Questions, answered.

Someone uses your personal details, like your name, Social Security number or date of birth, to open accounts, borrow money or file claims in your name.

Data brokers collect and sell details such as your address, phone number and relatives. Data breaches can also leak passwords and ID numbers onto the dark web.

Accounts opened in your name can add hard inquiries, missed payments and collections to your credit file. Fixing these can take months.

The FBI received over 1 million internet crime complaints in 2025, with reported losses of nearly $21 billion. Americans over 60 reported about $7.7 billion in losses, up 37% from 2024.

Source: FBI 2025 Internet Crime Report.

A credit freeze locks your credit file so lenders can’t access it. That stops anyone, including identity thieves, from opening new credit in your name. It doesn’t affect your score, and you can lift it any time you apply for credit.

Yes. You link your TransUnion, Equifax and Experian accounts once each: sign in to your account, answer the bureau’s security check, and we’ll turn your freeze on. After that, you can turn your freeze on and off with a tap.

No account yet? Create one at the bureau first. When creating accounts with credit bureaus, save your user name and password.

Our recommendation: freeze your credit file and keep it frozen when not in use. Unfreeze just before applying for a loan or credit. Refreeze when done.

Ava Protect shows whether your freeze is on or off at each bureau. Freeze status is shown to the best of our ability. Check with the credit bureau directly to confirm.

It helps to set up your credit freeze. It does not hurt your credit.

With Ava Protect Pro, it also lets us confirm which records are really yours, catch breaches tied to your identity, and file removal requests on your behalf. 256-bit encryption keeps your data secure.

Ava Protect removes your info from data broker sites, watches the dark web for your details, and lets you freeze your credit at all three bureaus with a tap. Ava Protect also offers up to $5 million in identity theft insurance for your peace of mind.

The credit freeze is free. Data removal, dark web monitoring and the insurance come with Ava Protect Pro.

You can get started for free. The free plan includes the one-tap credit freeze at 3 bureaus and smart recommendations.

Ava Protect Pro adds up to $5 million in ID theft insurance; data removal from 600+ data brokers, people search sites, and more; privacy protection and sensitive data monitoring; fraud alerts and ID theft monitoring; help to reduce exposure to scams; and 24/7 customer support. The app shows the plans and their prices before you pay.

No. The free option does not remove exposed data; Pro removes exposed data.

Before you choose a plan, Ava Protect checks data broker sites for your name, address and phone number, and shows you how many websites are storing or selling your information.

Depending on the site, it can take up to 45 days for a data broker to honor a removal request, because every data broker has a different removal process. The app updates the status as your info is removed.

Ava Protect Pro includes up to $5 million in identity theft insurance and restoration. If your identity is stolen, the insurance covers eligible costs of recovering it, and restoration specialists work with you to put things right.

Pro watches the dark web and your SSN. It monitors identity elements such as your emails, phones, addresses, names and dates of birth across the dark web and public records, and it alerts you if someone’s using your identity to open bank accounts, loans, and other financial products.

Ava Protect is an iPhone app.

With your mobile number: we text you a code to sign in. Then we ask for your legal name, date of birth and home address to set up your protection. Use the name on your driver’s license or government-issued ID.

You need to be at least 18 to get an account.

Yes. Pro automatically renews until canceled. Cancel anytime in Settings at least a day before each renewal date.

Yes. Deleting your account in the app’s settings permanently deletes your Ava Protect account and the personal information we hold about you. It can’t be undone.

Write to us at protectsupport@meetava.com.