September 2022

September 22, 2022

What’s ID Theft Protection?

So we hear ads about Identity Theft Protection pretty much every day now. But what’s ID Theft Protection, and what is the benefit? Why should you care? Because this is happening every day to people you know…causing stress, anxiety, problems at work and with family, and sleepless nights! First, identity theft is not entirely avoidable, but there are things you can do to protect yourself. An Identity theft protection service can alert you to potential fraud and restore your identity if it gets stolen. Identity Theft providers do the hard work for you. They do this by searching for your personal information on the dark web, social media, and other databases that can indicate bad actors have your information. Victims who are protected with an Identity theft protection program can turn to recovery advocates. Recovery advocates work for the provider and are specialists in Identity Theft Recovery services. The advocate […]

September 14, 2022

Realities of Identity Theft

Brian Thompson Identity Theft

The Realities of Identity theft include Emotional Loss, Psychological Pain, Helplessness, Anger, Isolation, and Betrayal. The Aite Group (a financial services research firm) released a report highlighting how Identity Theft Impacts Nearly Half of US Consumers. The report uncovered intense “pervasiveness of identity fraud against U.S. consumers” and found the following: 47 percent of U.S. consumers surveyed experienced identity theft 37 percent experienced application fraud (i.e. the unauthorized use of one’s identity to apply for an account) 38 percent of consumers experienced account takeover (i.e. unauthorized access to a consumer’s existing account). The Aite Group report found an estimated 42 percent increase in identity-related losses from 2019 to 2020. This demonstrates how identity theft is “rapidly growing in severity and will continue to flourish.” The report also found serious consumer dissatisfaction with the assistance provided to victims following an identity theft attack. Among those dissatisfied said they were unlikely to […]

September 6, 2022

ISP’s – Spying on your family

Brian Thompson General, Identity Theft

ISP’s are spying on your family. But what’s an ISP and why should I care? An ISP, or Internet Service Provider, is a company that lets you access the internet from home, usually via a monthly subscription. It’s like a cable company, but instead of connecting you with TV channels, an ISP connects you to the internet. An ISP may sell one or more types of internet service, also called connection types. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is the first connection point between the Internet and your computer. And you should know that ISPs represent one of the many potential threats to online security. After all, you connect to the outside world through their network. Your IP address is the one they assign to you for the duration of your session. Is my ISP really spying on me? In a word, yes. Your ISP is likely looking at the websites […]