Best Identity Theft Protection For Seniors (2023 Review)
The best identity theft protection for seniors is Aura, but it’s not the only choice. I spent weeks testing the seven services on this list and was pleasantly surprised by several options.
Services like IdentityForce, which offered highly accurate monitoring, or Allstate Identity Protection, which provided uniquely comprehensive fund reimbursement, impressed me.
But, ultimately, Aura took the top spot because, unlike the other services on this list, Aura offers it all.
Aura protects seniors by offering comprehensive, accurate monitoring services and fantastic 24/7/365 customer service. Plus, Aura includes $1 million in theft insurance coverage per adult, and it’s affordable – especially when you use our OFF discount on Aura for life, today!
That said, choosing the best for yourself or an aging relative is a highly personal decision. While I recommend Aura to most, you might like a different service’s features better.
So, if you’re looking for the right ID theft protection service for yourself or a senior in your life, read on. I’ll give you the top services and explain everything I love (and don’t love) about them.
Comparison of the Best Identity Theft Protection for Seniors
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Top Identity Theft Protection Services For Seniors
- Aura – Best Overall
- IdentityForce – Runner-Up
- IDX– Best User Interface
- IDShield – Most Thorough Threat Resolution
- Allstate Identity Protection – Best Fund Reimbursement Policy
- Norton LifeLock – Best AARP Member Discount
- Costco Complete ID – Best For Costco Executive Members
1. Aura – Best Overall
Pros
- Award-winning identity theft and credit monitoring
- Useful online privacy add-ons
- Affordable rate
- Increasing insurance coverage for couples and families
Cons
- The interface is clean, but not intuitive
Aura is my top choice for protecting seniors. It offers the best monitoring, a clean interface, and a full suite of practical online privacy features. Plus, it’s affordable, thanks to our discount code which locks in a low rate for life.
What You Need To Know
Aura has won awards for its monitoring services, and I can attest that they’re well deserved. When I signed up, it took under a minute to pull two unique dark web alerts and ten password alerts on my information. I knew instantly which accounts were compromised and could take appropriate action.
But that’s not the only reason I recommend Aura to seniors.
Aura also offers extensive online privacy features, including data broker removal services, a VPN, and antivirus software. There’s also a password manager, ad-blocker, and spam call protection.
That means you can limit (and eventually end) those annoying spam calls that often become scams. You can also keep track of pesky passwords that are too easy to forget while ensuring all of your passwords are hard to crack. No more using your grandchildren’s names just because it’s easy to remember.
On top of this, Aura offers fantastic customer service that’s easy to get a hold of. They’re available 24/7/365, and I’ve had nothing but good experiences every time I’ve called.
The last time I called for some basic information on the differences between Aura and Identity Guard (Aura’s predecessor), I reached a representative in under a minute. He was friendly, helpful, and easy to understand.
Aura also offers great theft insurance coverage. Individual plans come with $1 million in coverage for expenses, stolen fund reimbursement, lost wages, and child or elderly care. Better yet, if you sign up as a couple or a family, the insurance increases – to $1 million per adult, and you can have five adults per family plan.
My only complaint with Aura is with its user interface. The latest rendition of Aura looks clean and gives you the information you need upfront, but it wasn’t intuitive.
Aura seems to have tried to format its home page like a social media feed, showing alerts and the service’s “activity” in a scrolling list.
But, reading through alert after alert or through every single “Activity” the service has issued isn’t exactly stimulating content. So, the social media-like format is not the best choice.
The navigation bar across the top is also limiting. You can get to certain things quickly, but if you want to see broad groupings (like all of the online security options), you must use the breadcrumbs at the top of the page instead.
These are minor complaints, though.
Overall, Aura is the best service available, and, best of all, you can get it at a very affordable rate (that never changes) when you use our Aura discount code. If you’re on a fixed income, that’s a significant benefit as some other services (that advertise specifically to seniors) stealthily up their rates after the first year.
Aura Plans & Pricing
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Aura only offers one plan but offers the same benefits as Identity Guard's Ultra plan |
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Aura only offers one plan but offers the same benefits as Identity Guard's Ultra plan |
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2. IdentityForce – Runner-Up
Pros
- Great account security
- Comprehensive monitoring
- Easy-to-use password manager
Cons
- Annoying alerts
- Clunky interface
IdentityForce is an excellent service that provides top-notch monitoring and threat resolution. It also has built-in security features, which is important with an identity protection service given how much of your personal information they guard.
