What Is The Best Identity Theft Protection For Seniors?
Identity thieves often target seniors because many older Americans have built up a considerable amount of wealth (fully owned homes, extensive retirement plans, etc.). Seniors may also not be as aware of the latest technologies and the scams that come with them.
Senior identity theft protection can help you protect all of the assets you’ve worked so hard to build. But what service is right for you and your needs?
The best identity theft protection for seniors should include:
- Proactive protection so that thieves never get your information in the first place. For example, antivirus, VPNs, and other digital tools that will block malicious sites or online trackers that could steal your information.
- Personal information monitoring to make sure your most sensitive information — Social Security number, Medicare number, etc. — hasn’t been fraudulently used or changed. For example, checking court records to see if someone filed to change your home title.
- Credit protection that helps prevent thieves from opening new lines of credit or taking out loans in your name.
- Suspicious transaction monitoring that warns you if criminals have gained access to your bank, credit, or investment accounts.
- $1 million insurance to cover losses and fees, if fraud does occur.
- 24/7 U.S.-based customer service, so you always have the assistance you need.
- Simple, consistent pricing so you know what you’re getting and what you’ll be paying.
However, most identity theft protection providers offer a mix of these features at varying (often confusing) price points. This makes it difficult to know what you’re getting and what you’ll be paying long-term — which makes it difficult to find the best service for you.
In this guide, we’ll clarify what five of the best identity theft protection services are offering for older Americans—starting with a deep dive into our solution, Aura.
Aura: Comprehensive Identity Theft Protection for Seniors
Whether you’re searching for protection for yourself or you’re the caregiver of a senior family member, Aura offers a comprehensive digital security solution for seniors and families.
Every Aura plan includes:
- Antivirus software,VPNs, Safe Browsing, and more
- Personal information, financial account, and home title monitoring
- Credit lock and credit report alerts
- $1 million identity theft insurance
- 24/7 U.S. - based customer support
- Simple, consistent pricing with no sky-high renewal fees
Proactively protect your identity with antivirus, VPNs, malicious website blocking, and more
The first step of identity theft protection is to keep your personal information safe. For example, with just your name, address, date of birth, and phone number, scammers can target you with scams that will give them access to your bank, online accounts, and more.
Aura includes a suite of tools that can proactively protect your most sensitive information.
Why does this matter? In the past, most identity theft protection services focused more on monitoring your personal information. Unfortunately, this means they could only alert you to fraud after your information was already compromised.
Monitoring your accounts and personal information is a critical part of protecting your identity. But it can’t help you avoid the most common ways thieves try to steal your information, such as:
- Posing as a legitimate bank, organization, or individual that you trust. Scammers will send you an email that appears to be from legitimate sources (i.e., your bank, church, etc.) and ask you to click on a link to update your personal information or make a donation. These links will lead to a fake (but safe looking) website where they can track and record the information you enter.
- Redirecting you to a fake website. You may think you’re clicking on a safe link, but if that website was hacked, cybercriminals can redirect you to a malicious website they control. Often, this “fake” website will look nearly identical to the original site.
- Convincing you your computer has been hacked and that you need to download new security software. Once installed, they will try to gain access to everything you do on your computer.
- Hacking into company websites and stealing customer information. If you use the same email address and password to create accounts on different sites, a data breach on one account could expose the others.
These are just a few of the ways cybercriminals can steal your information. According to the FBI’s latest Internet Crime Report, Americans 60 and over lost $1.7 billion to fraud last year [*]. Aura actively works to detect and block harmful websites and services for you, protect your devices against attacks, and keep your information out of the hands of cybercriminals.
Here’s an overview of Aura features that proactively protect your personal information and assets.
Antivirus software: Block viruses from taking over your devices
Antivirus software detects and isolates threats including spyware, ransomware, adware, viruses and more. This minimizes the risk of harmful software infecting your device and stealing your information.
Safe browsing software: Get warned before you enter a “fake” website
Safe browsing software protects you from online threats such as phishing websites or harmful extensions. This helps you easily identify if a scam website or extension is posing as a trustworthy one so that you don’t accidentally give out your information to scammers.
Full service password manager: Securely store complex passwords
Many identity theft protection services will offer a password manager that will create, store, and auto-fill unique, secure passwords for you.
They will also monitor these passwords and accounts to make sure they haven’t been compromised. This is one of the most basic ways to protect your accounts online. If you use the same password (or simple variations of the same password) for all of your accounts, it makes it easier for fraudsters to gain access to all of your accounts.
Aura also monitors your passwords and offers a password manager that will auto-fill unique passwords for you.
However, we take it a step further and help you change your password on select sites if there are signs it was part of a data breach. All you have to do is tell Aura you want help changing your password and Aura will go through the process of resetting your password for you.
