by Keith Morris
Topic: ID Theft
> 2 min read
This tool offers credit monitoring, identity theft protection, fraud dispute resolution support, and it’s available to Costco members only. It offers financial account, dark web, and court record scanning services in addition to fraud dispute resolution support.
ProtectMyID is the cheaper and more family-friendly option when you consider your budget and supported features. Its highest-tier pricing plan includes child protection for up to 10 kids at no extra costs to flag any misuse of your kids’ personal information.
It’s fairly easy for bad actors to access personal data that we share online, making identity protection more critical today than ever before. Without safeguarding your identity, you remain vulnerable to imposter scams that could significantly hurt your finances.
According to the Consumer Sentinel Network, over 3.2 million people were fraud victims in 2019, and 20% of them (650,572) were identity theft cases. A robust identity protection tool monitors all activity or financial transactions related to your personal information, and it alerts you in case of a breach.
To learn about the best ID security tool available online, check out this comprehensive Complete ID vs. ProtectMyID review.
Complete ID vs. ProtectMyID : Comparison
WHAT YOU GET | COMPLETE ID | PROTECTMYID |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | ||
Coverage | ||
Identity Protection | ||
Credit Monitoring | ||
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QUICK FACE-OFF
Similarities
Differences
Complete ID Features and Services
Identity Theft Protection
This tool tracks over 500 million criminal records, including incarcerations and court cases, alerting you if your name appears in any such files. It monitors the dark web and flags any illegal buying or selling of your personal information. With neighborhood watch, you get alerts if a sex offender lives near you, while payday loan surveillance alerts you if a third-party illegally opens an account with your name.
Credit Monitoring
Changes in your credit score should reflect your financial activity. But these can also be a sign that somebody is illegally using your name to borrow money, which is why credit monitoring is necessary. Complete ID tracks your Experian, Transunion, and Equifax credit reports and alerts you if a bad actor misuses your personal information.
Identity Restoration
Once you’ve discovered that somebody is illegally using your personal information, you need to stop them quickly and prevent further damage. Complete ID takes the necessary action on your behalf, including handling the paperwork and freezing your credit lines. A specialist liaises with relevant authorities, agencies, and organizations to protect your bank account, seek legal redress, or report SSN misuse. It usually takes about two months to recover your identity this way.
Plans and Pricing
You may subscribe to one of the Complete ID pricing plans based on your Costco membership type. Its price structures cover all identity protection features except child protection, which requires a separate subscription.
Executive Membership
Executive members pay $8.99 per person per month. To include child monitoring, you have to pay an extra $2.99 per month for a maximum of five children, converting the package to a Complete ID family plan.
Business and Gold Star Membership
Business and Gold Star members pay $13.99 per month per person to enjoy Complete ID identity protection. It costs an extra $3.99 per month per five children to include child identity theft protection in this plan.
Pros and Cons
PROS
CONS
ProtectMyID Features and Services
Identity Theft Protection
ProtectMyID offers a host of identity theft protection features to protect you and your family from ID fraud. The service alerts you in real-time via text or email if somebody opens a new financial account using your name. You’ll get similar notifications in case other names or aliases associated with your SSN come up.
It also tracks court records to flag any criminal linked to your personal information. ProtectMyID keeps tabs on the dark web to ensure that bad actors are not illegally stealing and selling your personally identifiable data. The service also includes child protection and sex offender monitoring.
Credit Monitoring
ProtectMyID credit monitoring tracks the three credit bureaus to keep you informed on the impact of your financial activities on your credit. The service alerts you of any credit limit changes or improvements and tracks your VantageScore to report your creditworthiness.
Fraud Resolution Assistance
ProtectMyID can help you with identity restoration if you think there’s been fraudulent use of your personal information. The company gives you an agent to guide you through the entire fraud resolution process. It has your credit files frozen and engages lenders to dispute charges if necessary.
Pricing and Plans
Essential
This plan is available to AAA members for free. It includes ID security basics, including credit monitoring, identity resolution support, Experian credit reporting, and lost wallet protection.
Deluxe
This plan costs $10.95 per month per member. You can pay an extra $3.95 per month to get a ProtectMyID family plan covering up to 10 children. It offers credit monitoring, identity theft protection, and fraud resolution support.
Platinum
This comprehensive ID security package costs $15.95 per month per member. The plan includes child monitoring services, so you don’t have to pay any extra fees for it.
Pros and Cons
PROS
CONS
Read more about ProtectMyID reviews
Conclusion
We’re all at risk of identity theft, provided that we’re sharing our personal information online and executing financial transactions. While you can’t always prevent bad actors from stealing and misusing your names, SSN, and other data, you catch them in the act with tools like Complete ID and ProtectMyID.
Both are Experian ID security tools. Each offers a similar range of services and features, including dark web, court record, credit, and payday loan monitoring. They track credit reporting by the 3 credit bureaus and include child protection, fraud resolution support, and identity theft insurance in their offerings.
The critical difference is in the pricing plans and coverage. Complete ID’s third-tier plan costs about $18 per month per person (plus up to 5 children) when you include child protection. For the same ID security and credit monitoring features, including child protection for up to 10 kids, ProtectMyID costs about $16 per month per person.
ProtectMyID has a free plan with limited identity theft safeguards. Comparing the products, you may notice that ProtectMyID offers more for a little less. If you’re looking for affordable, high-quality identity theft protection, select ProtectMyID because it’s the cheaper and more family-friendly option. Sign up for ProtectMyID right away to protect you and your family from identity fraud.
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About the Author
Keith Morris is a 20+ year veteran of the security game, with the knowledge and experience to set you on the right track toward personal safety and security. His firm is committed to giving you the tools and know-how to combat any threat to your safety.
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