Monitoring scours loan databases looking for your personal information. The moment a fraudster applies for a loan in your name, a red flag raises, and you get notified. This buys you the time needed to take immediate and direct action to thwart the attack.

Pay Day Loan Monitoring

This nefarious scheme is on the rise. So it’s recommended to find an identity theft restoration service that includes Payday Loan Monitoring. After all, it’s relatively easy for a criminal to take out a loan in your name. And you’re expected to repay the loan while the bad guys are celebrating with your hard-earned money. Get real-time alerts when it matters most.

Citations
SafeHome.org only uses high-quality sources to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. FTC. (2024). Facts about fraud from the FTC – and what it means for your business. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2024/02/facts-about-fraud-ftc-what-it-means-your-business

  2. Motley Fool. (2024). Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud Statistics for 2024. https://www.fool.com/money/research/identity-theft-credit-card-fraud-statistics/

Written By
Max Sheridan
Identity Theft Protection Expert

Max Sheridan brings over two decades of writing experience to our team. He has spent 1,000-plus hours researching VPNs, identity theft protection, and various topics in cyber technology. Previously, Max was an investigative journalist, and he is also a published novelist. He earned a B.A. in Classics from the University of Virginia and an M.A. in Classics from the University of Illinois. He currently lives in Nicosia, Cyprus.