In the marketplace for ID Theft Protection, three companies are taking the lead. Invisus Direct, Wells Fargo and PrePaid Legal/Kroll, Inc. On the surface, all three companies seem to offer an almost identical product, but beneath the surface, significant differences emerge.

Invisus Direct primarily offers protection against online ID theft, through securing your computer with software which protects you from such predators, and insures you against ID Theft even if it happens in the offline world. If you already have strong PC protection from another software vendor, like McAfee or Norton, or you own a Mac, you may not need the protection that Invisus offers for around $14.99 per month, per computer.

Wells Fargo offers ID Theft protection, with $10,000 in ID Theft insurance to cover the costs of restoring your identity if it is stolen. Like Invisus, the usual suspects are monitored, such as your credit reports etc.

PrePaid Legal/Kroll, Inc. offers ID Theft protection that monitors your credit report, the use of your Drivers License #, your medical records, and your Social Security #. The subscription costs $12.95 per month, but here is where PrePaid Legal/Kroll, Inc., differs from the other two programs.

With Invisus and Wells Fargo, if your identity is stolen, they provide you with a do-it-yourself pack, which contains form letters that you have to send to every financial organization with whom you have dealings, explaining the theft and attempting to remedy the situation. On average, the amount of time this takes is 600 hours. PrePaid Legal/Kroll have a different solution. You sign over a Limited Power of Attorney to them, and THEY spend the 600 hours sorting out the mess.

From my perspective, this tips the balance in favor of PrePaid Legal/Kroll, Inc., though if computer security is your primary concern, you might also consider Invisus.