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Updated: The identity theft protection service industry is relatively new to the UK, although in the US it has been around for some 5-6 years and is still evolving. In so far as which country leads the way, it's clear the US is some way ahead of the UK when it comes to consumer and business identity theft protection.

These services however are country specific - meaning that if you live in the UK these services are only available to UK citizens and therefore cannot be used in other countries.

So - how do you go about protecting your good name, both in the cyber world and the offline world? I'm going to highlight the service options and then you can decide which service is best for you.

UK Identity Theft Protection Service Options

Here is what you should look for if you are living in the UK:

• Credit reporting / scores i.e. providing single report or triple reports analysis*
• Computer protection i.e. anti-malware/firewall/anti-virus/password protection
• 24/7 access to trained ID Theft Resolution Specialists - includes identity recovery
• Identity theft Insurance (upto £50,000)
• Lost wallet/cards protection - will cancel and replace your cards/passport etc
• CIFAS Protective Registration - places a warning flag against your credit file(s)**

*If an application for credit is made in your good name you also have the option of receiving an EMAIL or SMS. The three leading credit reference agencies in the UK are: Experian, Equifax and CallCredit. **CIFAS Protective Registration can also be purchased separately for £14.10 for one year. Please check the CIFAS website for further information. (March, 2010)

What is the monthly cost?

The average cost of UK identity theft protection services varies from £8-10 per month (this mainly applies to credit monitoring only). In the UK there is only one company that offers an identity protection service, similar to what is on offer in the US - called Garlik they charge £45 for a one year subscription for individuals to DataPatrol.

TIP: Garlik DataPatrol DOES NOT offer an online credit monitoring service.

Worth remembering: If you do decide to purchase just a credit monitoring service you will have to pay extra for your credit score.

TIP: If you decide to use Equifax Credit Watch Gold you have TWO options - pay a monthly fee of £7.50 per month or register for FREE for 30 days and then pay a one-off fee of £69.99. I'd suggest you save money and use the latter! (December, 2010)

Worth remembering: Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 protects consumers on any credit card purchases (this includes loss or theft) which cost over £100 and under £30,000. Note: This also applies when someone else fraudulently uses your credit card i.e. Chip & Pin fraud, Card Not Present (CNP) fraud etc.

TIP: You don't actually need credit card insurance.

Click here to visit ID Theft Protect for more information on UK Identity Theft Protection services.

Source: http://www.julianevansblog.com / ID Theft Protect

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