Credit Monitoring vs. Identity Monitoring: What's the Difference?
What's the Difference? Credit Monitoring vs. Identity Monitoring
Credit monitoring and identity monitoring are related but not identical. Learn what each service may monitor, what types of warning signs they can help identify, how credit reports fit into identity protection, and why consumers may want more than one layer of protection. This FAQ explains the difference in plain English and explores ID protection options available through JRF Services.
What is credit monitoring?
Credit monitoring generally watches for certain changes or activity associated with a credit file and may send alerts when specified activity occurs. Depending on the service, monitoring may involve one or more credit bureaus.
What is identity monitoring?
Identity monitoring may look beyond traditional credit activity for signs involving personal information. Depending on the plan, monitoring can include information associated with email addresses, online activity, financial accounts, public records, or other risk indicators.
Are credit monitoring and identity monitoring the same thing?
No. Credit monitoring focuses primarily on credit-file activity. Identity monitoring can cover a broader range of identity-related information.
Why can credit monitoring be useful?
Credit monitoring may alert you to activity that could indicate unauthorized account openings or other changes. Consumers should still review their actual credit reports because an alert service is not the same thing as personally reviewing the underlying report.
How many credit bureaus can an ID protection plan monitor?
That depends on the plan. Our ID protection plans have single-bureau credit monitoring for one level and three-bureau monitoring for a higher level.
Do I need to check all three credit reports?
It is a good practice to review reports from all three nationwide credit reporting companies because the information in one report may differ from another.
The FTC recommends reviewing reports from all three bureaus.
Can I get my credit reports for free?
Yes. AnnualCreditReport.com is the federally authorized source for free credit reports. The FTC currently states that consumers can obtain free weekly reports from the three nationwide bureaus through the site.
Does monitoring guarantee that identity theft won't happen?
No. Monitoring is designed to help detect certain warning signs. It cannot prevent every form of identity theft.
What should I do when I receive a suspicious alert?
Investigate it promptly. If you confirm unauthorized activity, contact the relevant company or financial institution, secure the account, and consider reporting the identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov.
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