--- title: "Best tools to protect your family from scams (2026)" url: https://tapsafely.com/best-scam-protection-tools source: TapSafely description: "Password managers, security keys, security software, data removal and ID monitoring: what each does, what it costs and who it suits. Free steps first." --- [Home](https://tapsafely.com/)/[Protect yourself](https://tapsafely.com/protect)/ Best tools # Best tools to protect your family from scams (2026) Most scam protection is free. These are the paid tools that add a real layer on top, what each one does, what it costs and who it suits, so you can pick what your family actually needs. By the TapSafely editorial team ยท Prices checked 20 September 2026 Links marked Partner link may earn us a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes our advice, and the free option always comes first. [Affiliate disclosure](https://tapsafely.com/affiliate-disclosure). ## How we chose - Each type of tool has to reduce a scam risk we see in real checks: stolen logins, fake support calls, leaked personal details or identity theft. - We list products from established companies with clear prices and a way to cancel. - We have not lab-tested these products and we don't give scores or star ratings. What each tool does and costs comes from the company's own site, on the date shown. - Prices are the ones shown on the vendor's site (US prices unless stated). First-year offers usually renew at a higher price. - We show services that only work in one country to visitors from that country only. ## Start with the free things 1. Never share a one-time code or password with anyone who contacts you, whoever they say they are. 2. Don't use links or phone numbers from unexpected messages. Open the official app or type the address yourself. 3. Turn on two-step verification for email, banking, WhatsApp and social media. 4. Agree a [family safe word](https://tapsafely.com/family-safe-word) for emergency calls. 5. When a message asks for money or details, [check it first](https://tapsafely.com/#check). ## Use a password manager It only fills in your password on the real website, so a look-alike login page gets nothing. It also makes a different password for every account, so one leak doesn't open the rest. **Free first:** [Bitwarden](https://bitwarden.com/) has a free plan, and even the password manager built into your phone or browser beats reusing one password everywhere. ### NordPass Stores and fills passwords, passkeys and cards across phone and computer, warns about weak or reused passwords, and (on paid plans) checks whether your email appears in known breaches. Price : Free plan. Premium and Family plans are sold yearly; the price depends on your country, so check nordpass.com. ([vendor's site](https://nordpass.com/plans/), 20 September 2026) Suits : Families who want one simple app for everyone. The free plan works on one device at a time. Available : Worldwide [Visit NordPass](https://tapsafely.com/go/nordpass?p=compare) Partner link ### 1Password Stores and fills passwords and passkeys, shares chosen passwords with family members, and warns you when a saved site has had a breach (Watchtower). Price : Individual $3.99 a month, Families $5.99 a month, both billed yearly (first-year offer $2.99 and $4.49 for new customers). ([vendor's site](https://1password.com/pricing/password-manager), 20 September 2026) Suits : Families who want to share some logins (streaming, bills) and keep the rest private. Available : Worldwide [Visit 1Password](https://tapsafely.com/go/1password?p=compare) Partner link ### Proton Pass Stores passwords and passkeys, and creates email aliases (hide-my-email addresses) so shops and newsletters never see your real address. Price : Free plan. Pass Plus and Pass Family (six people) are paid; prices are on proton.me/pass/pricing and vary by currency. ([vendor's site](https://proton.me/pass/pricing), 20 September 2026) Suits : People who want a free plan with no device limit, or aliases to cut down spam and phishing. Available : Worldwide [Visit Proton Pass](https://tapsafely.com/go/proton-pass?p=compare) Partner link ## Turn on two-step verification, ideally with a security key With two-step verification, a stolen password isn't enough on its own. A hardware security key goes further: it simply doesn't work on a fake site, so it can't be phished. **Free first:** Two-step verification is free. Switch it on in the security settings of your email, bank, WhatsApp and social media accounts today. ### YubiKey (Yubico) Acts as the second step when you log in to Google, Microsoft, Apple, many banks and password managers. It checks the website's real address, so it won't work on a fake page. Price : Security Key NFC $29; YubiKey 5 NFC $58 (yubico.com store). ([vendor's site](https://www.yubico.com/store/), 