Identity theft protection and privacy for your digital life

Identity theft refers to the unauthorized use of an individual's personally identifiable information (PII), such as name, national ID, bank information, and other sensitive information that can compromise a person’s privacy, security, and financial assets.

You can protect yourself against identity theft by securing your personal information -- online and offline. Make sure to engage in best practices such as using strong passwords, protecting your devices with updated security software, monitoring your bank transactions, securing your personal documents, and minimizing the amount of information you share online. ​

For proactive protection, McAfee® can actively monitor your sensitive information and give step-by-step guidance when you need it the most.

Begin by analyzing the situation and reviewing the compromised information. Then, notify the relevant authorities, such as your bank, coverage agency, a local police station, or a national cybercrime complaint center. While the relevant authorities are helping you with the case, check and secure your financial accounts, devices, and proof of identity. ​

The most common form of identity theft is financial identity theft, which refers to any type of theft when someone uses another individual’s information for financial gain. Some examples are New Account Fraud, Account Takeover Fraud, Business Identity Theft, and Tax-Related Identity Theft.

As online security threats grow, it's important to know if cybercriminals have stolen your personal information. If we find your data on the dark web, or you suspect that your data is on the dark web, this article from our knowledge center provides the steps to protect your identity. ​

You can access and manage your identity protection on protection.mcafee.com. 

How did McAfee choose which data broker sites to monitor?
We selected the sites that we think pose the most privacy threats by looking at a number of criteria, including how prominent they are online, how much data they have in their database, the types of information they collect, and if a site is a data source for other people search sites. While no one can ever be completely immune from privacy and identity risks, knowing where your personal data is being collected and sold is a step in the right direction to reclaiming your privacy online.

How often does McAfee scan for my data on these sites?
We’ll automatically scan for your data every three months if you are enrolled in a plan that supports full-service removal.

How long does it take for McAfee to remove my data?
The time it takes to remove your personal data will vary based on the site. Under UK laws, data brokers are required to respond to a request for data deletion within one month. For plans that include full-service removal, requests to remove your data will be sent automatically. When it’s all done, we’ll let you know in your McAfee Protection Center.

Can I request the sites to remove my data by myself?
Yes, you certainly can. However, the process of manually reaching out to each individual people search site is time consuming . You may even have to provide them with more of your info before they will remove profiles about you. With full-service Personal Data Cleanup, requests to remove your data are sent automatically.