Every 22 seconds, there is a case of identity theft, with 5.7 million cases of identity theft and fraud reported to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in recent years.

If you are unlucky enough to become the victim of identity theft, this opens the door to financial fraud, potential account compromise — not only banking, but online services — and the frustration of talking to your service providers, freezing cards, and, in the worst cases, a fight to reclaim your cash.

What makes it worse is that in many cases, identity theft is completely out of your hands and control, as third-party security incidents and breaches cause them.

It is enough to stoke fear in one’s heart, but there are services to help.

The right credit monitoring and identity theft protection service can put in place safeguards to help protect you and your credit. You can monitor various personal information points including your name, SSN, linked financial accounts, addresses, credit agreements, and more. Reputable services will alert you when there are changes, your credit report alters, or new activities using your identity are detected — such as loan applications or insurance sign-ups.

There is always the myFICO app, but there are other apps that can offer excellent features at a reasonable price.

Here are some of the best identity theft protection and monitoring services I recommend for 2023, which include free, freemium, and paid services.

Also: The best antivirus software

Best price

ID Watchdog – For personal or business use

ID Watchdog is an Equifax service for businesses and families that also monitors for tax, child, and medical ID theft.

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Best price

IDShield – Monitoring and ID restoration

IDShield will alert you to changes and threats, and will also help you restore your records if you’ve become the victim of ID theft.

View at IDShield