Every 22 seconds, someone’s identity is stolen in America. While the financial impact is staggering—$10.2 billion lost in 2023 alone—the true cost of identity theft goes far beyond money. Victims spend an average of 200+ hours restoring their identity, face denied mortgages and job applications, and can even lose access to critical benefits. Most devastating? Nearly 40% of victims never fully recover their losses.
This new threat to our digital identities has made theft easier than ever:
- 15 billion records were exposed in data breaches last year
- The average person’s data is held by 100+ companies
- Social media scraping puts personal info at constant risk
- AI tools have made fraud more sophisticated and harder to detect
Whether you’re establishing credit or planning retirement, understanding these risks and protections could save you thousands of dollars and countless hours of stress. Let’s explore why proactive protection matters more than ever.
5 Reasons You Benefit from Identity Theft Protection
🫠 Don’t Suffer From Identity Theft or Fraud…Again
Identity theft means time spent on the phone with banks, law enforcement, and filing a report with the Federal Trade Commission. After that, it can take months to recover your identity. If you’ve already gone through identity theft, chances are you don’t want to do it again.
An identity theft solution like Aura helps by offering professional monitoring and notifications but also a U.S.-based recovery specialist should you need to resolve any issues. If you’ve tried to recover stolen accounts or erroneous charges before, you recognize how valuable such a partner can be.
👤 Professionals Can Monitor Your Accounts, Credit, and Device Security So You Don’t Have To
Most of us don’t want to take the time on a daily or weekly basis to monitor our accounts; the most we’ll do is respond to an alert when one comes across our phone or inbox. Instead, let the professionals take care of it. Professional monitoring means your accounts are monitored around the clock. One solution, Identity Guard, comes with professional AI monitoring technology from IBM’s Watson (if it won Jeopardy!, it can guard your accounts).
💸 Recover Your Funds If You’re a Victim of Financial Fraud
If you’ve fallen victim to financial fraud, then you know that it’s not always easy to recover your money, especially if its through a service like Zelle that’s not FDIC insured. Aura and Identity Guard both come with $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance that can help replenish your loss of funds. Identity theft insurance steps in when banks and third-party apps won’t.
💻 Protect Your Devices When You’re Away From Your Own Private Network
You travel. You use multiple devices. It’s nice to get a notification when your security is compromised, but it’s better to secure your networks upfront.
Safeguarding accounts safe before they’re compromised can get complicated, so if you need advice about cybersecurity including identity theft protection, look to Total Digital Security, which handles network monitoring, VPN protection, and a private email domain to make a breach less likely.
Tip: To be proactive, use a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your sensitive data and protect your privacy.
🚨 Hackers, Security Breaches, and the Dark Web Threaten the Safety of Your Information
The dark web is a network of anonymously hosted websites, including marketplaces where cybercriminals can sell your hacked data to the highest bidder. If your passwords, birthdate, and social security number are there, you may never know. And if you repeat your passwords (please don’t) you could find multiple accounts compromised after a single breach.
What are your other risks? Here are five sneaky ways criminals can use your stolen identity. All take time and effort to clean up, and there are no guarantees.
Conclusion: Identity Theft Protection is a Must for Safe Browsing
The average identity theft victim discovers the crime 287 days after it occurs—that’s nine months of potential damage before detection. While checking accounts manually might seem sufficient, today’s sophisticated fraud requires smarter protection.
Take Action Now:
- Enable fraud alerts on all financial accounts
- Set up multi-factor authentication everywhere
- Monitor your credit reports monthly
- Consider freezing your credit if you’re not actively using it
- Watch for signs of medical and tax identity theft
- Keep important documents secured and encrypted
Remember: By the time you spot unauthorized charges, thieves may have already opened new accounts, filed false tax returns, or stolen medical benefits in your name. Professional monitoring can spot suspicious activity immediately, potentially saving you thousands of dollars and hundreds of recovery hours.
Think of identity protection like home insurance – you hope you’ll never need it, but when you do, it’s invaluable. In today’s digital world, protecting your identity isn’t just about peace of mind – it’s about securing your financial future.
