Brian Thompson

About Brian Thompson

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February 15, 2023

Protect Yourself from Tax Fraud

Tax identity theft is a type of identity theft that occurs when someone uses your personal information to file a fraudulent tax return and claim a refund. It can have serious consequences, including delays in receiving legitimate refunds, penalties for underpayment, and damage to your credit score. In this article, we’ll explain how tax identity theft occurs, how to spot the warning signs, and what you can do to protect yourself from Tax Fraud How Tax Identity Theft Occurs Tax identity theft can occur in a number of ways. For example: Phishing scams: Scammers request personal information such as Social Security numbers or bank account details through emails or phone calls that appear to be from the IRS. Data breaches: Hackers steal personal information from large companies or government agencies and sell it on the black market for tax identity theft purposes. Stolen mail: Criminals steal mail that contains personal information, […]

February 9, 2023

TikTok: A Parental Guide for Protecting Children

Brian Thompson General, Identity Theft, Uncategorized

As a parent, it’s important to be aware of the potential dangers and harmful content on TikTok, a popular social media platform among children. This guide provides information on TikTok parental controls and the reasons why it may be best to keep children off the app. TikTok Parental Controls: A Guide for Protecting Children Concerned parents and authorities need a comprehensive guide on TikTok parental controls to protect children from harmful and inappropriate content on the popular social media platform. This tutorial outlines step-by-step instructions to implement TikTok controls and discusses privacy policies. Create TikTok Account: Get started by creating a TikTok account for your child, giving you access to all platform features and settings. Enable Digital Wellbeing: Go to “Settings & Privacy” and select “Digital Wellbeing” to enable features such as “Screen Time Management” and “Restricted Mode.” These tools help monitor children’s activity and protect them from harmful content. […]

February 8, 2023

Artificial Intelligence & Social Engineering: You Need to Know

Brian Thompson Breach, Identity Theft

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way, bringing numerous benefits. However, it also has the potential to be used for malicious purposes, especially in social engineering. This article will show you how AI can manipulate people and why it’s crucial to be aware of these tactics to protect your personal information. What is Social Engineering? Social engineering manipulates individuals into revealing confidential information or performing actions that benefit the attacker. Attackers use various methods, such as emails, phone calls, or in-person interactions. AI can automate these tactics and make them even more sophisticated. How AI Manipulates People AI can manipulate people through voice assistants. AI-powered voice assistants can mimic human voices, making it hard to tell the difference between a human and an AI. This can trick individuals into revealing personal information, leaving them vulnerable to attack. Here is an example story from Knowbe4. Chatbots are another tool that […]

February 2, 2023

3rd Largest Economy – Cybercrime

Brian Thompson Breach

Cybercrime is the third largest economy in the world, with costs estimated at around $8 trillion globally. This staggering figure highlights the alarming reality of the current digital landscape and the importance of taking cybersecurity measures seriously. The United States and China, two of the largest economies in the world, are not immune to the threat of cybercrime. It is imperative that businesses, government organizations, and individuals take proactive steps to protect their assets and sensitive information. This includes investing in security measures such as firewalls, encryption technologies, and regular software updates, as well as preparing for potential breaches by having a comprehensive response plan in place. Moreover, companies have a responsibility to protect their employees and customers from the damaging effects of a cyberattack. Personal information, financial data, and confidential business information must be kept secure to prevent identity theft, fraud, and loss of revenue. Investing in cyber security […]

February 2, 2023

Protecting Employees & Securing Success

Brian Thompson Uncategorized

In today’s fast-paced business world, small business owners face numerous challenges. Challenges include the cost of providing valuable employee benefits while also keeping expenses low. However, with the growing threat of identity theft, it’s essential to find a way to protect employees while also securing the success of the business. That’s where the idea of “Protecting Employees and Securing Success” comes into play. By including identity theft protection in employee benefits, small businesses can: attract and retain top talent, improve employee morale, and ensure the safety of their employees’ personal and financial information. This article will explore the benefits of offering identity theft protection as a benefit and how it can positively impact both employees and the business. The struggle Small business owners face a constant struggle in trying to balance the cost of employee benefits with the value that these benefits offer to their employees. In today’s digital age, […]

What is Fully Managed Recovery for identity fraud, and how does it improve the employee's experience?

