The Ultimate Guide to Identity Theft
Identity theft is a growing threat in our interconnected digital world. Learn what identity theft is, what the warning signs are, and how to prevent it.
Avast Secure Identity
Identity theft protection
Keep your identity safer with our assistance. We continuously monitor the dark web for your personal information. Plus, you get identity theft insurance for specific expenses and losses*, and the guidance of our dedicated identity restoration specialists.
Go further to protect your identity*
Get notified if we find your personal info exposed on the dark web.
Monitor your finances and social media accounts for strange activity.
Use our insurance cover for specific identity theft-related losses or expenses.
Get informed professional advice and support if you are a victim of identity theft.
*See our terms and conditions for further information.
Identity monitoring
Keep your identity safer with continuous online monitoring
We constantly look in the most important places for you. This is to see if your personal information has been exposed online or gained access to and put to use. If we find anything, we’ll let you know.
What’s included with our identity monitoring?*
Your financial activity: Get notified if we find any suspicious transactions on your payment cards or bank accounts. Discover problems sooner, so you can act faster.
The dark web and more: We search for your personal data on the dark web, deep web, and on private forums.
Your social media accounts: If there’s strange activity on your social media accounts, we detect it and notify you. This is so you can quickly re-secure your accounts against a potential cybercriminal.
*See our terms and conditions for further information.
Restoration support
Receive smart, professional support with identity theft issues
Call our dedicated identity restoration specialists to get help with identity theft issues. If you need it, they can also support you with three-way mediation calls to merchants, financial services companies, government agencies, and other third parties.
Identity theft insurance
Get coverage for specific losses and expenses if the worst happens
If someone steals your identity, we can cover you for specific losses and expenses related to identity theft in your name.* This includes reimbursing you for legal expenses and lost income for the time you need away from work to correct financial records.
We can help cover you for up to:
$25k legal expense reimbursement.
$25k obligation to pay cover.
$3k for lost income.
$5k for miscellaneous expenses.
*See our terms and conditions for further information.
You may still be wondering...
What is identity theft?
Identity theft is when someone fraudulently uses another person's name and personal information to get credit, obtain loans, make purchases, etc.
What do you do when someone else steals your identity?
If you become a victim of identity theft, change your passwords and login info on compromised online accounts. Notify your credit card companies. File an identity theft report with the relevant governmental authority. Managing these processes can be difficult, confusing, and time-consuming without help. That’s why our identity restoration specialist team that comes with your Avast Secure Identity subscription helps you sort things out after you’ve had your identity stolen.
How can you help prevent identity theft?
Nobody can prevent it, but there are many ways to avoid identity theft. This includes using strong passwords and PINs, limiting the amount of personal information you share online, and monitoring your bank statements for suspicious transactions.
You can also help protect your identity by using a service like our Avast Secure Identity.
You can also help protect your identity by using a service like our Avast Secure Identity.
How do you check for identity theft?
You can check if you've become a victim of identity theft by regularly checking your transactions to keep an eye on any you didn't authorize yourself, by monitoring your online accounts, or by performing a hack check to see if your passwords have been leaked online. You can also use an identity protection service like Avast Secure Identity to monitor your social media accounts and the dark web for exposed personal information.
What are the signs of identity theft?
There are many signs that may indicate that your identity has been stolen, and here are a few to look out for: unfamiliar bank transactions, new debts for loans that you never applied for, unfamiliar credit card changes, and unfamiliar medical bills.
What is identity fraud?
Identity fraud occurs when somebody misuses your personal information without your consent for nefarious reasons. This person may open accounts, make purchases, or even commit other kinds of criminal offenses in your name. To help to protect yourself against this, you must take certain day-to-day precautions to help safeguard your sensitive data from threats.
A good example of this is visiting safe websites. You also shouldn’t share your personal data with unverified organizations or strangers you don’t know or recognize. Choosing an identity protection service like Avast Secure Identity can help you to detect potential threats to your identity. If identity theft happens to you, our identity restoration specialists can also help guide you through the restoration process.
A good example of this is visiting safe websites. You also shouldn’t share your personal data with unverified organizations or strangers you don’t know or recognize. Choosing an identity protection service like Avast Secure Identity can help you to detect potential threats to your identity. If identity theft happens to you, our identity restoration specialists can also help guide you through the restoration process.
What is identity theft versus identity fraud?
Identity theft is when someone acquires your personal information without your knowledge or permission. Identity fraud describes the criminal activities that this person might carry out in your name while using this data to do so. But in reality it could also apply to anybody using your stolen data in a criminally deceptive manner for their own financial or personal gain. Some specific examples of identity fraud include somebody opening accounts in your name, buying things using your payment details.
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