IdentityIQ Review: Is It Worth It In 2024?

Is IdentityIQ a Legitimate Identity Theft Protection Provider? 

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans reported losses of fraud totaling over $10 billion in 2023 [*]. As credit card scams, loan fraud, and bank fraud continue to rise, more people are turning to identity theft protection platforms. 

IdentityIQ is a lesser-talked-about option than bigger names like Aura and LifeLock — but also offers a range of plans and good identity theft insurance coverage.

In this IdentityIQ review, we’ll weigh the pros and cons, break down core features and pricing, and highlight any potential negatives of the product to help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.

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IdentityIQ Review: Best Features and How Much It Costs

IdentityIQ is an affordable identity theft monitoring service from IDIQ that was founded in 2009 [*]. What sets IdentityIQ apart from other identity theft protection providers is its range of budget-friendly plans, along with a junk mail opt-out feature.

All IdentityIQ plans include credit monitoring (either one or three-bureau) and $1 million in insurance coverage that includes stolen funds reimbursement.

But, while there are plenty of happy IdentityIQ customers, there have been reports that fraudsters use stolen personally identifiable information (PII) to sign up for IdentityIQ so that they can access their victims' credit reports [*]. 

Here are some of IdentityIQ’s main features: 

• Three-Bureau credit monitoring (including monthly or annual reports and scores). IdentityIQ provides credit reports and score updates either annually, biannually, or monthly, depending on your plan. The higher-priced plans let you keep tabs on your credit files at the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. 
• Up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. All plans from IdentityIQ offer insurance coverage for up to $1 million. Victims of identity fraud can use this coverage to replace stolen funds or pay legal fees.
• Dark Web and SSN trace monitoring. IdentityIQ monitors illicit marketplaces and hacker forums for traces of your PII that may have been leaked after a data breach. Cybercriminals on the Dark Web trade stolen personal data, like your Social Security number (SSN). Credit card accounts with balances of $5,000 sell for as little as $110 on the Dark Web [*]. 
• Antivirus and VPN (powered by Bitdefender). A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic and hides your browsing activity. With this security enabled, you can browse, shop, and bank safely — even on unsecured public wi-fi networks in hotels and airports. If you pay for a higher tier, IdentityIQ provides additional protection with a VPN and antivirus software from Bitdefender Total Protection.
• Fraud restoration services (only on the Secure Max plan). The Secure Max plan includes monthly access to your full credit reports. Other IdentityIQ plans provide this valuable anti-fraud material on a quarterly or yearly basis, or not at all.

IdentityIQ offers four tiers of coverage — each with different levels of protection and insurance coverage. However, to compare IdentityIQ with the best identity theft protection services, you’d have to opt for the most expensive Secure Max plan. 

Here are IdentityIQ’s different protection plans with pricing as of March 2024:

Who Can Benefit the Most From IdentityIQ?

IdentityIQ scores highly on a value-for-money basis — especially given that all accounts include up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement and identity theft insurance. However, its lower-priced tiers offer limited levels of protection, which could leave you vulnerable to fraud and scams. 

Here are three scenarios in which you’d be a good candidate for IdentityIQ:

• You only want basic monitoring and protection. If all you want is simple identity and credit monitoring, access to an insurance policy, and customer support should anything go wrong, IdentityIQ’s $6.99/month Secure plan could be a good option. Note: You can get a fully-featured Aura membership for just $6/month using this special discount link.
• You want access to Bitdefender’s digital security tools. For an extra $2/month, IdentityIQ plans include digital security powered by Bitdefender (antivirus, Safe Browsing, and VPN). Even the basic Secure plan comes with these features, making it a reasonable choice.  
• You want to protect your children from online scammers and fraudsters. On the Secure Max plan, you can get insurance coverage and SSN monitoring for children in your household. 

💡Related: Do You Need Credit Monitoring or Identity Theft Protection? →

IdentityIQ Main Features and Pros & Cons

IdentityIQ claims to offer an "all-in-one" solution to protect you and your family from online threats, identity theft, and scams — but it doesn't always live up to expectations. 

Let’s consider the pros and cons of IdentityIQ’s services:

Next, we’ll dig into IdentityIQ’s main features to see how IdentityIQ protects you — and where it falls short.

Credit monitoring, scores, and reports

Identity thieves and scammers are almost always financially motivated. Changes to your credit report and score are early warning signs indicating that you’re a victim. 

In almost every case, it pays to get three-bureau credit monitoring and monthly reports, as you’ll have a better chance of catching instances of fraud sooner. Unfortunately, IdentityIQ only offers these features on its most expensive Secure Max plan.