20 September 2026) Suits : Anyone who has been phished before, and anyone who looks after a parent's email. Buy two: one to use, one as a spare. Available : Worldwide [Visit YubiKey (Yubico)](https://tapsafely.com/go/yubikey?p=compare) Partner link ## Keep security software with web protection on your devices It blocks many known scam and malware websites and warns about dangerous apps. That matters most if you installed an app or "support" tool someone asked you to. **Free first:** Keep your phone and browser updated, and leave Google Play Protect or Microsoft Defender switched on. Both are free. ### Bitdefender Antivirus with web protection that blocks known phishing and fraud sites, a scam checker for links and messages, and (on Total Security) a limited VPN and password manager. Price : Total Security $59.99 for the first year (5 devices); Family Pack $79.99 for the first year (25 devices), on the US site. Renewal prices are higher. ([vendor's site](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/consumer/total-security), 20 September 2026) Suits : Households with a mix of Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone who want one subscription. Available : Worldwide [Visit Bitdefender](https://tapsafely.com/go/bitdefender?p=compare) Partner link ### Norton 360 Antivirus and web protection, a scam assistant for texts and links, dark web monitoring of your details, a VPN, cloud backup and parental controls (Deluxe plan). Price : Norton 360 Deluxe $49.99 for the first year (5 devices), renews at $124.99 a year, on the US site. ([vendor's site](https://us.norton.com/products/norton-360-deluxe), 20 September 2026) Suits : Families who want everything in one well-known product and don't mind a higher renewal price. Available : Worldwide [Visit Norton 360](https://tapsafely.com/go/norton?p=compare) Partner link ### Malwarebytes Finds and removes malware and remote-access tools, blocks malicious websites, and has a free scanner for a one-off clean-up. Price : Free scanner. Paid plans are yearly; see malwarebytes.com for your country's price. ([vendor's site](https://www.malwarebytes.com/pricing), 20 September 2026) Suits : Anyone who let a "support" caller onto their computer or installed an app a stranger sent. Available : Worldwide [Visit Malwarebytes](https://tapsafely.com/go/malwarebytes?p=compare) Partner link ### ESET Home Security Antivirus with anti-phishing, a protected browser for banking and payments, and anti-theft for phones. Price : Yearly plans; the price depends on country and number of devices, so check eset.com. ([vendor's site](https://www.eset.com/), 20 September 2026) Suits : Older computers, and people who want protection that stays out of the way. Available : Worldwide [Visit ESET Home Security](https://tapsafely.com/go/eset?p=compare) Partner link ## Take your details off data broker sites Scammers buy phone numbers, home addresses and family details from people-search and data broker sites. The less of that is public, the fewer and less convincing the scam messages you get. **Free first:** You can ask each site to delete your details yourself. In the EU and the UK, data protection law gives you that right. ### Incogni Asks 420+ data brokers and people-search sites to delete your details, repeats the requests regularly and shows the progress in a dashboard. Price : From $7.99 a month billed yearly ($95.88); Family from $15.99 a month billed yearly. ([vendor's site](https://incogni.com/pricing), 20 September 2026) Suits : People who get a lot of scam texts and calls, and anyone whose details were in a data breach. Available : The EU, Canada, Switzerland, the US and the UK [Visit Incogni](https://tapsafely.com/go/incogni?p=compare) Partner link ### DeleteMe Removes your listings from US people-search sites, sends quarterly reports and includes email and phone masking. Price : Yearly plans for one person, couples and families; see joindeleteme.com for current prices. ([vendor's site](https://joindeleteme.com/pricing/), 20 September 2026) Suits : US residents who want a human team handling removals. US residents only. Available : US only [Visit DeleteMe](https://tapsafely.com/go/deleteme?p=compare) Partner link ## Watch for anyone using your identity If you shared ID documents, card details or a Social Security number, monitoring can alert you when someone opens credit or accounts in your name. **Free first:** In the US, a credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion is free and blocks most new-credit fraud. Elsewhere, ask your bank and your credit reference agency about fraud alerts. The monitoring services we list only work in the US, so we only show them to visitors in the US. ### Aura Monitors your credit with the three US bureaus, your SSN and bank accounts, alerts you to