January 25, 2023

What’s Fully Managed Recovery for Identity Fraud

Brian Thompson Identity Theft

What is Fully Managed Recovery for identity fraud, and how does it improve the employee’s experience? Fully managed identity theft recovery is a service offered by some companies that helps individuals who have been the victims of identity theft. The service typically includes assistance with canceling and reissuing credit cards, restoring credit reports, and contacting the appropriate authorities to report the identity theft. The service is considered “fully managed” because the company manages the entire process for the individual, from start to finish, and the individual does not have to take on the task of recovering their identity on their own. Fully managed identity theft recovery can improve the victim’s experience by taking on the burden of dealing with the aftermath of the theft. The process of recovering from identity theft can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially if the victim is not familiar with the necessary steps. By using a […]

January 20, 2023

Life Insurance Fraud?

Brian Thompson healthcare, Identity Theft

Life insurance fraud is a criminal act in which an individual or group of individuals intentionally deceives an insurance company in order to receive a financial benefit or payout from a life insurance policy. This can occur in a variety of ways, from exaggerating or fabricating claims on a policy to providing false information in order to obtain coverage. Examples of life insurance fraud include: Policyholder fraud: This occurs when the policyholder provides false information on a life insurance application in order to obtain coverage, such as exaggerating their health status or providing a false occupation. Beneficiary fraud: This occurs when a beneficiary of a life insurance policy makes false claims in order to receive a payout, such as fabricating the cause of death or providing false documentation. Agent fraud: This occurs when an insurance agent engages in fraudulent activity, such as selling policies to individuals who do not qualify […]

January 19, 2023

Accountants offering Identity Theft Protection?

Brian Thompson General, Identity Theft

Identity theft is a growing concern for individuals and businesses alike, and as it pertains to accountants, it is important to consider offering identity theft protection services to clients. Not only can this service provide peace of mind for clients, but it can also help protect the accounting firm’s business from potential liability. Is your Accountant offering identity theft protection? One of the main reasons why an accountant should consider offering identity theft protection services is the transfer and handling of sensitive documents and information. Accountants have access to a wide range of personal and financial client information. Information including Social Security numbers, bank account information, and tax returns. If this information were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be used for identity theft and other fraudulent activities. Identity theft protection services can help protect clients from this risk by providing monitoring and alerts for suspicious activity, as […]

January 11, 2023

5 Reasons Employers Offer Identity Protection

Brian Thompson General, Identity Theft

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”] Identity theft is a growing concern for both individuals and businesses. Employers are starting to recognize the importance of offering identity theft protection as a benefit to their employees. As a company, it’s imperative to offer a comprehensive employee benefits package that not only attracts new talent but also helps retain the current workforce. Offering identity theft protection as a benefit is a proactive approach to protecting your employees, their financial well-being, and the company’s reputation, productivity, and compliance. In this article, we will look at the 5 reasons employers offer identity theft protection as a benefit to their employees. Below you will find 5 reasons employers offer id protection to their employees: Employee retention: Offering identity theft protection is a valuable benefit to employees, helping with employee […]

January 4, 2023

Early Tax Filing Helps Prevent Tax-Related Identity Theft

Brian Thompson General, Identity Theft

Did you know that individual tax refunds are a popular target for cybercriminals seeking to profit from stolen identities? And that early tax filing helps prevent tax-related identity theft. According to the IRS, tax returns with confirmed cases of identity theft continue to increase year over year. Taking the necessary precautions to protect yourself from tax-related identity theft is important, and filing your taxes early is one of the best ways to help safeguard your identity Discover why the IRS advises taxpayers to file as soon as possible, as well as the most common warning signs of tax-related identity theft. Tax-Related Identity Theft: What Is It? Tax-related identity theft occurs when a criminal claims a tax refund using a stolen Social Security number in the victim’s name. The victim may spend months correcting false deductions, incorrectly reported income, and other issues with their tax return. According to the IRS, […]