How IdentityIQ protects your credit:

• Regular credit reports and scores. The lowest-priced plans give you one-bureau monitoring but no score updates. As you pay more, you get more coverage. On the highest tier, you can access 12 monthly credit reports and scores from all three bureaus every year.
• Credit monitoring. On the $9.99/month plan, IdentityIQ monitors your credit file at Equifax. For three-bureau credit monitoring, you’ll need to pay for the Secure Pro or Secure Max plans. This three-bureau coverage can help you most effectively catch suspicious activity, such as a thief opening new lines of credit in your name.
• “Enhanced credit monitoring” features. This service monitors your credit reports daily based on your credit scores at the bureaus. 

Is IdentityIQ’s credit monitoring worth it? The daily credit monitoring is an attractive feature, but it’s only available on the higher-priced plans. There are more comprehensive credit monitoring providers that don’t require you to pay for expensive monthly plans like IdentityIQ’s Secure Plus plan. 

Dark Web and identity monitoring

While it has some legitimate uses, the Dark Web is also a haven for cybercriminals — who buy and sell stolen personal information, such as credit card numbers, passports, and online account passwords.

How IdentityIQ Review monitors your identity:

• Dark Web monitoring. IdentityIQ scours the hidden parts of the internet to detect traces of your personally identifiable information (PII) — and alerts you if you're at risk.
• Criminal records surveillance. IdentityIQ watches national and international criminal databases for any arrests or convictions tied to stolen personal information. You'll receive a notification if someone uses your name or birthdate to create a synthetic identity.
• Address change alerts. This service helps detect identity thieves attempting to divert mail and gain unauthorized access to your property deeds.

Is IdentityIQ’s Dark Web and identity monitoring worth it? IdentityIQ covers the bases, providing the notifications and tools that you need in order to know if your PII is at risk. However, you can get faster alerts and more comprehensive protection from Aura.

Digital security tools

Digital security tools can help prevent identity theft, hacking, and fraud by securing your devices and data — especially when you’re traveling or away from your home network. IdentityIQ has partnered with Bitdefender to offer users a secure VPN, antivirus, and more features (at an additional cost).

How IdentityIQ offers better digital security:

• VPN and antivirus software. IdentityIQ uses Bitdefender antivirus for multi-layered data protection. The antivirus software protects your files with minimal impact on your device’s performance. You also can use a VPN for up to 10 devices, which provides security and anonymity when you connect to the web [*]. 
• SSN tracing. If criminals know your SSN, they can steal your tax return or get medical care in your name. Children are especially at risk because child identity theft can go undetected for years until a child applies for credit when reaching adulthood. IdentityIQ uses an SSN trace to alert you if you (or your children) are at risk of SSN theft.
• Data breach monitoring. If a company with which you hold an account is breached, you’ll receive immediate alerts to let you know that your personal information may be exposed.

Is IdentityIQ’s digital security worth it? Although there are some good features — like SSN tracing — the overall value of each plan is still in question when you consider that some key features are missing. 

Identity theft insurance

Identity theft insurance helps reimburse victims of identity theft for eligible losses. Without coverage, victims of fraud can lose their savings and be left responsible for debts in their name with impacted vendors and banks. 

Here’s how IdentityIQ protects you with insurance:

• Up to $1 million in reimbursement for stolen funds. All plans from IdentityIQ come with up to $1 million in identity theft protection. You can use this coverage to replace stolen funds, pay legal fees, or cover other costs involved in recovering from the impact of fraud.
• Family ID Theft Insurance. The Secure Max plan comes with up to $25,000 in family identity theft coverage, which gives added coverage for your children. Note that these dependents must live in your home and be under the age of 24 [*]. 

Is IdentityIQ identity theft insurance worth it? IdentityIQ’s Secure plan is a good option for anyone who wants a low-cost safety net if their identity is stolen. But while the insurance that’s included on all IdentityIQ plans is better than some alternatives, $1 million may not be enough protection for families.

Identity restoration services

Recouping your losses and stopping the scammers is a time-consuming, complex process. If fraudsters open new credit cards and loans in your name, they could rent houses, buy cars, and even secure job benefits. Victims often need dedicated support to recover from the impact of fraud.

Here’s how IdentityIQ helps victims of identity theft:

• Stolen wallet protection. This feature can help you replace all the cards in your wallet with new ones (and new account numbers) if your wallet is lost or stolen.
• 24/7 live customer support. Immediate assistance is available around the clock, ensuring that users can access help whenever needed.
• U.S.-Based ID restoration service. Members get an assigned U.S.-based case manager to put together a plan of action and walk them through the recovery process. These specialists are based in customer contact centers in Florida, Illinois, and California [*]. 