Randomly generated email aliases: Protect your inbox from spam emails
When you go to sign up for a new account, whether it’s a bank account, retail store rewards account, social media, etc., Aura will provide a random email address for you to use to create the account. All emails sent to that email address will automatically be forwarded to your main email address. This keeps your real, personal email address private and safe from hackers.
Additionally, if you want to stop receiving emails from any of the fake email addresses, all it takes is a click of a button in your Aura dashboard. This helps you manage the number of promotional and potentially fraudulent emails you receive.
Spam and junk mail removal: Reduce the amount of spam messages you get
While many people are aware that criminals will steal and illegally sell your personal and financial information, it’s less commonly known that it is possible for companies to gather your information and sell it on legal platforms.
Any information that you willingly share without a privacy agreement or that is available on public platforms (e.g., social media, newspapers, etc.) can be legally gathered and sold on data broker websites. Scammers buy this information and use it to construct targeted scams in order to get sensitive information like your bank account numbers.
Aura searches these data broker sites for your information and requests that your information be removed whenever it appears on the website (sometimes multiple times per day). This means fewer email, postal mail, and phone scams and fewer telemarketing calls.
Anti-track: Protect your privacy online
Aura's Anti-Track automatically blocks site trackers when you enter a website. Websites and advertisers build an online profile of you based on your browsing activity, purchases, etc. This information is often used for targeted advertising or price manipulation. Anti-track helps prevent this from happening.
Military-grade VPN: Prevent your Wi-Fi from being hacked
Aura gives you access to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that uses military-grade encryption to hide your online activity and IP address from hackers. This lets you browse the internet from anywhere (a public cafe, for example) without compromising your privacy.
Personal information, home title, and financial account monitoring
If a criminal gets hold of your information, the goal is to catch them before they use it to steal your assets or harm your financial security. However, it’s not always possible to catch them before they use your information. In that case, the goal becomes to catch them sooner rather than later so that less damage is done.
All types of identity theft monitoring — Dark Web monitoring, Social Security number (SSN) monitoring, home title monitoring, etc. — are designed to catch thieves who have your information.
Aura offers many different types of monitoring but they can be broken down into two main categories:
- External monitoring, which deals with making sure your SSN, passport, drivers license, and other personal information aren’t appearing where they shouldn’t be. This includes on the Dark Web, PayDay loan applications, sex offender registry, and many more.
- Internal monitoring, which deals with making sure there isn’t any suspicious activity on your bank accounts, home titles, credit card numbers, etc. Suspicious activity may include things like a change of address on a bank statement or large transactions.
If Aura detects any suspicious activity, you’ll be sent a fraud alert. Every alert includes details on why you’re receiving the alert, what actions you should take, and who to contact for assistance. You can receive these alerts as emails, text messages, or in your Aura dashboard.
One-click credit lock and credit report alerts
Because a good credit history is usually required to take a new loan or line of credit, fraudsters will target anyone who has a good credit score. Then, they will pretend to be you and apply for loans, credit cards, jobs, etc.
One of the best ways to prevent this type of financial fraud from happening is to set a credit lock.
A credit lock is an agreement between you and a credit bureau that they’ll deny any inquiries into your credit file. This means that when an identity thief tries to use your good credit history to take out loans or open credit cards that require a credit check, they won’t be able to.
Aura lets you lock and unlock your Experian credit file with just a tap. Not only will this prevent thieves from accessing your Experian credit history, but Aura will also alert you that an attempt was made. Then, you can take immediate action to recover your stolen information.
Aura monitors your credit report for any suspicious changes such as an address change and alerts you 4x faster than competitors.
Most identity theft protection companies wait for the three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) to send them updates on your credit report and then alert you if they notice a change. Aura doesn’t wait for the credit bureau to send updates, instead we receive new information at the same time that the credit bureaus do.
📚 Related: Top 5 Credit Protection Services in 2023 (How To Choose) →
$1 million insurance to cover eligible losses and expenses
Most identity theft protection companies offer insurance to cover various aspects of identity theft. However, some companies will only offer insurance to cover stolen funds and legal fees but not other expenses/losses such as lost wages. Additionally, most services will only offer insurance in their highest pricing tier.
At Aura, every adult on any plan receives $1 million in identity theft insurance.
This covers eligible legal and private investigator fees, lost funds, travel expenses, lost income, care for loved ones, and more.
24/7 U.S.-based customer service
It’s not always easy knowing what to do when you notice suspicious activity or suspect you’re the victim of identity theft. If fraud did occur, the process of reporting and resolving it can be long and complicated. You’ll need to file a police report, contact all your financial institutions, work with the credit bureaus to correct errors, change all your passwords, and much more.
Many identity theft protection services will only offer personalized customer support in their highest pricing tier. If you’re not in their highest priced tier, you’ll often be stuck with automated phone call systems or limited support hours.
Aura offers personalized, 24/7 customer service. Each one of our agents is based in the U.S. and has years of experience in fraud resolution. They’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, help you determine if fraud occurred, and walk you through the process of fraud remediation.
