Medical identity theft is a growing problem, with nearly 2.3 million Americans affected in 2022 alone. This is where scammers steal personal and medical information to illegally obtain medical services, prescription drugs or submit fake billings in the victim’s name.
Medical Shield Cyex claims to help protect against medical identity theft and data breaches. But is Medical Shield Cyex a scam or a legit service that can really help?
This extensive Medical Shield Cyex review will uncover everything you need to know, including:
What is Medical Shield Cyex?
Medical Shield Cyex is a service offered by the company Cyex that aims to protect your medical and personal information from identity theft and medical fraud.
The company was founded in 2017 in response to the rise in medical identity theft. Medical Shield monitors your medical records and health insurance data to detect any suspicious activity or potential fraud.
If any issues arise, Medical Shield Cyex claims they will help recover your stolen information and provide $1 million in medical identity theft insurance to cover costs from losses.
Essentially, Medical Shield Cyex works to prevent scammers from being able to steal and use your personal medical data for their own gain.
How Medical Shield Cyex Works
Medical Shield Cyex works by monitoring your medical information and alerting you to any potential threats. Here are some key aspects of how it works:
Dark Web Monitoring: Medical Shield Cyex scans black market websites and hidden parts of the internet to check if your personal medical data is being sold or shared.
Suspicious Activity Alerts: You’ll be notified if Medical Shield Cyex detects anyone trying to use your medical info to open new accounts or file fake insurance claims.
Medical ID Theft Insurance: The service provides $1 million in coverage in case you do become a victim of medical ID theft despite their monitoring efforts. This helps pay for costs associated with restoring your medical identity.
Assistance Recovering Stolen Info: If your medical identity is compromised, Medical Shield Cyex has a Victim Assistance team to help you report it to authorities and navigate the recovery process.
Monitoring ICD Codes: The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes attached to your medical records are monitored to catch any unfamiliar or suspicious codes that may indicate fraud.
So in essence, Medical Shield Cyex aims to watch over your medical data, alert you to any threats, and provide assistance if you do become a victim.
Medical Shield Cyex Services
Medical Shield Cyex offers three levels of protection plans:
Medical Shield Cyex Pro
The Pro plan costs $12.95 per month and includes these features:
- Dark web monitoring
- ICD code monitoring
- Victim assistance
Medical Shield Cyex Complete
The Complete plan costs $14.95 per month. It includes everything in the Pro plan plus:
- Notifications of high risk transactions related to your medical identity
- $1 million in medical identity theft insurance
Medical Shield Cyex Total
The Total plan costs $24.95 per month. It includes all of the Complete plan features plus:
- Real-time authentication alerts if someone tries to use your medical ID
- Monitoring for attempted openings of new credit/health accounts
- Reports on all third party medical inquiries made in your name
As you can see, the higher tier plans provide more extensive monitoring and protection services.
Is Medical Shield Cyex Legit or a Scam?
There are some mixed opinions on whether Medical Shield Cyex is a scam or a legitimate service. Here is an overview of the good, bad and ugly so you can make an informed decision:
The Good
There are a few indicators that Medical Shield Cyex may be a legitimate service:
Long-standing company: Cyex, the parent company, has been around since 2013, suggesting more staying power than a fly-by-night scam operation.
Positive reviews: There are reviews from actual customers describing positive experiences with Medical Shield Cyex and how it helped protect their identities.
Detailed website: The Medical Shield Cyex website provides extensive details about their services, mission and reason for founding. This level of transparency suggests legitimacy.
Overall, there are some signs this may be a valid company that delivers on its promises of medical identity protection.
The Bad
However, there are also some concerning elements to consider:
No BBB accreditation: Medical Shield Cyex is not BBB accredited, meaning the BBB has not fully vetted and approved them.
No free trial: Many identity protection services offer free trial periods, but Medical Shield Cyex requires immediate payment.
Potential billing issues: Some reviews cite problems with getting double billed or recurring charges after trying to cancel.
Requires SSN: Medical Shield Cyex requires your full Social Security number, which could be concerning for some people.
These details suggest there could be some caution warranted when considering Medical Shield Cyex.
The Ugly
Some scam investigation sites have labeled Medical Shield Cyex as very risky or untrustworthy:
Scam Detector rating: Gives Medical Shield Cyex a “high risk” rating of just 8.4 out of 100 on its scam assessment scale.
RationalInsurgent warning: Cites Medical Shield Cyex as a “possible scam” and urges readers to be cautious.
No contact info: The Medical Shield Cyex website has no company address, phone number or email, which is often a red flag.
Young domain: The medicalshield.cyex domain was just registered in October 2023, making it a very young site. Scam websites often have young domains.
These shady elements suggest there is definitely a potential risk of Medical Shield Cyex being a scam in disguise.
Medical Shield Cyex Pricing and Packages
As covered earlier, Medical Shield Cyex offers three packages at different price points:
- Medical Shield Cyex Pro: $12.95/month
- Medical Shield Cyex Complete: $14.95/month
- Medical Shield Cyex Total: $24.95/month
The higher tier packages provide more features and greater protection, at an increased price.
These costs can add up fairly quickly, especially since there is no free trial period offered. There are also complaints of customers getting stuck in auto-renewing charges after trying to cancel.
Some alternatives in the identity protection space offer free trial periods, or at least pro-rated refunds if you cancel during the first month. But Medical Shield Cyex does not appear to have this more customer-friendly policy.
