Does Wells Fargo Offer Identity Theft Protection?

What's Included With Wells Fargo Identity Theft Protection?

Wells Fargo once offered Enhanced Identity Theft Protection (EITP) and other identity services — like PrivacyGuard and My Privacy Matters — as optional add-ons. These included credit monitoring, credit scores, and identity fraud support.

It appears that Wells Fargo discontinued EITP by mid-2014. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) found that the bank billed customers for this service until May 2014.

With EITP no longer available, Wells Fargo now only offers the most basic fraud protection, including:

• 24/7 fraud monitoring: Monitors your bank account for any signs of fraud or other unusual activity. Wells Fargo will contact you if anything is detected and help you resolve the issue.
• Account alerts: Sends notifications about low balances, recent activity and sign-ins, and upcoming payments. You can receive alerts via email, text message, or push notifications.
• Zero liability charges: Wells Fargo covers unauthorized charges on your cards as long as you report them right away. Most debit or ATM card fraud claims are either resolved or credited temporarily within 10 days of your report.
• Data encryption: Your browser needs at least 128-bit encryption to access your Wells Fargo account. Unsupported browsers may be blocked. Your online and mobile app sessions also automatically end after a period of inactivity.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA): Two-step verification kicks in when you sign in. Advanced Access adds extra checks during high-risk actions like sending money to another person that you haven’t transferred money to before.
• Credit Close-Up®: This includes free credit monitoring with alerts about changes such as new accounts or hard inquiries. These alerts come directly from your Experian credit report.‍
• Identity Theft Assistance Kit: This checklist walks you through the steps to report fraud, place credit freezes, and contact credit bureaus. It also includes contact numbers for Wells Fargo, the major credit bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and other agencies to support your recovery.

Wells Fargo vs. Aura's Identity Theft Protection Service

While Wells Fargo’s tools help you spot fraud in your bank account, that’s where the protection ends. There’s no identity monitoring, no device security, and no recovery support.

Aura goes further to protect your identity, credit, and devices — all in one platform.

4 Alternatives to Wells Fargo Identity Theft Protection

If you’re looking for more than Wells Fargo’s basic protection, it’s worth considering a dedicated identity theft protection provider.

1. Aura

Aura is an award-winning identity theft protection and digital security solution for families and individuals. While it's still a relatively new company, Aura has already been rated the best identity theft protection service by Money.com, CNET, and others.

What makes Aura stand out is its combination of broad coverage and simple user experience. You can manage everything — from Dark Web monitoring to credit alerts and data broker removal — by using Aura’s single web dashboard or mobile app.

Every plan includes a 14-day free trial with full access to all features including insurance, plus a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Identity monitoring and alerts

Once you fill in your watchlist with data such as your SSN, name, address, driver’s license, etc., Aura starts monitoring your information across billions of data points online, in public records, and in other databases.

If Aura finds anything — such as scammers having your email address  — you’ll receive a fraud alert in near real-time with clear instructions on what to do and whom to contact.

Aura also includes Dark Web monitoring that checks to see if your information was stolen during a data breach and made available to scammers on the Dark Web.

If you need help, Aura’s U.S.-based White Glove Fraud Resolution team is available 24/7 to assist you and can even facilitate three-way calls between you and your bank.

Proactive protection against hackers and online scammers

While many identity theft protection services offer monitoring and alerts, few give you preventative tools designed to stop scammers from accessing your sensitive information.

Aura’s suite of digital security tools include:

• A VPN to protect your data from anyone trying to spy on your network, whether you’re at home or elsewhere.
• A secure password manager to safely store all of your login information. Aura can also warn you if your accounts have been compromised or your passwords were leaked in a recent data breach.
• Antivirus software that protects all of your devices (Mac, Windows, and Android) from malware and other viruses.
• Safe Browsing tools that warn you if you’re entering a fake website.
• Email aliases to protect your inbox from scammers when you sign up for new accounts online.
• Anti-track tools to keep your online activity private and limit the amount of pop-ups and ads you see.
• Automatic data broker removal to reduce the amount of spam calls, text messages, and mail you receive.

Financial account and three-bureau credit monitoring

Aura keeps tabs on your financial accounts and credit file and alerts you of changes, suspicious activity, or strange transactions. Aura has direct connections with the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — meaning it can spot signs of fraud in near real-time.

A 2025 mystery shopper study conducted by ath Power Consulting showed that Aura sent credit fraud alerts in three minutes or less — faster than any other service.³

Aura also includes other ways to keep your credit safe, including transaction alerts (such as over-limit purchases), one-click Experian credit lock, monthly and annual credit scores, and a credit score tracker.

$1 million in identity theft insurance

If the worst should happen, every adult member on an Aura plan is covered for up to $1 million in insurance for eligible losses due to identity theft. This means that on Aura’s family plan, for instance, you would be covered for up to $5 million in total.

Aura’s identity theft insurance coverage includes reimbursement for legal fees, lost wages, notary fees, private investigators, replacement of identification documents, child and elderly care, and more.

You also have access to a dedicated team of Fraud Resolution Specialists who can help you deal with the fallout from identity theft.

Aura plans and pricing

While many identity theft protection services offer limited features on lower-priced plans, all Aura plans come with similar features.

The only difference is the number of people protected under each plan: Individual, Couple, or Family.