Is IdentityIQ restoration services worth it? You’ll get decent support from IdentityIQ if you fall victim to identity theft. While it’s not the level of white-glove service you get from Aura, having a case manager is a nice feature — and an essential step to recover from fraud.

What Are the Downsides of Using IdentityIQ?

While IdentityIQ is an affordable option, it has some major shortcomings that make it unsuitable for many people. 

Before you decide on an identity theft protection platform, consider these drawbacks of IdentityIQ:

• More expensive than other options that offer more features. IdentityIQ’s Max Secure plan costs $29.99/month (with digital security tools) [*]. You can get an individual Aura plan with more features and better protection for one-fifth of the price here.
• Complaints about customer service. Several customers have reported “extremely rude customer service” at IdentityIQ, with argumentative representatives who are slow to help when assistance is needed [*].  
• No credit lock. Despite its three-bureau monitoring, IdentityIQ provides no credit lock feature. As a result, you won’t have as much flexibility or control over your credit file security — and you will need to contact each credit bureau yourself to request a credit lock or freeze.
• Multiple apps needed for full protection. Although the higher-tier plan includes family protection features, it lacks important tools like social media account monitoring and parental controls. Families may need to use several apps to get comprehensive protection, which requires more time and money to manage all of the needed tools and services. 
• Hard to cancel with high-pressure sales staff. The only way to end your IdentityIQ subscription is to call the customer support department. However, this process is time-consuming and frustrating, as many customers have complained about pushy sales tactics when they tried to cancel [*]. 

💡Related: Is Identity Theft Protection Really Worth It In 2024? →

Why You Should Consider Aura as an IdentityIQ Alternative

There are plenty of IdentityIQ alternatives that offer similar or better protection without the downsides. 

While it’s a relative newcomer to the market, Aura has already been rated #1 by Money.com, TechRadar, USNews.com, and others for its modern take on identity protection. 

With Aura, you get a true all-in-one solution — with award-winning identity and fraud protection, Dark Web monitoring, parental controls, an AI-powered spam call blocker, a military-grade VPN, and antivirus software — all available in a single, easy to use mobile app. 

Let’s compare IdentityIQ head-to-head with Aura:

When it comes to all-in-one protection, it’s quite clear that Aura is a better option than IdentityIQ. 

Here are five reasons to choose Aura:

• Faster fraud alerts. Aura monitors your credit and financial accounts — and its near real-time alerts let you know about suspicious activity faster than any other service. According to a 2022 mystery shopper survey, Aura's credit fraud alerts were up to 250 times faster than competitors [*]. 
• AI-powered digital security features. Aura's optional Call Assistant can answer calls from unknown numbers and filter out unwanted spam messages and scam calls. With this protection, you'll waste less time on bogus calls and avoid contact with con artists.
• Better support (that’s available when you need it). Aura offers 24/7 support from a dedicated team of U.S.-based White Glove Fraud Resolution Specialists to provide help if you fall prey to identity theft.
• More comprehensive family protection with more insurance coverage. Unlike IdentityIQ, Aura's Family Plan extends its identity protection to family members in multiple households. You can protect aging grandparents, college students away from home, and young children who may be targeted online through social media scams.
• Better value for more features. With Aura, you get simple, transparent pricing — with no unexpected price hikes after your first year. The advanced features, like Safe Gaming and social media monitoring, give you peace of mind and advanced protection for your entire family.

How to cancel your IdentityIQ plan

According to IdentityIQ, you can cancel your service by contacting the company by phone to speak with a customer representative. But the online reviews about this process aren’t very positive and warn that IdentityIQ doesn’t make its cancellation process easy.

Here’s how to cancel IdentityIQ:

• Call the customer support line at 877-875-4347.
• Be prepared for a long call and some pushy sales tactics.
• Stand firm and decline all attempts from the sales reps to persuade you to keep your account.

Keep in mind that IdentityIQ does not give refunds. Once the cancellation goes through, you will have no protection and receive no money back. 

The Bottom Line: IdentityIQ Isn’t the Best Option

IdentityIQ offers decent protection for most people but lacks essential features that can leave you and your family vulnerable to fraud. 

The best way to keep your entire family safe is by signing up for a modern, all-in-one digital security solution. Aura’s award-winning identity theft protection platform includes 24/7 Dark Web monitoring, three-bureau credit monitoring, and the fastest and most reliable alerts.

Get award-winning protection against fraud and scams. Try Aura free for 14 days.