Is IdentityIQ legit? What to know before you sign up
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It’s only natural to question the legitimacy of a tool when you first come across it. That’s especially the case with identity monitoring services, as these tools need to know a whole lot about you to do their job effectively.
IdentityIQ is one such service, and it’s often the subject of “is it legit” queries across various search engines. So, is IdentityIQ legit? Can you trust it with something as important as your personal information and credit details?
To answer that, I gathered my trusty Cybernews research crew, and we set out to tackle these vital questions. Below are our findings on the company behind the service, including how it works, its data handling and billing practices, and its reputation across various review platforms. And if you’re still not satisfied with the answer, we’ll also cover a few alternatives.
What is IdentityIQ, and how does it work?
As covered in our Identity IQ review, this is primarily an identity theft protection service. The subscription-based platform uses the information you provide to monitor online and credit activity in your name, helping you spot the earliest signs of fraud.
IdentityIQ’s monitoring spans all 3 major credit bureaus and the dark web. If it detects anything suspicious, the platform immediately alerts you, allowing you to stop scams before they cause greater damage.
And if things do go south and a fraudster manages to slip past its defenses, IdentityIQ also offers identity theft insurance of up to $1 million. This can help cover lost funds, wages, and legal costs as IdentityIQ’s dedicated managers help you restore your identity.
Who’s behind identityIQ (company background)
Taking a closer look at the company’s structure is a great way to tell if it’s a scam, especially when it’s a name you haven’t heard of before. So, that’s precisely what the Cybernews researchers and I did.
IdentityIQ is a service offered by IDIQ, a Canyon Lake, California-based company founded in 2009. The identity theft protection business operates under the broader Identity Intelligence Group, a US-based limited liability company (LLC).
Identity Intelligence Group, LLC is also accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and maintains a strong A+ rating, a telltale sign of a legit company.
What IdentityIQ says about its legitimacy
As a brand, IdentityIQ is aware of all the “Is identityiq.com legit” and “IdentityIQ scams” queries on Google and other search engines. It addresses these concerns by first emphasizing its long industry experience, having been in operation for more than a decade and a half.
IdentityIQ also maintains its position by stressing that it offers effective identity theft protection and credit monitoring services for the entire family. It even mentions that its services go beyond the basics, with a focus on its device-security-focused antivirus and VPN features.
To further support these claims, IdentityIQ points out that AIG, a leading global insurance organization, underwrites its $1 million identity theft insurance.
Speaking of supporting claims, IdentityIQ also notes that BestCompany has rated it the best identity theft protection service in the industry. Recognition from Money.com is also mentioned, with IdentityIQ noting that the leading personal finance platform has rated its credit monitoring service as the best in the industry.
IdentityIQ pricing, auto-renewal, and cancellation: where “legit” often gets questioned
So, if IdentityIQ is legit and offers solid identity theft protection and credit monitoring services, why is there an influx of IdentityIQ scam searches? Well, the answer to that question lies in the company’s billing and subscription renewal practices.
As with most subscription-based services, IdentityIQ auto-renews its customers’ subscriptions. This means that unless you cancel your membership manually, you’ll be charged the monthly fee automatically. That’s how subscriptions generally work.
What sets IdentityIQ apart, and not in a good way, is how unnecessarily complicated the cancellation process is. To cancel, you’ll have to call IdentityIQ’s customer service and sit through a spiel about your plan’s features, other plans, coverage, and more, as there’s no option to do so online.
According to various customer reports, the process can also be frustrating and time-consuming thanks to IdentityIQ’s pushy sales tactics.
What customers say: ratings and recurring themes
Speaking of customer reports, the Cybernews research team and I also looked into hundreds of comments across multiple review platforms to see what users really think about the service. As with most reviews, it’s not all cream and sugar.
For starters, there are a ton of comments about IdentityIQ’s billing practices, along with the aforementioned cancellation complications. Some users also claim they’ve been enrolled in IdentityIQ without signing up themselves. Naturally, these customers expect a refund, yet dozens of them report that they haven’t received anything.
On the flip side, I also came across plenty of positive experiences. Most customers find the company’s support team understanding, pleasant, and helpful, with many going as far as to name specific agents who have assisted them. The seamless dashboard layout and well-structured reports are also among the common positives here.
Then again, I should note that most comments on these platforms stem from extreme cases. After all, you’re far more likely to leave a review if you’ve had an experience that’s either extremely positive or extremely negative. So, keep that in mind.
IdentityIQ privacy and security
To be effective at what it does, an identity theft protection service like IdentityIQ has to know a whole lot about you. In that sense, how it handles that highly sensitive data matters a great deal, and that’s something the Cybernews team and I explored in detail.
According to IdentityIQ’s privacy policy, the provider collects and stores your name, email address, residential address, social security number, birth date, credit card details, and more. This information is then shared with third-party providers to monitor your identity and credit.
If that bothers you, you can opt out of certain data practices. And while some users have expressed concerns about the volume of data collected, there’s really nothing out of the ordinary here. In fact, it’s pretty much the standard way of handling things in the industry.
IdentityIQ alternatives
By all accounts, IdentityIQ is a legitimate service. But if you’re still unsure, you can check out these proven credit monitoring and identity protection alternatives that offer similar or even better protection without the billing-related downsides:
| Alternatives | Primary focus | Monitoring | Best for |
| Coveron | All-in-one identity and fraud monitoring service with robust financial coverage | SSNs, emails, passwords, phone numbers, unauthorized credit inquiries, new accounts, score changes, criminal records, public records | All-around identity protection and up to three-bureau credit monitoring |
| Aura | 3-bureau credit monitoring across all plans | SSNs, emails, passwords, bank accounts, credit activity, dark web exposure, device and online account monitoring | Families looking for identity protection, device security, and parental controls |
| Norton LifeLock | Identity theft protection with complete device security | Dark web monitoring, SSN tracking, credit file activity (plan-dependent), identity alerts, device and network protection | Users who want identity protection bundled with antivirus and device security tools |
Bottom line: is IdentityIQ legit?
After compiling all the data for this research, I can confidently say that IdentityIQ isn’t a scam; it’s a legitimate business, owned by a real company with a real online presence. Its services also work as advertised.
That said, there are a few things to keep in mind if you’re willing to pull the trigger and start protecting your identity and credit with IdentityIQ. For instance, the provider could undoubtedly benefit from adopting more user-friendly billing and subscription practices. Cancelling your subscription shouldn’t have to involve a call, either.
If that’s something you can look past, IdentityIQ is a legit business with excellent identity theft protection and credit monitoring features.
FAQ
Does IdentityIQ monitor all three credit bureaus?
Yes, IdentityIQ offers 3-bureau credit monitoring with detailed reports and scores. That said, this feature is available only with the Secure Pro and Secure Max tiers, as Secure Basic and Secure Plus offer only 1-bureau credit monitoring.
What personal information does IdentityIQ require to sign up?
During registration, IdentityIQ will ask for your name, email, address, and billing information. But to work its magic, the service will also require your birth date, SSN, and a few other very personal items.
Is IdentityIQ a scam or a legitimate company?
No, IdentityIQ isn’t a scam. It’s a legit business with over a decade of industry experience, a real online presence, and solid identity theft protection and credit monitoring.
How can I verify I’m signing up on the official IdentityIQ website?
The best way to make sure you’re on the official IdentityIQ site is to check the URL in your browser’s address bar. https://www.identityiq.com is the only official website address, and the “s” in “https” indicates a secure, encrypted connection.