• Individual plan: $12 per month (billed annually)
• Couple plan (two members): $22 per month (billed annually)‍
• Family plan (five adults and unlimited children): $32 per month (billed annually)

Special offer: Save up to 68% on Aura when you sign up today. All annual memberships come with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

What do real customers say about using Aura?

Aura currently has a 4.3-star rating on Trustpilot (a third-party review site). Here’s what real customers had to say about Aura’s service:

• "When I signed up for Aura, I thought it was just an app to flag me [via] text and email. It is way more than that. With one phone call, [Aura] called each creditor and checked my credit reports and offered great follow-up advice. If [you] want peace of mind, you need Aura."
• “When my identity was stolen, I felt violated, scared, and unprotected[.] (…) I called and was put in touch with a member of their White Glove team. They explained what we needed to do together. They were exactly what I needed. Anyone who goes through this needs the kind of protection and kindness that they provide[.]”

2. Identity Guard

Identity Guard is a long-standing identity theft protection service, launched in 1996, with over 38 million users protected to date. In 2019, it joined Aura under the same parent company, Aura Sub, LLC. While they share resources, Identity Guard and Aura remain independent brands with separate offerings. Identity Guard’s features include:

• Safe Browsing tools such as ad blocker, malicious site blocking, and anti-tracker
• Password manager to store all of your account passwords in a secure place
• Dark Web and SSN monitoring
• Three-bureau credit monitoring
• Bank account monitoring — including 401(k) and investment accounts, and debit and credit cards
• $1 million in identity theft insurance
• Access to a team of White Glove Fraud Resolution Specialists

Pricing (June 2025):

• ‍Value Plan: $7.50/month (Individual) and $12.50 (Family)‍
• Total Plan: $16.67/month (Individual) and $25 (Family)‍
• Ultra Plan: $25/month (Individual) and $33.33 (Family)

📚 Related: 11 Best Credit Monitoring Services (Free and Paid Options) →

3. LifeLock

LifeLock is a well-known name in identity theft protection, but it has faced repeated scrutiny for security and privacy breaches. These include a $100 million FTC settlement over failing to protect user data, confirmed credential-stuffing attacks that exposed ~6,500 customer accounts, and backlash for bundling crypto mining software with its Norton antivirus.

Much like Aura and Identity Guard, LifeLock also offers:

• Device security and a VPN (when bundled with Norton 360 for an additional cost)
• Identity and SSN alerts
• Credit report monitoring
• Bank account and home title monitoring
• Social media monitoring
• Identity theft insurance (amounts and coverage vary by plan)
• 24/7 live member support

Pricing (June 2025):

• Select (with Norton 360): $8.33/month (renews at $13.33/month)
• Advantage (with Norton 360): $14.99/month (renews at $19.99/month)
• Ultimate Plus (with Norton 360): $25/month (renews at ~$30/month)

Note: LifeLock only offers identity protection and credit monitoring, but users can bundle it with Norton 360 for additional features. But its plan structure is complex, and renewal prices can jump by up to 52%, making long-term costs harder to track.

📚 Related: Aura vs. LifeLock: What You Need To Know Before You Choose →

4. IdentityForce

Owned by TransUnion, IdentityForce provides different levels of identity and credit monitoring, device protection, and ID theft recovery support. Its connection to a major credit bureau makes it a popular choice, but IdentityForce is pricier compared to similar services. It offers:

• PC protection tools
• Dark Web and identity theft monitoring
• Bank account alerts
• Three-bureau credit monitoring
• Up to $1 million in identity theft insurance to reimburse stolen funds as well as some legal fees and lost wages
• 24/7 fraud remediation

Pricing (June 2025):

• UltraSecure Individual: $19.90/month or $199.90/year
• UltraSecure Family: $24.90/month or $249/year
• UltraSecure+Credit Individual: $34.90/month or $349.90/year‍
• UltraSecure+Credit Family: $39.90/month or $399.90/year

Note: The UltraSecure plan only includes identity theft protection, while UltraSecure+Credit includes credit protection. Family plans cover two adults and unlimited children and include child identity monitoring.

📚 Related: Beware of These 7 Wells Fargo Scam Texts →

What To Do If You Suspect Fraud in Your Wells Fargo Account

• Contact the Wells Fargo fraud and identity theft helpline at 1-800-869-3557. Report any unauthorized accounts or transactions when you call. Wells Fargo will most likely close your accounts and cards and issue new ones to you.
• Change your online banking password, and enable 2FA. If scammers have access to your online accounts, you’ll want to do a password reset and then enable 2FA to keep your accounts secure.
• Place a credit freeze with all three credit bureaus. This prevents anyone from opening new accounts or taking out loans in your name. Contact each bureau separately and request a freeze. You can also instantly lock your Experian credit file from Aura’s dashboard or mobile app.
• Report the crime to the FTC. You can file an online complaint at identitytheft.gov. An official FTC report can help when disputing fraudulent accounts or trying to reverse charges. You can also file a police report with your local law enforcement.
• Obtain a free copy of your credit report, and look for more signs of fraud. Everyone can get a free copy of their credit reports from all three bureaus by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. Check for any incorrect information, strange accounts, or hard inquiries that you don’t recognize. You can use this credit dispute letter template to file an official complaint.
• Contact any impacted company, lender, or creditor. Report the fraud to any company where your information was fraudulently used. You’ll most likely be asked to provide your FTC or police report as proof.‍
• Continue to monitor your credit. Identity theft is almost never an isolated incident. Use a credit monitoring service like Aura to keep track of your accounts and warn you of any future fraud.