There's no Downturn in the Market for Consumer ID Fraud Protective Services

Implications: This article focuses on one of many startups in the consumer protective services space, as evidence of an "evergreen" market category. Current challenging economic times make investment in this ID Fraud sector a natural, and desperate times could actually bring about increased criminal activity leading to higher revenues. Key companies include Affinion, CardCops, Debix, Experian, Equifax, Fair Isaac, Lifelock, TransUnion, TrustedID, and more.

Analysis: Looking for a growth market that could get even better in a tough economy? Look no further than consumer protective services against identity fraud. With Javelin data showing ID Fraud totaling $45B last year, consumers perceiving that things are getting worse and everydays news about data breaches, the justification for revenue-spend on consumer safety protective services is high. Banks, Card issuers, breached merchants, and consumers will keep their wallets open, desperate for anything that brings a feeling of greater safety. Additionally, the difficulty of obtaining credit will make credit monitoring more valuable as consumers seek to improve their credit score by monitoring personal credit history and activity. This is a confusing market to most though, because most of the available products are specialized solutions for a very general product. The market opportunities get clearer though with an analysis of the $45B US ID fraud problem and an understanding of how vendors fit into Javelin's Prevention, Detection and Resolution(TM) model.