NordProtect Online Identity Service Covers Up to $10K in Scam Losses, Now Going for Peanuts

The last shopping rush before Christmas is a great time for cybercriminals because there are so many online transactions, quick purchases, and distracted shoppers. NordProtect’s decision to lower the price of its identity protection service to a record low of $4.49 per month, down from its usual $14.99 rate , is especially important this time of year, when prices are usually lower. This isn’t just another holiday sale on electronics or entertainment subscriptions that people don’t care about: Identity theft protection deals with a basic security issue that gets worse around the holidays, when fake transactions blend in more easily with real spending patterns and stolen credentials are more actively traded on criminal networks. The Scale of the Problem Think about how bad identity theft is in the United States right now. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers lost $12.5 billion to fraud last year alone. This is a 25% increase from the year before. In 2024, the agency handled more than 1.1 million identity theft complaints. This means that a new victim came forward every 22 seconds throughout the year. Identity Theft by the Numbers Every 22 seconds: A new identity theft case occurs in the United States 1.1 million: Identity theft complaints filed with the FTC in 2024 $12.5 billion: Total consumer losses to fraud in the past year 44%: Percentage of identity theft cases involving credit card fraud These risks are even higher during the holidays: More people shopping online means more chances for data theft, and when there are a lot of legitimate transactions, it’s harder to spot fake charges right away. Phishing attempts that look like shipping notifications or seasonal sales alerts are on the rise, and retailers and payment processors are at greater risk of breaches because their infrastructure is under stress and they have to hire temporary workers. How Protection Really Works Instead of checking identities by hand every so often, NordProtect uses continuous automated surveillance. You can read Gizmodo’s review here to learn more about it . NordProtect checks credit reports from all three major bureaus , looks for personal information on dark web marketplaces, and keeps an eye on linked financial accounts for strange activity. The part that watches the dark web is especially important: There are parts of the internet (dark web) where stolen Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, and full identity packages are traded. When your information shows up in these places, it usually means that there has been a security breach in one of the services you use. Early detection is important because it gives you time to lock down accounts before criminals can use the information. TransUnion’s credit monitoring service can catch things like new loan applications, account openings, or changes to your credit limit that you didn’t authorize. The system marks these events right away instead of waiting for monthly reviews of credit reports. When you monitor your bank account, you can spot strange withdrawal patterns, suspicious transfer requests, or debit card use that...

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