Digital today provides such amazing convenience and connectivity that we are all responding to that. It opens us up to the most insidious and advanced forms of identity theft. Approaching 2025, the landscape of threats is evolving rapidly. Facilitated by recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of deepfakes, this evolution is becoming ever more pervasive. Calloutcoin.com cares about helping you stay ahead and better able to thrive in this rapidly evolving ecosystem. This post breaks down the scariest identity theft stats to watch for in 2025. It further provides consumer-friendly guidance outlining the steps people and companies should take to protect themselves from increased risk.

Understanding Identity Theft

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone illegally uses your personal information. This may seep into your name, Social Security number, credit card information or other personal identifying information that they use and sell without your authorization. Criminals will be able to use this stolen information for a variety of fraudulent uses. Whether it’s opening a new bank account, purchasing insurance, paying taxes, or even seeking medical attention. Identity theft is no joke, and it can cause serious harm to your financial well-being and credit score. It is definitely not worth the stresses of litigation and emotional distress.

Identity theft is not a new phenomenon. It goes all the way back to the 1800s, in its original form as voter fraud. Today, identity thieves exploit stolen identities to commit a range of frauds from credit card and health insurance fraud to tax fraud. New technologies aren’t radically changing the threats posed by cybercrime. The digital era has only upsized and upgraded the playing field for criminals. Today, more personal information is stored on social media than in public records. Unfortunately, these practices combine to give identity thieves more opportunities than ever to access and exploit sensitive data.

As of 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tracks more than 1.1 million instances of identity theft. Experts are predicting that even more will head that direction in 2025. By 2021, those numbers had grown to 5.7 million reports. In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission found that there were a record 3.2 million victims of fraud. These complaints were provided to the Consumer Sentinel Network. Knowing how big a threat this is, is the first step to staying safe.

Types of Identity Theft

The forms identity theft can take are broad and varied, with each type having its own set of distinguishing features and potential effects. Here are some of the most common types:

  • Credit Card Fraud: This involves using stolen credit card information to make unauthorized purchases. It is one of the most common types of identity theft and can lead to significant financial losses.
  • Government Documents and Benefits Fraud: This involves using a stolen identity to file for government benefits, such as Social Security or unemployment benefits, or to obtain government documents like passports or driver's licenses.
  • Tax Fraud: This occurs when someone uses a stolen identity to file a fraudulent tax return and claim a refund.
  • Medical Identity Theft: This involves using someone else's identity to obtain medical care, prescriptions, or insurance coverage. This can lead to inaccurate medical records and potentially dangerous medical decisions.
  • Account Takeover: This involves gaining unauthorized access to existing accounts, such as bank accounts, email accounts, or social media accounts. Once inside, the thief can change passwords, transfer funds, or steal personal information.
  • Synthetic Identity Theft: This involves creating a new identity using a combination of real and fake information. This type of identity theft can be difficult to detect and can be used to open fraudulent accounts or obtain loans.

With the rapid development of AI technologies, including deepfakes, identity theft is more sophisticated than ever. Deepfakes are computer-generated videos or audio recordings that make it seem like someone is speaking or acting in a way they’re not. Create deepfakes to generate bogus endorsements and thousands of other pieces of content to spread malinformation far and wide. Or they can impersonate anyone in a video call to obtain sensitive information. In 2025, phishing messages are virtually impossible to identify.

The Importance of Identity Theft Protection

Who Should Consider Identity Theft Protection?

With identity theft protection services, its provides peace of mind for anybody looking to protect their personal information and financial health before something happens. Some populations stand to gain more from these services than others.

  • Individuals with high incomes: Research shows that identity theft affects millions of Americans every year, with 60% of victims in 2018 having a household income of over $75,000. People who made $75,000 or more were the most likely victims of identity theft, according to a study.
  • Older adults: Around 16-percent of all victims were over the age of 65. Older adults may be more vulnerable to scams and fraud due to cognitive decline or a lack of familiarity with technology.
  • Families with children: Children's identities are often targeted by identity thieves because they have clean credit records.
  • Individuals who have been victims of identity theft in the past: Those who have experienced identity theft are at a higher risk of becoming repeat victims.
  • Anyone who values their privacy and financial security: Identity theft can have devastating consequences, so taking proactive steps to protect yourself is a wise investment.