Our white-glove fraud remediation specialists can even arrange three way calls to help you communicate with financial institutions, credit bureaus, the police, the IRS, and anyone else you need to contact to resolve the situation. Or, you can choose to handle these calls yourself with an agent ready to answer any questions you may have.
We believe good customer support is one of the most important parts of good identity theft for senior citizens, so we’re pleased that the quality of our customer service is frequently mentioned by our customers.
Here are several reviews from Trustpilot where we enjoy 4.8 stars out of five with 98 reviews:
Simple, consistent pricing (and no sky-high renewal fees)
Many ID theft companies will offer a lower entry price and then, in small print, state that you’ll be charged full price after the first year. Often the full price will be up to double the entry price.
Additionally, many identity theft protection services will separate their features into different pricing plans or packages — which can make it difficult to figure out what you need and what you’re getting. For example, a basic package may include antivirus software and several types of monitoring, but only the premium package will include a password manager, insurance, and 24-hour customer support.
Aura is one of the only identity theft protection services available that offers all features in every plan without sky-high renewal fees.
Our pricing plans are based entirely on how many people you want to protect — an individual, couple, or family of up to five.
The family plan lets you add loved ones from any household and of any age. For example, grandparents and adult grandchildren could share a family account. If you choose to add multiple adults to your family plan, each one’s information, activity, and alerts will remain confidential from all other members of the family (children’s accounts can be monitored by the primary account holder).
4 Other Identity Theft Protection Services for Seniors
1. IdentityForce
IdentityForce offers identity theft protection and credit protection for individuals, families, and businesses. Their services are divided into four areas on their website:
- Monitor: This includes various types of monitoring such as Dark Web, health care record, and mobile attack monitoring. It also includes a VPN.
- Alert: This includes different alerts for changes to your bank accounts, investment accounts, etc. It also includes junk mail opt-outs.
- Control: This includes PC and fraud protection tools, lost wallet assistance, two-factor authentication, personal information vault, password manager, and a mobile app.
- Recover: This includes white glove identity fraud assistance, deceased family member fraud remediation, toll free customer support phone number, and $1 million insurance for out-of-pocket expenses, lost funds, and lost wages.
All of these services are included in their UltraSecure package for individuals. If you want to include their credit protection services such as three-bureau credit monitoring or their credit score simulator, you’ll need to opt in for their highest pricing package, UltraSecure+Credit. If you’re interested in a family plan, you can call their customer service team.
📚 Related: The 7 Best Credit Monitoring Apps (How To Choose) →
2. LifeLock by Norton
LifeLock by Norton offers identity theft protection for individuals and families. According to this page on their website, they once offered a LifeLock Senior package. However, as of this writing, that package is no longer available.
Their offerings are broken down into three main packages: Standard, Advantage, and Ultimate. The Standard package includes a few basic features such as 24/7 customer support and Dark Web monitoring. However, you’ll have to opt-in for one of the other plans if you want more advanced ID protection such as bank account transaction alerts.
They also advertise packages for home title protection, an identity advisor, and a mobile app. If you want antivirus software and VPNs, you’ll have to bundle LifeLock with Norton 360.
Finally, they offer a lower entry price and then increase the price by nearly double in the second year.
LifeLock data breach in the news: The company recently disclosed that sensitive information from thousands of LifeLock customers — including passwords — was compromised in a December, 2022 data breach [*]. If you're looking for a secure LifeLock alternative, consider trying Aura free for 14 days.
3. PrivacyGuard
PrivacyGuard is an identity and credit monitoring service.
Their credit protection includes monthly credit score tracking, daily credit monitoring, secure keyboard and secure browsing software. You’ll also have access to their financial calculator suite, credit information hotline, and credit score simulator.
The identity protection plan includes Dark Web monitoring, bank account and credit card monitoring, $1 million in ID theft insurance, and a few other basic identity theft protection services. These two main offerings can be purchased separately or together as part of their Total Protection plan.
As part of the Total Protection plan, they also include features such as neighborhood alerts, emergency assistance, child SSN monitoring, credit and debit card monitoring, and more.
📚 Related: The 11 Best Identity Theft Protection Services (How To Choose) →
4. IdentityWorks by Experian
Experian is one of the three major credit bureaus and IdentityWorks is their fraud protection service.
At the time of writing, Experian offers Basic, Premium, and Family plans. Each one includes and builds on the previous one. The Family plan includes two adults and up to 10 children — the Basic and Premium plans are for individuals.
They offer full credit report monitoring and FICO credit score alerts in both plans. However, you’ll only be able to see your three-bureau FICO credit score on a quarterly basis and only if you opt-in for the Premium plan. Additionally, the Basic plan only covers credit monitoring — you’ll need the Premium plan for identity theft protection.
Finally, they’ve only recently started offering a few digital security features such as VPNs and antivirus protection. And, their customer support is only available during select hours of the week.
