Companies are hacked every day and every few months I receive a notification that my personal data has been compromised in a some company’s breach. These notifications often come with an offer for credit monitoring or protection.
I once received a suspicious looking offer from Experian IdentityWorks (also known as ExperianIDWorks and I may use the names interchangeably). The offer was related to a data breach at a financial institution that I used. Although I had heard of Experian, I was not familiar with their credit monitoring product. Phishing remains a serious threat these days, so I decided to do some research to see: is ExperianIDWorks legit?
ExperianIDWorks Is Legit
Fortunately, my research indicates that ExperianIDWorks is a legitimate service and Experian IdentityWorks is a service frequently provided by companies to customers whose data has been exposed.
When considering the legitimacy of this service, it is important to note that Equifax data breach settlement emails offering a free membership for Experian IdentityWorks have been confirmed as legitimate. That being said, consumers should take steps to verify that any communication from Experian is indeed from Experian (and not a scammer posing as Experian).
History
The company known as Experian is result of many mergers and acquisitions, but existed in one form or another for over 125 years. Their services include notification and call center support, identity theft restoration and consultation, and credit and identity monitoring services provided to consumers on behalf of their clients. However, some people (including myself) have reported concerns about the company asking for sensitive information which has raised questions about the authenticity of the service. This is a common question about credit-related companies, such as Kroll and LifeLock.
What is Experian IdentityWorks?
Experian IdentityWorks is a comprehensive identity theft protection and credit monitoring service provided by Experian, one of the largest credit bureaus in the world. The service is designed to help individuals safeguard their personal information, monitor their credit, and detect potential fraudulent activities.
IdentityWorks offers various plans, but the one offered by companies to the victims of data breaches seems to fall between the free and premium plans. My research indicates that the benefits offered to victims is better than the free plan, but not as comprehensive as the premium plan.
Features of ExperianIDWorks
Credit Monitoring
Credit monitoring is the main feature of Experian IdentityWorks and is important to have if one’s identity is stolen. This service alerts victims to new accounts or loan, credit inquiries (related to applying for credit cards, rental applications, etc.), or judgements/liens.
Daily Credit Reports
A daily credit report is probably overkill for most people, but an Experian IdentityWorks provides daily access to your credit history including new accounts and/or delinquencies.
Identity Theft Insurance
Experian claims it will reimburse up to $1 million for “certain expenses” in the event that a subscribers identity is compromised. Its not clear to me whether the insurance policy is any good, but they offer it as a benefit.
Identity Restoration
The identity restoration services appear to be a solid benefit. The Experian website advertises: “We provide full-service Identity Restoration in the event of identity theft. Even if you simply suspect a problem, a certified Identity Restoration specialist will work with you to identify and resolve the issue.”
User Reviews and Testimonials
Experian IdentityWorks offers US-based 24/7 customer support to its customers. According to user reviews, Experian’s customer service team is knowledgeable and can provide useful information to resolve issues. However, some users have reported that customer service could be improved in terms of response times and smoothness of communication. I personally find platforms like twitter or reddit good for finding reviews of Experian IdentityWorks.
Is ExperianIDWorks Legit?
In short, yes, ExperianIDWorks is legitimate. My own experience mirrors others in that I was not sure why they were contacting me or requesting personal information. If you receive something from ExperianIDWorks, a company was likely hacked and your information was possibly compromised. Hacked companies (or their insurers) typically pay ExperianIDWorks (or Kroll Monitoring or LifeLock are other popular one) to reach out to affected consumers and offer ExperianIDWorks. If you receive something from ExperianIDWorks, I would double-check to ensure it is actually ExperianIDWorks contacting you.