Further, Caucasians reported the highest identity theft victimization rate in 2018, making up 71% of all identity theft victims. Still, theft identity can hit anyone, regardless of class or sex, as men and women were victims at comparable rates of nearly 9%.

Alternatives to Identity Theft Protection

While identity theft protection services offer comprehensive protection, there are several steps you can take on your own to reduce your risk:

  • Monitor your credit reports regularly: Signs of identity theft often pop up in credit reports, so monitoring your credit report at least every year is a must. You can request a free credit report once every year from AnnualCreditReport.com, a federally approved website.
  • Be careful about sharing personal information online: Avoid posting sensitive information on social media or sharing it with untrusted websites.
  • Use strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts: Use a password manager to generate and store strong passwords.
  • Be wary of phishing emails and scams: Never click on links or open attachments from unknown senders.
  • Secure your mail: Collect your mail promptly and shred any documents containing personal information.
  • Freeze your credit: One of the most surefire ways to protect your credit is to freeze it.

These actions are simple and effective ways to minimize your chances of identity theft. That doesn’t mean they can protect you from complex attacks. Identity theft protection services keep you just a little more secure. In real-time, they monitor your credit and personal information, warning you of any potentially fraudulent activity.

Our Selection Process for Top Services

Criteria for Choosing the Best Services

We carefully evaluated a wide range of identity theft protection services based on several key criteria:

  • Monitoring capabilities: We looked for services that offer comprehensive monitoring of credit reports, public records, and the dark web for signs of identity theft.
  • Alerting features: We prioritized services that provide timely alerts about suspicious activity, such as new account openings or credit inquiries.
  • Recovery assistance: We considered the level of support offered to victims of identity theft, including assistance with credit restoration, legal guidance, and reimbursement for financial losses.
  • Ease of use: We evaluated the user-friendliness of the service's website and mobile app.
  • Cost: We compared the prices of different services and assessed their value for money.
  • Data privacy and security: Aside from the actual services offered, it’s important that the service protects customers’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII). We only considered services that have strong security measures in place to protect your personal information.

Overview of Top Picks

Based on our evaluation, we have identified the following identity theft protection services as the top choices for 2025:

  • LifeLock
  • Aura
  • Identity Guard®
  • Surfshark Alert
  • IdentityIQ
  • McAfee Identity Theft Protection
  • IDShield
  • ID Watchdog
  • Allstate

In the coming weeks, we’ll be much deeper into each of these services. We’ll specifically showcase their main features and benefits.

Top Identity Theft Protection Services for 2025

LifeLock - Best Digital Identity Theft Protection

LifeLock is one of the most recognizable and reputable names in identity theft protection. This is due to its extensive features such as credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and identity theft insurance. Compared to alternatives, LifeLock offers you 24/7 support and assistance restoring your credit.

Aura offers some of the most comprehensive identity theft protection services. These features have credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and identity theft insurance. Aura stands out as an appealing option for families, since it provides protection for the entire family under one plan.

  • Dark web monitoring: LifeLock scans the dark web for your personal information and alerts you if it is found.
  • Credit monitoring: LifeLock monitors your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus and alerts you to any suspicious activity.
  • Identity theft insurance: LifeLock provides insurance coverage to reimburse you for financial losses resulting from identity theft.
  • 24/7 support: LifeLock offers 24/7 support and assistance with credit restoration.

Aura - Best for Family Coverage

Identity Guard® is a comprehensive identity theft protection service that prioritizes delivering you the most timely and accurate alerts about suspicious activity. Powered by IBM Watson’s AI technology, it analyzes data to pinpoint possible threats.

Surfshark Alert is an affordable identity theft protection service that covers the basics of monitoring and alerting. We think this makes it an excellent choice for people who want cheap coverage with fewer frills.

