You’ve locked your doors, turned on your antivirus, and double-checked your passwords. But with all the data breaches and AI-driven scams going around, the real question is, who’s keeping an eye on your identity? This is what McAfee+ aims to solve by promising to protect not just your devices, but also your name, your credit, and your retirement savings like a digital watchdog on high alert.
McAfee isn’t a newcomer to the security scene. For years, it has been the recognizable red shield on countless desktops, blocking viruses and fending off hackers. Now, with McAfee+, they’re leaping into identity theft protection, offering credit monitoring, dark web scans, insurance, and more, all bundled together under one robust package.
Quick Overview
| 💵 Price | Starts at $29.99/year |
| 🎁 Free Trial | N/A |
| 🔁 Refund Window | 30-day refund available for annual plans |
| 📊 Credit Checks | 1-3 bureau credit monitoring |
| 🛡️ Insurance | Up to $2 million coverage |
| 🧰 Extras | Bundled with Antivirus |
| 👨👩👧 Best For | Users who want all-in-one protection: device security + identity protection. |
So, is it worth it? Does it live up to the price tag, or is it just antivirus dressed up in a new guise?
Let’s dive into what McAfee+ Identity Theft Protection brings to the table, how it compares to the competition, what real users have to say, and whether it’s truly deserving of your trust (and your hard-earned cash).
Pros and Cons of McAfee+ Identity Theft Protection
Pros
- High insurance coverage up to $2 million for identity theft recovery
- Unlimited device coverage on most plans
- Hands-on restoration support with U.S.-based experts
- Data broker and account cleanup included in higher tiers
- Family plans with child ID monitoring available
- Real-time scam detection using AI tools
Cons
- High renewal prices after the first year
- No free trial
- Frequent upsell pop-ups in the software
- Auto-renewal complaints and billing issues reported
- Limited credit bureau access on lower tiers
- Not as specialised as dedicated ID theft services
Is McAfee+ Identity Theft Protection Safe and Legit?
Yes, McAfee+ Identity Theft Protection is legit and safe. McAfee Corp has been in the cybersecurity business since 1987 and has a solid reputation for digital protection. Despite changing ownership from Intel to private equity and then back to private ownership, the company has remained committed to its mission of keeping consumers safe from its San Jose base.
Their identity protection feature in McAfee+ works with trusted partners, including TransUnion, and includes dark web monitoring, financial account alerts, and insurance.
When it comes to privacy and data protection, McAfee’s privacy policy states that they use industry-standard encryption and safeguards to manage sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers and credit card numbers, collected for monitoring purposes. Like many cybersecurity companies, they do collect some usage data to improve their services, which is generally safe if you’re okay with opting in.
Additionally, McAfee is a well-established name in cybersecurity and has consistently received high marks in independent tests. There were some product issues in the early 2010s, but the company has since gotten many awards and strong antivirus ratings. Since launching its identity protection service in 2024, McAfee has not been involved in any major controversies or data breaches.
Key Features of McAfee+ Identity Theft Protection
McAfee+ combines real-time alerts, thorough scans, and hands-on recovery tools into a single, robust package. This service is designed to identify issues promptly and assist you in recovery.
Monitoring and Alerts
With McAfee+, you get ongoing monitoring of your most sensitive personal information across credit reports, the dark web, and public data sources. It keeps an eye on everything from your Social Security number to your phone number and bank logins, searching for any signs of leaks, breaches, or misuse.
If your data shows up in a breach or if there’s any suspicious activity on your credit, you’ll receive an instant alert. The premium tiers offer either 1-bureau or 3-bureau credit monitoring, complete with score tracking and notifications for any changes to your credit report.
Identity Theft and Insurance
When it comes to identity theft, McAfee+ is here to provide you with financial peace of mind. Depending on your chosen plan, you could be covered for up to $1 million or even $2 million in identity theft insurance. This coverage takes care of a range of expenses, including reimbursement for stolen funds, legal fees, lost wages, and the costs associated with restoring your identity, such as notary fees or mailing important documents.
If you opt for a family plan, this protection extends to multiple adults, each with their coverage limits. While no insurance can completely erase the stress of being a victim, this policy certainly helps ease the burden and ensures you won’t have to dig into your own pockets to fix someone else’s mess.
Identity Restoration Support
When your identity gets compromised, the last thing you want is to face it all by yourself. With McAfee+, you have 24/7 access to identity restoration experts based in the U.S. who will walk you through every step of the recovery process.
Whether it’s disputing fraudulent charges or reaching out to banks, credit bureaus, or government agencies, these specialists take on the challenging tasks to help you reclaim your identity. They’ll assist you with filing police reports, freezing your credit, and replacing any stolen IDs.
If your wallet goes missing or gets stolen, McAfee+ has your back with lost wallet assistance, helping you swiftly cancel and replace cards before they can be misused.
Personal Data Cleanup
Have you ever typed your name into Google and stumbled upon your personal details (i.e., your phone number or address) on some sketchy people-search websites? That’s where McAfee+ comes to the rescue with its Personal Data Cleanup feature.
It scans multiple data broker sites to identify where your personal information is being stored. Depending on your plan, it either gives you a heads-up or automatically requests that your info be taken down. If you go for the Ultimate tier, it even takes care of the opt-out process for you, erasing your data from over 40 broker sites that make money off selling your information.
This helps shrink your digital footprint, making it more challenging for scammers to dig up details about you and for identity thieves to build a profile. And the best part? It’s not just a one-time cleanup. McAfee+ continues to scan and remove your data to help keep your identity under the radar.
Online Account Cleanup
Remember that old forum you signed up for back in 2012? Or that shopping site you completely forgot about? Those neglected accounts can actually open the door for hackers, and McAfee+ can help.