What You Need To Know
IdentityForce is an excellent choice for seniors because it offers incredible monitoring capabilities alongside a fantastic customer service team. When I put it to the test, it found the same two dark web alerts and ten password alerts that Aura did. Their customer service team was also quick to answer when I called with questions.
Similar to Aura. IdentityForce also includes several online privacy features that seniors will find helpful. It includes a VPN and a very easy-to-use password manager. So, you don’t have to try to remember your many account passwords alone.
Plus, IdentityForce’s account security is top-notch. It features a series of security questions and multi-factor authentication from the start – you don’t have to opt in. So, you can ensure all of the personal information you keep on IdentityForce’s server is safe.
Unfortunately, IdentityForce does have a few shortfalls. Its dashboard is usable but could be clearer. And its alerts are a little annoying initially.
When you run the initial scan, you get a barrage of emails and texts – an individual one for each alert. It’d be nice if they set a summary email and text, but these are minor complaints.
So, overall, IdentityForce is an excellent option. Though, it’s more expensive than Aura, my top pick. And, the amount of monitoring you get is less (IdentityForce doesn’t cover home and auto title monitoring, for example).
IdentityForce Plans & Pricing
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3. IDX- Best User Interface
Pros
- Great user-interface
- Good online privacy features
Cons
- Pricey
- Limited customer service hours
IDX features a smooth, modern user interface that’s easy to use and informative but it comes at a high price.
What You Need To Know
IDX’s design makes it much easier to use than other sites. It’s simple clean, and very intuitive.
Its monitoring services are comprehensive. Though not quite as accurate as other services on this list (it only found three threats to my identity total, including dark web and password alerts), IDX still managed to find one compromised e-mail that no other service found. So, in that respect, it stands out.
IDX also offers plenty of privacy extras like ad-blockers and data broker removal services.
Unfortunately, IDX has limited customer service hours (Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. PST). And it’s prohibitively pricey.
IDX costs $32.90 per month for one person if you want complete coverage. There are no couple’s options, and family plans cost astronomically more – $58.49 per month if you pay for the year upfront.
Though IDX does have lower-tier plans available for a more affordable rate they need to include necessary features.
The “Privacy” plan gives you all the online security features like a VPN, data broker removal, and password manager – but doesn’t do anything to monitor your identity. The “Identity” plan does the opposite, giving you comprehensive monitoring without any online security features.
For those living on a fixed income, this service isn’t worth the monthly price tag. Other services offer just as much for far less. They might not have quite as flashy of an interface, but they’ll protect and restore your identity just as well (if not better) while providing all the online privacy features you could possibly want.
So, unless you’re willing to pay an exorbitant amount for a great interface or are willing to sacrifice your online privacy in favor of identity monitoring only, IDX probably isn’t for you.
IDX Plans & Pricing
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4. IDShield – Most Thorough Threat Resolution
Pros
- Private investigator-led threat resolution team
- Clean and easy-to-read interface
Cons
- Confusing sign-up process
- Slow to populate alerts
- Annoying navigation
Identity Shield is unique in that its threat resolution team consists of licensed private investigators, which may help you rest easy. If the worst happens and your identity is stolen, they promise to restore everything to pre-theft status.
What You Need To Know
Alongside a fantastic identity restoration team, IDShield offers a few features that other services miss, including reputation management for social media – which may or may not be a benefit to seniors. If you’re not actively looking for a job or applying to schools, reputation management, though cool, probably isn’t a service you’ll use.
Unfortunately, IDShield falls short in a few key areas. Their customer service isn’t 24/7, and alerts are slow to populate (it took over 24 hours for it to find the same alerts Aura did). Plus, the sign-up process is confusing. The first email gets you into a LegalShield account (IDShield’s parent company).
It takes creating a second password and username to get into IDSheild’s main dashboard, which looks like this:
Once you’re in, navigating IDShield is sort of a pain. Each aspect of the site opens a new page. So, if you click on “Credit and Dark Web Monitoring,” a new dashboard on a new page opens – like this:
The same goes for all of the other modules. This is annoying, to say the least. However, each dashboard looks modern and clean. It’s all easy to read, and nothing seems outdated.
So, while IDShield is a decent service, I only recommend it to seniors who are relatively tech-savvy and interested in working with a private investigator should they run into a threat. Otherwise, you’re likely to be turned off by the weird sign-up process and clunky site navigation.
IDShield Plans & Pricing
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5. Allstate Identity Protection – Best Fund Reimbursement Policy
Pros
- Amazing amount of stolen/lost funds reimbursement
- Good family protection tools
- Flexible family plans
Cons
- Poor monitoring capabilities
- Slow loading servers
Allstate Identity Protection provides incredible stolen funds and expense reimbursement, but it fails where it counts. Its monitoring services don’t stand up to the test.