  • Family protection: Aura offers protection for multiple family members under a single plan.
  • Credit monitoring: Aura monitors your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus and alerts you to any suspicious activity.
  • Dark web monitoring: Aura scans the dark web for your personal information and alerts you if it is found.
  • Identity theft insurance: Aura provides insurance coverage to reimburse you for financial losses resulting from identity theft.

Identity Guard® - Best Alerting Features

Identity theft protection providers usually emphasize a certain feature or set of features, and for IdentityIQ, that feature is comprehensive credit monitoring. It’s free, and it provides you with daily credit report monitoring, credit score tracking, and automated alerts any time there’s a change to your credit report.

McAfee Identity Theft Protection is an identity theft protection service that prioritizes easy, hassle-free use. It has a beautiful, simple interface and delivers a stunning amount of clear, specific information on your risk of identity theft.

  • AI-powered alerts: Identity Guard® uses IBM Watson's AI technology to analyze data and identify potential threats.
  • Credit monitoring: Identity Guard® monitors your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus and alerts you to any suspicious activity.
  • Dark web monitoring: Identity Guard® scans the dark web for your personal information and alerts you if it is found.
  • Identity theft insurance: Identity Guard® provides insurance coverage to reimburse you for financial losses resulting from identity theft.

Surfshark Alert - Most Affordable Option

IDShield is an identity theft protection service that provides the most affordable family protection in the industry. This plan saves the most family members at the same time. It provides robust credit-monitoring features, dark web monitoring, and identity theft insurance.

ID Watchdog is a background identity theft protection service. It covers out-of-pocket expenses relating to financial loss from identity theft, with coverages up to $2 million. In addition to IdentityIQ’s identity theft protection features, it offers robust credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and identity restoration services.

  • Email breach monitoring: Surfshark Alert monitors your email address for data breaches and alerts you if your email address has been compromised.
  • Credit card monitoring: Surfshark Alert monitors your credit card information for unauthorized use.
  • Dark web monitoring: Surfshark Alert scans the dark web for your personal information and alerts you if it is found.

IdentityIQ - Best Credit Monitoring

Allstate Identity Protection takes a slightly different tack, emphasizing the insurance and restoration features of identity theft protection. While they do offer the ability to support monitoring capabilities, their real strong suit comes with unparalleled support after a bad incident has happened.

The price of these services includes identity theft protection, which can range greatly based on the services included and how many members are covered. On average, you can plan to spend about $10-$40 for individual coverage. Many companies offer protection for entire families, businesses, or couples, with discounted packages available, and most subscriptions cost around $10 to $15 a month, or if you pay annually, about $100 to $150.

  • Daily credit report monitoring: IdentityIQ monitors your credit reports daily and alerts you to any changes.
  • Credit score tracking: IdentityIQ tracks your credit score and provides you with insights into how to improve it.
  • Credit score simulator: IdentityIQ allows you to simulate the impact of different financial decisions on your credit score.

McAfee Identity Theft Protection - Best User Experience

Cost is always a factor when selecting an identity theft protection service, but determining true value is paramount. It’s true that some services provide more comprehensive features than others, they tend to be pricier. Carefully consider the costs versus the anticipated benefits of every service offered. Being clear on how and why you will use the tool will help you identify the best fit for your needs and budget. In addition, order credit reports from the three large credit bureaus. Invest in identity theft protection services (like LifeLock, Aura, or Identity Guard) that alert you to suspicious activity and offer recovery assistance.

As we get closer to 2025, identity theft is an increasingly menacing risk. Such expansion can be attributed to rapid developments in AI technology and the growing sophistication of cybercriminals themselves. Read stories from our leaders and learn how protecting your personal information is more important than ever. Educate yourself about identity theft risks. Take a few proactive steps to mitigate them and your chances of becoming a victim drop dramatically. You can choose to invest in an identity theft protection service, or you can do it yourself. Whatever you decide, either way, stay safe out there and continue to educate yourself! Follow Calloutcoin.com for the most cutting-edge insights. Protect yourself and your family. You’ll discover practical resources here to help you navigate—and minimize—today’s digital threats. Notably, 29 percent of the victims were 35 to 49, and 28 percent were aged 50 to 65 years.

