In the last two years more than 9 million people have reported their identities stolen in some way. Many methods for extracting personal data, such as a simple phone call, result in a person giving an unknown stranger his or her information. That single phone call could change a life forever.

Identity theft is becoming one of the biggest threats to Americans as well as people that live overseas. Millions of people are now taking the time to protect themselves and their credit by looking for legitimate identity theft protection companies.

Is there such a thing as a legit identity theft protection service? Of course there is. You just have to know how to look for them. When searching for the right company for you, be sure to:

• Look into as many different companies as your time allows. Finding different companies that offer different services will allow you to compare services and prices.
• Research each company’s background, such as how long they have been in business, their certifications, how their staff is trained and if complaints of any kind have been turned into the BBB.

Depending on the services you are looking for, you should be able to find some kind of option to fit your needs and your budget. If simple credit report monitoring is what you need, then a quick look on the Internet at the many different reputable companies should help you feel more at ease.

These services start at just a couple of dollars a month and offer good customer service for the money. If you are looking for more services than those mentioned, rest assured that you should be able to find a very highly regarded company to protect you in your time of need.

Identity protection services are available for a reason, so why not consider taking advantage of the services they have to offer? Protecting your good name is one of the most important things you can do. Be sure to monitor your credit report while looking for the perfect company for your identity theft protection needs.