The Online Account Cleanup feature scans your email to find any unused, outdated, or risky accounts linked to your identity. If you’re on the Premium or Advanced plan, you’ll receive a report detailing these accounts, allowing you to review and delete them yourself. But if you’ve got the Ultimate plan, McAfee+ goes the extra mile by offering full-service assistance, automatically helping you delete or secure those accounts.
AI Scam Protection
Scammers are getting craftier. However, McAfee+ has its AI Scam Protection feature to address this issue. This smart tool keeps an eye on your emails, texts, and even video links, looking for any signs of phishing, fake logins, or harmful content.
If you receive a suspicious bank alert or an unbelievable delivery update, it’ll flag the dodgy links before you even think about clicking. You’ll receive real-time alerts, along with browser protection that blocks known scam sites while you surf the web.
While it may not catch everything, this tool serves as a crucial first line of defense against identity theft, helping you avoid inadvertently sharing your personal information with scammers. Think of it as a smart, AI-powered gut check!
How Does McAfee+ Identity Theft Protection Work?
1. Sign Up & Enter Your Data
Once you sign up, you need to enter the personal information you want to protect, such as your name, Social Security number, email addresses, phone numbers, and financial account numbers. McAfee stores this info (encrypted) for monitoring and alerting purposes.
2. Ongoing Monitoring
McAfee checks:
- Dark web & breach databases
- Credit reporting bureaus
- Financial accounts (bank accounts, credit cards, 401(k), investment accounts, etc.)
3. Real-Time Scam Detection
McAfee’s AI Scam Protection scans your incoming emails, texts, and sometimes video links for phishing attempts or fake URLs. The browser extension alert you if a site is fraudulent.
4. Alerts & Warnings
When McAfee detects suspicious activity, like leaked credentials, new credit inquiries or scam links. Then it sends alerts via email, SMS and app notifications. Prompts may include what went wrong, why it matters and what to do next.
5. Protective Actions
Ultimate plans have credit file locking (TransUnion) to prevent new accounts from being opened in your name, and other controls on sensitive data.
6. You’re Covered
Higher-tier plans have up to $1 million (Advanced) or $2 million (Ultimate) in identity theft insurance and access to U.S.-based identity restoration experts if you’re a victim.
7. Cleanup & Prevention
McAfee keeps cleansing your digital footprint, removing your info from data broker sites, highlighting unused online accounts, and suggesting privacy improvements for social media via its Social Privacy Manager.
McAfee+ Plans, Pricing & Free Trial
Plans and Pricing
McAfee+ has three plans for individual users: Premium, Advanced, and Ultimate, and family plans that cover multiple adults and children. All plans are annual, with big first-year discounts and higher renewal prices.
Premium
$49.99/year (Renews at $149.99/year)
This plan has a lot of stuff, but it lacks the essential stuff you need for identity theft protection. There’s scam detection, the antivirus (of course), online account cleanup, and personal data cleanup. Do not get this one if you want identity theft protection features like credit monitoring and insurance coverage.
Advanced
$89.99/year (Renews at $199.99/year)
Advanced is where real identity theft protection happens. It adds single-bureau credit monitoring (TransUnion), monthly credit score updates, up to $1 million in identity theft insurance, and bank/credit account monitoring. You also get full-service data broker removal and lost wallet assistance. This is good for users who want a balance of protection and price.
Ultimate
$199.99/year (Renews at $279.99/year)
Ultimate includes three-bureau credit monitoring (daily TU, annual EX/EQ), $2 million insurance, 401(k)/investment account monitoring, ransomware reimbursement, and help deleting old online accounts. You also get a one-on-one security session. It’s good for users with big financial exposure who want full-spectrum protection.
Free Trial
McAfee+ does not offer a free trial for identity protection features. Some antivirus bundles may include access to features like breach scans or VPN but full credit monitoring and insurance requires a paid plan.
Refund Policy
McAfee has a 30 day refund window on annual plans if cancelled within the first 30 days of purchase. You can also request a refund within 60 days of automatic renewal. Refunds are processed through McAfee Support and you can manage or cancel auto-renewal at any time through your account dashboard. No refund for monthly billing (if available via special bundles).
Customer Reviews and User Feedback
Reviews on Platforms
McAfee+ gets mixed reviews across review sites. On Trustpilot McAfee (the brand) has a low rating of 1.3 stars out of 5 with over 80% of users giving 1 star. Many complaints are about billing and pop-ups but these are often about the whole McAfee ecosystem not just the identity protection part.
On Reddit and forums opinions are more balanced. Some like the bundled features and insurance, others feel the alerts are delayed and the software is bloated.
Positive Highlights
- Some users feel McAfee+ offers great value by combining antivirus, VPN, and identity protection in one subscription.
- Users report peace of mind from having $1M–$2M insurance and hands-on recovery support.
- McAfee+ is praised for covering unlimited devices on most plans, which is rare.
Common Complaints
- Many users report unauthorised auto-renewal charges and difficulty cancelling subscriptions.
- Frequent complaints about aggressive pop-ups and upselling within the software.
- Some users state that identity alerts are delayed or too vague to act on.
- Others feel the interface is cluttered and unintuitive, especially for non-tech-savvy users.
- Reddit users note that while it works, McAfee+ isn’t as polished or focused as dedicated ID protection services.
Final Thoughts
McAfee+ Identity Theft Protection is a good choice if you’re looking for all-in-one protection that covers your devices and your identity. It has dark web and credit monitoring, high insurance coverage and real-time scam detection, plus a VPN, antivirus and password manager. For those who want an all-in-one solution especially families or tech-savvy users, it’s convenient and has solid core features.
But it’s not without trade-offs. The renewal price is high, the interface is not intuitive and customer service needs improvement. If you only need identity protection, standalone services like Aura or LifeLock might feel more streamlined.