What You Need To Know
I really wanted to like Allstate Identity Protection, especially their new Cyber Blue plan. It comes with all the bells and whistles, including a VPN, phishing protection, and a robocall blocker.
Its fund reimbursement policy is out of this world, including reimbursement for things like home title fraud (up to $2 million) and deceased family member fraud. They even wire up to $500 in emergency cash if you lose your wallet.
The Cyber Blue plan also includes access to Allstate’s top-notch customer service team, and it’s relatively affordable.
There’s only one issue.
While Allstate’s Identity Protection monitoring services look comprehensive on paper – they just don’t work. Over the course of testing, it failed to pull a single alert.
Technically, no identity protection service can prevent identity theft. Monitoring and alerting you to threats helps you ensure identity thieves don’t do as much damage as they could. So, you might decide that Allstate’s incredible expense and fund reimbursement policy makes up for its inaccurate monitoring services.
However, most people are going to want good identity theft insurance coverage and accurate threat monitoring. And you won’t get that with Allstate.
Allstate Plans & Pricing
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6. Norton LifeLock – Best AARP Member Discount
Pros
- Comes with an AARP member discount
- Comprehensive monitoring
- Nice interface
Cons
- Significant price increase after the first year
- Not as accurate as other services
Norton LifeLock is an enticing identity theft protection service for seniors because AARP promotes it and offers a slight discount. Unfortunately, the discount only lasts the first year, and there are more accurate monitoring services out there.
What You Need To Know
Norton LifeLock is an extremely popular identity protection service, probably due to the huge amount of marketing dollars behind it. They advertise regularly on all the major news networks, and you’ll see them touted by organizations like the AARP.
Unfortunately, name recognition doesn’t mean their service is top-notch. With my latest Norton LifeLock review, it found one dark web alert on me – and that’s it. That’s nothing compared to Aura’s two dark web alerts and ten password alerts.
So, LifeLock’s monitoring services aren’t that accurate, but it does come with a few other features seniors might want. LifeLock includes Norton’s antivirus software and VPN, both of which are very good. It also comes with handy features, like the ability to lock and freeze your credit through your dashboard.
LifeLock’s interface is also intuitive and easy to use, which is good because getting customized help from Norton LifeLock is nearly impossible. Their customer service is notoriously bad, and, despite LifeLock’s claims, I’m doubtful they’re U.S.-based.
I’ve called a few times now, and I almost always have to sit for several minutes on hold only to find their service team isn’t very helpful. LifeLock tries to fix these issues with “live chat support,” but it’s not that helpful either, unfortunately.
Worst of all, LifeLock’s pricing increases after the first year. So, even if the AARP membership discount is enticing, it doesn’t last. Once the price jumps, you’ll find LifeLock is one of the most expensive identity protection services.
LifeLock’s Plans & Pricing
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7. Costco Complete ID – Best For Costco Executive Members
Pros
- Attractive pricing for Costco members
- Includes privacy tools
- Simple interface
Cons
- Only makes sense price-wise with a Costco Executive membership
- Missed notifications other services caught
Those with a Costco membership might find Costco Complete ID to be a good deal. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as comprehensive as other services, and its monitoring tools aren’t as accurate as they could be.
What You Need To Know
As an Executive Costco member myself, I was attracted to Costco Complete ID’s affordable pricing. On paper, offering as much as they do for $8.99 per month for individuals is fantastic. Their monitoring seems comprehensive, and they include a suite of privacy tools, including a VPN and password manager.
Upon testing, though, I found the Costco Complete ID to be a bit lackluster. Though its interface is simple enough to navigate, its organization is a little annoying. There’s a lot of scrolling required to see everything.
Rather than a menu across the side of the page, Costco Complete ID makes you use the top-level menu choices. That doesn’t sound as annoying as it is. The layout just isn’t as approachable as other services.
I could get over that if the service were super accurate. But, in my last round of testing this service, it failed to find the dark web alerts that Aura found on me.
So, if you’re a Costco Executive member, this might be a tempting service to choose. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend it for most people because its monitoring tools aren’t as effective as other services.
And if you’re not a Costco member, the prices for Complete ID stop making sense. You’re much better off with a more accurate service at a more attractive price – Aura comes to mind.
