General

What is identity theft?… How common is it? How do identity thieves operate, and which online scams should you watch out for? Identity theft continues to be the fastest growing crime in America. It’s consistently one of the top consumer complaints. If you are a college student or in the military, you are one of the most targeted populations by thieves. It’s been known to cost the victim both time and money, as, on average, 100s of hours, many months, and thousands of dollars are spent to resolve each crime. Identity theft has increased because it’s so easy to do and the rewards are so large Okay, now that we understand the seriousness of the crime, let’s get down to the business of beating it because it’s not going away, but it can be mitigated. Let’s start with a definition. Identity theft takes many shapes and forms. We’ll condense it […]

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provides tips on how to stay away from con artists who prey on people after natural disasters like Hurricane Ian. Preying on people after hurricane Ian is something we should all be aware of as with any natural disaster. Disaster victims and those attempting to donate to charities are both targets of scammers. “First, understand that officials with government disaster assistance agencies do not call or text asking for financial account information and that there is no fee required to apply for or receive disaster assistance from FEMA or the Small Business Administration,” according to the FCC. “Anyone posing as a federal official and asking for money is an imposter.” Always be suspicious of phone calls that ask for information! “Remember that phone scams often use spoofing techniques to deliberately falsify the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity or […]

The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) published the 2022 ITRC Consumer Impact Report last week. It details a new scam known as “social media account takeover fraud,” in which cybercriminals and ID theft criminals hijack Facebook and Instagram accounts to steal personally identifiable information (PII). Account takeover fraud (ATO), is when a fraudster successfully accesses your bank account, credit card account, cell phone account, utility account, Social Security account, or reward/loyalty card account. This occurs when malicious actors attempt to take control of an account using weak passwords, phishing, hacking, and/or credential stuffing. What is happening… Social media account takeover attacks have increased by more than 1,000% in the past 12 months, according to the ITRC. The results of a quick survey of victims who reported a social media account takeover are included in the 2022 Consumer Impact Report. The victims who participated in the micro-survey stated the following: 85 […]

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 […]

Unfortunately, scammers often see students as easy targets for identity theft.  Assuming, as young adults, they are less knowledgeable about identity theft and fraud. Often, students are more likely to fall victim to identity fraud and a lot of that has to do with the environment they are in, the way they communicate, and the information they have to share with the school. With these 7 student identity theft protection tips, students will be better prepared as they embark on their college life. 7 Student Identity Theft Protection Tips Don’t overshare. Social media can make it easy for a scammer to learn personal details about you. Be careful what information you share on these sites because you never know who might see your posts. Your birthday, address, previous schools, and even your pets’ names could be used to gain access to your passwords and accounts if you’ve used them as […]

Schools across the nation are kicking off the new school year,  and students are targeted for Identity Theft and Fraud schemes!   Schemes that we never worried about in the early 2000s.  Student life was simple,  desktops were for papers, no smartphones, no social media, and socializing was actually in person!  That is not today’s reality Now more than ever, devices, Social Media, and advanced schemes have increased the risk for students. Risks that now are more prevalent due to the majority of students having constant connectivity.   A significant increase in phony LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media friend requests placing many students at risk coupled the daily inundation of information/misinformation has given cybercriminals an endless resource to implement their attacks.  It’s not just college kids though… K-12 districts across the U.S. have become targets as well.   The worst-hit states include: New York with 89 Texas with 79 Illinois and Ohio […]

Thanks to the Internet, jobs that we used to have to do from the confines of an office can now be done at home. Even before COVID led many of us to work from home, millions of us already worked remotely. And that trend doesn’t seem like it will slow down any time soon. BUT home wifi isn’t safe from hackers. There are good reasons for that, since remote work has many benefits for workers, as well as fewer overhead costs for employers. After a large chunk of the working population got a taste of working from home, many decided that they liked it. However, working remotely has its own problems and challenges, especially in terms of network security. Your home network is probably not protected by the same rigorous cybersecurity protocols that corporate networks have access to. So, either the company or the employee needs to take steps to […]

Parenting kids is hard enough, parenting kids with social media is another thing… Without clear guidance from us as parents, and education on the consequences of oversharing, our kids can open themselves to damages we can’t even predict. This is an enormous challenge, but a challenge worth understanding and taking on. Strong boundaries and education around social media are important as data thieves, and other criminals, don’t consider age a deterrent. In fact, a child’s information has more value to an identity thief than an adult because they have clean credit files and typically a longer length of time before discovery, creating even more damage. Helping our kids to understand what they are doing, what impacts their social media behavior has in the long term is more important than ever. If our job is to equip them to face this world without us, we have to ensure they are aware […]

On my work laptop, I use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) whenever I work remotely including in my home, my hotel room, or any other location away from the office.  (be sure to watch the video below) However, I realized that I do not use a VPN on either my smartphone or personal computer. That said, I enlisted the assistance of Kent Lawson, President, and CEO of Private Communications Corporation to learn more about VPNs in general and Private WiFi (Private WiFi – Protect your Identity and Sensitive Information on any Public WiFi Network with a Personal VPN) in particular. Private WiFi Private WiFi is the flagship product of Private Communications Corporation, founded by Kent Lawson in 2010. After reading a series of articles in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and The New York Times about the security vulnerabilities of WiFi hotspots, Lawson (a 40 year computer industry executive) was […]

As we continue to see the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is natural that we look for ways to help.  Donating money is often one of the best and easiest ways to make an impact.  Unfortunately, we need to ensure that we avoid Ukraine relief scams popping up which is causing more chaos. Scammers have no shame and will try to lure out money from people like you who are just trying to help.  Below are some tips to consider while looking to help. Donation Tips Give to Organizations You Trust: Do your research before giving. Review the charity’s purpose and find out how the charity spends its donations. How much is spent directly on the charitable cause? How much goes to overhead and employee compensation? You should also confirm the charity’s name, address, and nonprofit status. Be Wary of Social Network Fundraising: If you are planning to donate through […]