Overview: Equifax, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the three main credit scoreing agencies on the market today in addition to TransUnion and Experian. Their main identity theft protection product, ID Patrol, works by monitoring customers’ credit files across the three main credit bureaus, and it also scans the internet for any suspicious activities. Customers are then alerted to any changes, including changes to their credit files, personal information, and other sensitive documents. Once Equifax detects these changes, they have the power to lock customers’ Equifax credit files – thus preventing third parties from accessing them.
Features: Equifax’s Id Patrol service comprises six min features, including credit file monitoring, credit score control, internet scanning of online black markets, unlimited Equifax credit scores, and $1,000,000 identity theft insurance. Equifax also provides 24/7 assistance and support to all of their customers. Equifax also offers identity theft protection packages for families and those on budgets, including Credit Watch Gold with 3-in-1 monitoring, regular Credit Watch Gold, and Credit Watch Gold Family Package. With Credit Watch, customers get all of the features of ID Patrol, except for the ability to lock and unlock Equifax credit scores, and Equifax does not scan the internet for customers’ personal information. Customers can also add-on Equifax’s Score Watch to any of the above plans, which enables them to keep an eye on their credit scores.
Summary: Equifax’s ID Patrol, and other related products, prove to be flexible, inexpensive, and user friendly. They also offer a number of different plans depending on customers’ needs, which some identity theft protection companies lack. Overall, Equifax’s services are ideal for individuals who lock and unlock their credit files often, and who also do not mind having to manually lock and unlock TransUnion and Experian’s credit files.