Complete ID’s Plans & Pricing
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Price Comparison
Service | Best for | Pricing |
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Aura | Best Overall | Starts at $9/month |
IdentityForce | Runner-Up | Starts at $14.99/month |
IDX | Best User Interface | Starts at $9.95/month |
IDShield | Most Thorough Threat Resolution | Starts at $14.95/month |
Allstate Identity Protection | Best Fund Reimbursement Policy | Starts at $9.99/month |
Norton LifeLock | Best AARP Member Discount | Starts at $7.5/month |
Costco Complete ID | Best For Costco Executive Members | Starts at $8.99/month |
How We Chose The Best Identity Protection Services For Seniors
Choosing the best identity protection service for seniors was a little different than choosing a service for the average individual. Whether you’re choosing a protection service for yourself and your spouse or for an aging relative, you might put an emphasis on certain features that other population groups don’t think about.
Below, I’ll explain the areas I focused on when creating this list. So, if you’re trying to pick between services, you’ll know how to weigh their different features too.
Usability
First, you need a service that’s easy to use. I’m not saying that seniors are inept when it comes to technology. Many people over the age of sixty-five can work a computer far more adeptly than I can. But usability is still important. No one wants to waste time making something work or figuring out a clunky interface if it can be avoided.
Monitoring Capabilities
Second, you need thorough and accurate monitoring capabilities. This is true for everyone, but it’s more pertinent to seniors in certain areas.
For example, monitoring home and auto titles the way a service like Aura does may be crucial for seniors who own their own homes and cars. The same goes for monitoring retirement accounts – if you’re actually living off the money that the account generates, keeping it safe becomes even more important.
However, monitoring social media, especially certain sites like LinkedIn or TikTok, may not be as important as it is for other population groups. The same goes for monitoring sex offender registries. Services like Costco CompleteID, which put a huge emphasis on their “Neighborhood Watch,” don’t add much value to seniors with no vulnerable children at home.
Customer Support and Threat Resolution Services
Having easy-to-reach customer support and experienced threat resolution teams is crucial for a good identity protection service. If it’s hard to reach a knowledgeable representative, it can be difficult to remedy threats to your identity. And, should you become the victim of identity theft, you want to know your service has your back.
The best customer service teams are 24/7/365 – only a few options on this list don’t feature that. And, if they lack 24-hour service teams, they usually provide a 24/7 emergency hotline for members. IDShield works like this, for example.
Their threat resolution teams should also provide white glove service. Aura and IdentityForce are best at this, in my experience, but all of the options on the list promise to do the “heavy lifting” should you become an identity theft victim.
This means they’ll handle paperwork, make calls to your financial institutions, and more – saving you lots of time and frustration as they restore your identity.
Insurance Coverage
If the worst happens, and you fall victim to identity theft, you want to ensure expenses are covered. The best identity protection services offer at least $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage.
All of the services on this list offer at least that much to cover expenses, stolen fund reimbursement, and legal fees. Aura, Allstate, and Norton Lifelock go above and beyond by offering more coverage than the industry standard. Aura increases its coverage by $1 million per adult on the plan, as an example – meaning they’ll provide $2 million for you and your spouse.
Online Privacy Features
It’s unfortunate, but seniors as a population group are more susceptible to scams. In 2021 alone, people over 65 years old reported $1.7 billion in losses due to scams through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Online privacy tools can help them, though. Spam call blockers, data broker removal services, VPNs, and anti-phishing services can make it harder for scam artists to take advantage of senior citizens.
While online privacy tools like these are available as standalone products, they’re often less expensive when bundled into an identity protection service – and more convenient to use. Tools like Aura that include a full suite of online privacy features are a great choice for seniors.
Price
Finally, seniors tend to be retired, which means their income is fixed. So, the price of a service matters.
I don’t necessarily endorse seeking out the cheapest product. Instead, look for the best value within your budget range.
For most people, Aura is the best choice because it provides everything you need at a rate that’s lower than most other services (especially when you use our discount code).
FAQ
Final Thoughts
The best identity protection service for seniors is Aura.
It’s accurate, comprehensive, and comes with all the extras that help keep seniors safe – like a VPN, data broker removal services, and antivirus software. Plus, their customer service is top-notch, and they provide some of the best theft insurance coverage available ($1 million in coverage per adult on the plan).
While other services excel in certain areas, none of them does everything the way Aura manages to. Allstate, for example, offers incredible fund reimbursement, but it fails to find identity threats! IDX offers an incredibly smooth user interface, but it’s prohibitively expensive if you want full coverage.
So, if you’re looking for a service that can cover everything from your home title to your online privacy, you want Aura. And, best of all, you can get it at a remarkably low rate. Using our discount code, you’ll lock in an affordable price for life – giving you the peace of mind only a service like Aura can provide.