misuse, includes identity theft insurance and US-based help if it happens. Price : Individual $12 a month, Couple $22 a month, Family $32 a month, billed yearly (14-day free trial). ([vendor's site](https://www.aura.com/pricing), 20 September 2026) Suits : US families after a data breach or after sharing ID. US only. Available : US only [Visit Aura](https://tapsafely.com/go/aura?p=compare) Partner link ### Identity Guard Watches for your SSN, email and bank details in breaches and on the dark web, with credit monitoring on higher plans and identity theft insurance. Price : Several yearly and monthly plans; see identityguard.com. ([vendor's site](https://www.identityguard.com/), 20 September 2026) Suits : US residents who want monitoring at a lower price than all-in-one plans. US only. Available : US only [Visit Identity Guard](https://tapsafely.com/go/identity-guard?p=compare) Partner link ## Set up parental controls for younger children Children meet scams in games, chats and app stores. Parental controls let you approve downloads and purchases and see who they talk to. **Free first:** Google Family Link and Apple Screen Time are free and cover the basics. ### Qustodio Filters websites and apps, sets screen-time limits, and shows parents which apps children use and who they call or text (on supported phones). Price : Basic $59.95 a year (5 devices), Complete $104.95 a year (unlimited devices). ([vendor's site](https://www.qustodio.com/en/premium/), 20 September 2026) Suits : Parents of children under about 14 with their own phone or tablet. Available : Worldwide [Visit Qustodio](https://tapsafely.com/go/qustodio?p=compare) Partner link ## Use a VPN on public Wi-Fi It encrypts your connection on cafe, hotel and airport Wi-Fi. Be clear about the limits: a VPN does not stop scam texts, calls or fake websites. **Free first:** Your phone's mobile data is safer than an open Wi-Fi network, and it costs nothing extra. ### NordVPN Encrypts your connection and, with Threat Protection, blocks many known malware and phishing sites and trackers. Price : Several plans billed monthly, yearly or every two years; see nordvpn.com. ([vendor's site](https://nordvpn.com/pricing/), 20 September 2026) Suits : People who often use hotel, cafe or airport Wi-Fi. Available : Worldwide [Visit NordVPN](https://tapsafely.com/go/nordvpn?p=compare) Partner link ### Surfshark Encrypts your connection on any number of devices and blocks some ads and malicious sites (CleanWeb). Price : Several plans; see surfshark.com. ([vendor's site](https://surfshark.com/pricing), 20 September 2026) Suits : Families who want every phone and laptop covered by one plan. Available : Worldwide [Visit Surfshark](https://tapsafely.com/go/surfshark?p=compare) Partner link ### Proton VPN Encrypts your connection; the free plan has no data cap, and paid plans add more servers and a malware and ad blocker (NetShield). Price : Free plan. Paid plans are on protonvpn.com/pricing. ([vendor's site](https://protonvpn.com/pricing), 20 September 2026) Suits : Anyone who only needs a VPN now and then and would rather not pay. Available : Worldwide [Visit Proton VPN](https://tapsafely.com/go/proton-vpn?p=compare) Partner link ## Questions people ask Do I have to pay for any of this to be safe from scams? No. The habits and free settings at the top of this page stop most scams: never share codes, don't use links or numbers from unexpected messages, and turn on two-step verification. The paid tools add a layer on top. Which one should I get first? A password manager, together with two-step verification on your email. Your email account is the key to resetting every other account, so it is the one scammers want most. Did you test these products? No. We have not run lab tests and we don't give scores or star ratings. We describe what each tool does and costs, using the company's own website, and who it suits. Independent labs such as AV-Test and AV-Comparatives publish test results for security software. Do you earn money from these links? Some of them. Links marked Partner link may earn us a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. Bitwarden is listed with no commission because it is a good free option. Our full affiliate disclosure explains how this works. ### On this page 1. [Free steps](#free) 2. [Use a password manager](#password) 3. [Turn on two-step verification, ideally with a security key](#key) 4. [Keep security software with web protection on your devices](#security) 5. [Take your details off data broker sites](#dataremoval) 6. [Watch for anyone using your identity](#identity) 7. [Set up parental controls for younger children](#family) 8. [Use a VPN on public Wi-Fi](#vpn) ### Got a suspicious message? Check it free, in any language. [Check a message](https://tapsafely.com/#check)