December 2022

December 28, 2022

Are Financial Companies Protecting Your Personal Data?

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]Are financial companies protecting your personal data from Identity Theft and Fraud? In July, I read that “cumulative merchant losses to online payment fraud globally between 2023 and 2027 will exceed $343 billion,” according to Juniper Research. Online payment fraud includes losses such as those from digital sales, physical goods, banking transactions, and peer-to-peer payment apps. I also read a November Consumer Affairs article titled “Scammers are using Facebook Marketplace, Zelle, and PayPal to snare new victims,” where “scammers are impersonating recognized businesses like Amazon, Apple, and other name-brand companies to appear reputable to their target, to then run off with their personal or financial information.” Consumer Affairs reported, “the top 5 scams were bank/credit card (10.3%), debt/loan (6.6%), and free money (6.4%).” According to Jim Luff, Corporate Communications Manager at Aurora Payments (a leading payment service and solutions provider), Aurora sent a March 2022 […]

December 19, 2022

Holiday Travel Fraud is Here

Brian Thompson General, Identity Theft

A favorite holiday tradition is visiting family while on the road. But we must be careful not to reveal our identities to everyone as we go about spreading holiday cheer. Holiday travel fraud is here and there are some things you should do to prepare. Because of all the holiday commotion, gift givers, shoppers, and travelers can be a treasure trove for identity thieves who know you might be letting your guard down. If you’re anything like me, you struggle to stay within your budget; however, don’t give the bad guys access to every aspect of your life and finances. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you crack open the eggnog! Put your mail on hold; arrange to have all important documents delivered electronically. Additionally, contact the post office to have your mail held. Social media: This one is hard! We all want to share our […]

December 14, 2022

4 Things to Watch Out for this Holiday Season!

Brian Thompson Identity Theft, Uncategorized

4 Things to Watch Out for this Holiday Season! Oh, what a year it has been and continues to be this holiday season! Unfortunately, in this continued craziness, bad guys tend to take advantage of anyone they can. They also are opportunistic during the holidays. Both being an issue right now provides a great opportunity for deceit and fraud. We encourage you to take the time this year to ensure you are being safe with your generosity and activities online and off. Below you will find 4 things to watch out for this holiday season, coupled with the pandemic. Online shopping Scams! This year more than ever, holiday shoppers will be purchasing online. According to the Better Business Bureau, online shopping is expected to increase over the last year by 10% to 75%. Watch out for “locked out” messages claiming you have been locked out of your accounts. The bad […]

December 8, 2022

Gift Card Fraud During the Holidays

Brian Thompson Breach, Identity Theft

Gift card fraud rises during the holidays every year. So many of us love buying and using gift cards as gifts. They are practical, simple to purchase, simple to use, and simple to give as gifts. They typically let the recipient choose exactly what they want, and they are frequently given as rewards for actions. According to estimates, the market for gift cards is worth hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars. Nobody dislikes receiving a free gift card, right? BUT, gift cards are unfortunately frequently used by con artists to defraud their victims of money. There are many ways gift cards can be used by scammers, here are the top three, as noted by KnowBe4: You Have to Use Gift Cards to Pay a Bill One very typical scam involves a potential victim being contacted by someone, usually via voice call (although it can also be done via text message or […]