November 2022

It is such an exciting time of year with holiday parties, buying presents for your favorite people, and enjoying family! But it is also important to keep in mind that online shoppers and the holidays are two things that cybercriminals enjoy during this exciting time. Because Criminals Love the Holidays! It is wise to keep in mind that websites can be compromised or even spoofed at this time. There are already fake shipping notifications, fake holiday contests, and phishing and vishing scams out there looking for your information. Threats during the holiday season should serve as a reminder of two crucial life lessons: Your private information is not as private as you might believe. and cyber thieves do not take the holidays off; in fact, they turn up the volume! Below are 5 things to consider while you are out spreading holiday cheer! Deal with businesses you know and trust. […]

  Over 92,000 victims lost $1.7 billion to elderly Identity theft and fraud in 2021, according to the 2021 FBI Elder Fraud Report. These losses increased by 74% compared to 2020. Elders and seniors (those 60 years of age and older) were the targets of cybercrime and ID theft, with an average loss of $18,246 per senior victim. 3,133 elderly victims also suffered losses totaling more than $100,000 each. Unfortunately, our prediction has come true. We wrote an article in September 2019 titled 2020 Prediction: Senior ID Theft to Get Significantly Worse. So how does elder or senior fraud occur? According to the FBI, “elder fraud takes many forms as criminals find ways to take advantage of this vulnerable and growing population.” “Seniors are a particularly vulnerable victim group and are often specifically targeted for financial fraud crimes.” Additionally, according to the FBI, “seniors are often more polite and trusting, have difficulty […]