Last year alone, 10 million Americans were victims of an identity theft crime costing around $57 billion in total damage. The Web site called identitytheftlabs.com estimates that the average victim of theft crime can expect to see over $6,300 illegally charged in their name. The average expenditure to the individual ranges from $400 to $2,000. However, these values do not capture the stress, time, and bureaucracy involved with recovering your identity.

Accordingly, what's really scary about this crime of the decade is that you are at a much great risk when a thief gets a hold of your social security number, or bank account numbers, or starts combining information on you from multiple sources. The SSN alone is considered by thieves to be the master key to the kingdom owned by you.

While it's a fact that there is no fool-proof mechanism to avoid identity theft, everyone still has options. The same Web site identitytheftlabs.com outlines two workable options:

1. Secure yourself from the danger and search for identity insurance elsewhere. This works if you're the person who plans a schedule and will follow it without missing important deadlines. The dilemma is that all the relevant tasks prevents you from saving money because the insurance will cost as much as the full identity protection plan.

2. Secure a proactive identity protection plan that renews your fraud alerts and incorporates identity insurance and/or guarantees one million dollars.

Indeed, identity protection plan is the best course available for most people because it works for the best protection at the best price.

Who Provides the Best Identity Protection Plan?

There is no simple answer to this question. It depends on your wants and needs and how much value you place on the differences each company has. However, I am lad to note that IdentityTheftLabs.com has investigated and proven three companies (LifeLock, Trusted Id, and the LoudSiren Debix team). Expectedly, the site recommends and vouches on the expertise and capability of these three identity protection companies.

IdentityTheftLabs.com admits that they were recommending Debix before they partnered with LoudSiren and before they signed big contracts to protect the residents of Ohio, Connecticut and the city of Nashville. The staff at IdentityTheftLabs.com have done this as they have made their ultimate purpose on the three companies.

IdentityTheftLabs.com relates that all three companies LoudSiren, LifeLock and Trusted Id are well backed financially, and are the established leaders in identity theft protection. They all belong to the league among the fastest growing companies in America, and rightfully so. All three companies place and renew fraud alerts and back their identity protection plan with one million dollars. They also remove clients from pre-authorized credit offers which have been known to be a source of identity theft. They all provide experts to defend victims if it comes to that point.