Medical Shield Cyex Customer Reviews
There are limited independent customer reviews available for Medical Shield Cyex online. Here is a summary of what people are saying:
Positive Reviews
- Quick notifications of any threats detected
- Useful dashboard to monitor your medical identity status
- Good customer service when contacted for support
- Insurance covered costs associated with identity theft incident
Negative Reviews
- Billing and auto-renewal issues after trying to cancel
- Slow response times from customer service department
- Lack of clarity around what is actively being monitored
- Required providing SSN which seemed unnecessary
Mixed Reviews
- Took a while to see the monitoring alerts show up in the dashboard
- Insurance helped after identity theft incident, but prevention tools could be better
- Some helpful features, but pricier than competitors
Overall, customer feedback on Medical Shield Cyex is somewhat mixed. While some report positive experiences, there are also concerning complaints around billing, cancellation, and lack of clarity around what is actively being monitored.
Pros and Cons of Medical Shield Cyex
Here is an overview of some of the key pros and cons of using Medical Shield Cyex for medical identity protection:
Pros
- Provide $1 million in medical identity theft insurance
- Monitor black market websites for selling of your data
- Alerts for high risk transactions related to your accounts
- Assistance recovering stolen medical identity
Cons
- No free trial period offered
- Auto-renewal and billing complaints after cancelling
- Required providing full SSN during signup
- Negative scam risk assessments from investigation sites
- Lack of company address or contact information
As with most services, there are some benefits but also drawbacks to consider before deciding if Medical Shield Cyex is the right medical identity protection solution for your needs.
Is Medical Shield Cyex Worth It?
Whether or not Medical Shield Cyex is worth the monthly subscription cost depends on your personal situation and priorities.
Here are some factors that indicate it may be worth paying for Medical Shield Cyex:
- You have a high risk of medical identity theft due to recent data breaches
- You already had your medical identity stolen in the past
- You want comprehensive monitoring of black market websites
- You want extensive insurance coverage for costs if identity theft does occur
On the other hand, these factors suggest Medical Shield Cyex may not provide enough value:
- You have relatively good medical identity theft prevention already
- You are looking for a free or low-cost option
- You are uncomfortable providing your full SSN
- You want a service with more transparency and positive reviews
Overall, Medical Shield Cyex could be worth it for some higher risk people who want the most robust monitoring and insurance coverage possible. But there may be better options for others looking for lower cost, less invasive medical identity protection. Also check out: Almog Diagnostic Review
Alternatives to Medical Shield Cyex
Some top alternatives to consider if you are looking for medical identity theft protection include:
LifeLock – Offers plans starting at $9/month. Includes dark web monitoring, alerts and $1 million insurance. More well-known industry leader.
Identity Guard – Starts at $7/month. Monitors credit reports, bank accounts and dark web. Provides assistance resolving issues.
ID Watchdog – Entry level plans start at $9.95/month. Alerts you to threats and monitors key accounts.
IdentityForce – Offers “ultra” plan with extensive features for $14.99 a month. Great customer support.
PrivacyGuard – Has a 14-day free trial. Plans start at $9.99/month. Good monitoring features.
These alternatives offer similar identity protection services as Medical Shield Cyex, usually at lower price points. They also tend to have better reputations, provide free trials, and are more transparent about their practices.
FAQs about Medical Shield Cyex:
Is Medical Shield Cyex legit or a scam?
Medical Shield Cyex shows some signs of being a legitimate service, like positive customer reviews and detailed website information. However, the lack of BBB accreditation, recent domain registration, billing issues, and scam risk ratings also raise some red flags about its trustworthiness.
Does Medical Shield Cyex offer a free trial?
Unfortunately Medical Shield Cyex does not appear to offer any free trial period. You have to provide payment information upfront when signing up for a monthly subscription.
What payment methods does Medical Shield Cyex accept?
Medical Shield Cyex accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express credit and debit cards for payments when you sign up. They do not accept alternative payment methods like PayPal.
Is it easy to cancel Medical Shield Cyex?
Some customers report issues with getting double billed or ongoing charges after trying to cancel Medical Shield Cyex. There are complaints about difficulties fully cancelling the auto-renewing subscription.
Does Medical Shield Cyex offer refunds?
Medical Shield Cyex does not advertise or appear to offer any refunds once you have signed up and paid for a monthly subscription. You are locked into the recurring billing cycle.
Who owns Medical Shield Cyex?
There is limited public information about who specifically founded or owns Medical Shield Cyex. The website provides no details about leadership or physical business address.
Conclusion: Is Medical Shield Cyex Legit or Scam?
Medical Shield Cyex offers certain benefits like dark web monitoring, suspicious activity alerts, and medical identity theft insurance that could appeal to higher risk individuals. However, the lack of transparency around business operations, concerning scam assessments, and billing issues identified by some customers make its trustworthiness questionable.
Here are some final recommendations on Medical Shield Cyex:
- Proceed with caution due to some red flags about potential scam risks
- Compare with alternatives that offer similar services, often at lower price points
- Only sign up if you fully understand billing practices and have budget for ongoing fees
- Use an alias email and virtual credit card number if trying out the service
- Don’t provide your full Social Security number if uncomfortable doing so
While Medical Shield Cyex could still be a legitimate service that provides value for some people, there are likely safer options to consider for medical identity theft protection. Do thorough research before signing up to determine if the offerings match your needs and if better alternatives exist.
Hopefully this review provided you with all the details required to determine if Medical Shield Cyex is right for your situation or if you should consider other medical identity protection services instead.
