The basic pitch from banks and credit card companies has been around awhile: We’ll monitor your credit, alert you if we see fraud, and help you recover if your identity is stolen–all for a low monthly fee.
But fewer consumers are signing up, likely because they are less scared and a bit smarter about protecting themselves.
Identity theft and fraud incidents dropped in 2010, and more consumers are shredding documents, watching for strange charges on their accounts and checking credit reports regularly.
Many consumers are skeptical about offers for extra protection. Nevertheless, industry analysts say big banks will consider making fee-based protection services a bigger part of their business model, as other sources of revenue decline under new federal regulations.