  • User-friendly interface: McAfee Identity Theft Protection has a clean and intuitive interface.
  • Credit monitoring: McAfee Identity Theft Protection monitors your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus and alerts you to any suspicious activity.
  • Dark web monitoring: McAfee Identity Theft Protection scans the dark web for your personal information and alerts you if it is found.
  • Identity theft insurance: McAfee Identity Theft Protection provides insurance coverage to reimburse you for financial losses resulting from identity theft.

IDShield - Affordable Family Protection

IDShield is an identity theft protection service that offers affordable family protection. It provides protection for multiple family members under a single plan and offers a range of features, including credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and identity theft insurance.

IDShield's key features include:

  • Affordable family protection: IDShield offers affordable protection for multiple family members under a single plan.
  • Credit monitoring: IDShield monitors your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus and alerts you to any suspicious activity.
  • Dark web monitoring: IDShield scans the dark web for your personal information and alerts you if it is found.
  • Identity theft insurance: IDShield provides insurance coverage to reimburse you for financial losses resulting from identity theft.

ID Watchdog - Coverage Up to $2 Million

ID Watchdog is an identity theft protection service that offers coverage up to $2 million for financial losses resulting from identity theft. It also provides a range of other features, including credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and identity restoration services.

ID Watchdog's key features include:

  • Coverage up to $2 million: ID Watchdog offers coverage up to $2 million for financial losses resulting from identity theft.
  • Credit monitoring: ID Watchdog monitors your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus and alerts you to any suspicious activity.
  • Dark web monitoring: ID Watchdog scans the dark web for your personal information and alerts you if it is found.
  • Identity restoration services: ID Watchdog provides assistance with restoring your identity after it has been stolen.

Allstate - Insurance and Restoration Services

Allstate Identity Protection offers a bit different approach, focusing heavily on the insurance and restoration aspects of identity theft. They provide monitoring services, but their strength lies in the support they offer after an incident occurs.

Allstate Identity Protection's key features include:

  • Comprehensive restoration services: Allstate provides extensive support in restoring your identity and credit after a theft.
  • Identity theft insurance: They offer insurance to cover expenses related to identity theft recovery.
  • Monitoring and alerts: While not as comprehensive as some competitors, they still monitor key areas for suspicious activity.

Financial Aspects of Identity Theft Protection

Cost of Services

The cost of identity theft protection services varies depending on the features offered and the number of people covered. Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $40 per month for individual protection. Many companies offer protection for entire families, businesses or couples, with discounted packages available, and most subscriptions cost around $10 to $15 a month, or, if you pay annually, about $100 to $150.

Value for Money

When choosing an identity theft protection service, it is important to consider the value for money. Some services may offer more features than others, but they may also be more expensive. It is important to weigh the costs and benefits of each service to determine which one is the best fit for your needs and budget. Also, request credit reports from the three major credit bureaus. Invest in identity theft protection services (like LifeLock, Aura, or Identity Guard) that alert you to suspicious activity and offer recovery assistance.

Conclusion and Summary

As we move closer to 2025, the threat of identity theft continues to grow, fueled by advancements in AI and the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals. Protecting your personal information is more important than ever. By understanding the risks and taking proactive steps to mitigate them, you can significantly reduce your chances of becoming a victim of identity theft. Whether you choose to invest in an identity theft protection service or take a DIY approach, the key is to stay vigilant and informed. Calloutcoin.com will continue to provide you with the latest insights and resources to help you stay safe in the digital world. Specifically, 29-percent of the victims were between 35 and 49, while 28-percent were 50 to 65 years.

Additional Resources on Digital Security

  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC): IdentityTheft.gov
  • AnnualCreditReport.com: Request your free credit reports
  • National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC): CyberAware.gov