Editor's Note: This review has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it no longer ranks as a top 10 product. The original review is below, but check out our current top 10 about Identity Theft Protection Services here.
SmarterPrivacy is an identity theft protection service that keeps track of your financial and personal information to protect you from identity theft. However, should your identity be compromised while under its care, it will provide 24/7 support to solve the problems and a $1 million insurance policy to cover losses.
Monitoring fraud is an integral part of identity protection. When you become a member, you input the information you want monitored. SmarterPrivacy will monitor your social security number, bank account information, credit cards and medical accounts as well as your full name, telephone number, street address and email. The service watches black-market chat rooms and other websites to watch for identity theft. You'll receive email alerts when your identity is threatened.
This service also offers a feature called Delete Now, which scans the internet and informs you of personal information that has been made public either by you or by someone else. You can delete the information that is inaccurate or violates your privacy.
SmarterPrivacy also comes with mail-list removal and stolen wallet assistance. In addition, you can download the Online Protection Suite that will keep your computer safe from phishing, key logging, screen capture by third parties and more. Once you download the application, it puts an icon in the corner of your browser window. When you purchase ID theft protection for yourself, you can also obtain family coverage for a small additional fee per child. Children are 30 to 50 times more likely to have their identity stolen than adults are, so this is an important feature for families.
This ID theft protection service concentrates primarily on financial identity. It does not monitor criminal or public records nor does it provide sex offender listings for your area, like some of the higher-ranking services do. It also does not monitor quick loan information, which is another area where stolen identities are commonly used.
If you think your identity has been stolen while a member, you can call any time, day or night. A specialist will help you through the process of putting an alert on your credit with the credit reporting agencies and dealing with the other issues of stolen identity.
If you are not a member, the website might confuse you. While it does provide FAQs, a blog and other information on identity theft concerns, you can only access this when you sign in as a member. Otherwise, all you see is an invitation to sign in or sign up. If you have questions about the service, you will need to email or phone the company during business hours.
SmarterPrivacy will monitor most of your financial and much of your personal information. It watches black-market, financial and some online sites for misuse of your identity, but not criminal or public records. If a threat presents itself, this identity theft protection company will guide you through the process of restoring your good name. It also provides insurance against identity theft. With SmarterPrivacy, you can be prepared against risks to your financial and personal security.
