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Holiday Security Tips: On the tenth day of Christmas, the experts gave to me, 10 trusted charities
Because you tend to be more giving throughout the holidays, scammers target you during this time of year. Whether they are asking for a donation to a charity, promising free iPads, claiming to be a friend in need, or are asking you to click on something outrageous or out of character, don’t fall for it.
Solution: Keep your eyes open for these common holiday scams
- Phishing. Thieves, or hackers as they are more commonly known, will send emails that look like they are legitimately sent from a charitable organization when in real-life these are fake web sites that are designed to steal credit card information, donations and your identity. To donate, call or visit the website of a reputable charitable organization.
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: "Charity scams", "Click Jacking", "Phishing", “Holiday ID Theft”, “Online scams”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, “Preventing Identity Theft”, holiday, Holiday Identity Theft, Holiday Scams, holiday security tips, Holiday Shopping, John Sileo, Sileo
Holiday Security Tips: On the eleventh day of Christmas, the experts gave to me, 11 private emails
During the holidays, we tend to spend more time online, searching for the perfect gift, swapping emails with friends, viewing festive holiday pictures, jokes and so on. Cybercriminals know this and guess what? They’re online more, too—looking for ways to lure you into scams to ruin your holidays and steal valuable information. Here are just a few email scams to watch for:
Holiday e-card scams: Each year, more and more people are going the environmentally friendly and cost-effective route by sending holiday e-cards. Cybercriminals, looking to install malicious software on your computer, may join in the fun and send you an e-card with an attachment to open.
Solution: Resist your curiosity to see that adorable elf dance; only open attachments from trusted friends and family. If you don’t recognize the sender, don’t open the e-card.
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: "Fake invoice scams", "Holiday ecard scams", “Holiday ID Theft”, “Online scams”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, “Preventing Identity Theft”, holiday, Holiday Identity Theft, Holiday Scams, holiday security tips, Holiday Shopping, John Sileo, Sileo
Holiday Security Tips: On the ninth day of Christmas, the experts gave to me, 9 protected packages
Thieves are on the lookout for the delivery of packages, especially around the holidays. FedEx and UPS packages might sit outside for hours, often in plain view from the street, making a mighty tempting target. Not only can thieves grab the precious contents inside, but also the shipping labels often contain personal information the thieves love to get their hands on.
Solution: Ship packages to your work address, or a PO Box or require a signature
If your employer doesn’t mind your receiving packages at work,
have them shipped there since someone is generally available during the day (when shipments arrive). If that doesn’t work, consider getting a PO Box at the post office during the holidays. When all else fails, ask to have your packages shipped with signature required so that they aren’t dropped off unless someone is there to sign.
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: “Holiday ID Theft”, “Online scams”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, “Preventing Identity Theft”, holiday, Holiday Identity Theft, Holiday Scams, holiday security tips, Holiday Shopping, John Sileo, Sileo
Holiday Security Tips: On the eighth day of Christmas, the experts gave to me, 8 scam detectors
Most of us are too busy to monitor every form of identity that is at risk. Unfortunately, victims usually get hit when they take their eye off the ball.
Solution: Purchase a comprehensive identity monitoring service
While a partridge in a pear tree may have been appreciated in 18th century England, it’s not a very coveted item these days! Instead, help out the ones you love (and yourself!) by giving the gift of identity theft monitoring.
Posted in Fraud Detection & Prevention, Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: “Holiday ID Theft”, “Online scams”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, “Preventing Identity Theft”, Credit Bureaus, Credit Monitoring, holiday, Holiday Identity Theft, Holiday Scams, holiday security tips, Holiday Shopping, John Sileo, Sileo
Holiday Security Tips: On the seventh day of Christmas, the experts gave to me, 7 fraud alerts
George Bailey had his identity taken away to learn a valuable lesson. His guardian angel was able to reinstate it at the end of the movie, but if your identity is stolen, you may not be so lucky. Sometimes there is no possible way to prevent identity theft. The reality of living in the information economy is that your identity will occasionally be compromised. But don’t worry – if you catch fraud quickly, you won’t lose much.
Solution: Use Automated Account Alerts to Catch Fraud Quickly
Catch holiday identity theft quickly by actively monitoring your checking, debit and credit card accounts.
The key is to catch and resolve fraud within 30 days, before it becomes a headache.
Posted in Fraud Detection & Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: "automatic account alerts", “Holiday ID Theft”, “Online scams”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, “Preventing Identity Theft”, holiday, Holiday Identity Theft, Holiday Scams, holiday security tips, Holiday Shopping, John Sileo, Sileo
Holiday Security Tips: On the sixth day of Christmas, the experts gave to me, 6 safe celebrations
Isn’t it unfortunate that holiday parties, at home or at work, are a major source of data theft? Crafty thieves are searching for smartphones, iPads, financial documents, checkbooks, credit and debit cards, laptops, client lists, thumb drives, files, mail, purses, wallets and all other sources of identity. The data on digital devices is a veritable goldmine equal to making off with the Roast Beast.
Solution: During parties, lock identity behind closed doors (and away from acquaintances)
Ignore the voice of denial (it sounds like Boris Karloff) insisting that your friends, family, co-workers, vendors, customers and colleagues wouldn’t possibly steal from you. Cindy Lou Who didn’t suspect the kindly “Santie Claus” either! I hear hundreds of stories every year after my speaking engagements with the same sad ending: the victim knows the thief! Don’t assume the worst about your guests; just don’t assume anything and protect yourself preventatively.
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: "Holiday Party IdentityTheft", “Holiday ID Theft”, “Online scams”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, “Preventing Identity Theft”, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, holiday, Holiday Identity Theft, Holiday Scams, holiday security tips, Holiday Shopping, John Sileo, Sileo
Holiday Security Tips: On the fifth day of Christmas, the experts gave to me, 5 Facebook fixes
In general, we share too much information on social media sites. During the holidays, we are positively intoxicated with the giving spirit! Without thinking, we share our holiday travel plans, click on seemingly charitable links or post pictures of a fun night out. And when you share with friends on Facebook, you are sharing with their friends and ultimately, most of the literate world. The problem is, some of those people aren’t really friends and only want to separate you from your holiday dollars.
Solution: Apply these five fixes to ALL of your social sharing (not just Facebook)
- Customize your privacy settings. Sixty percent of social network users are unaware that their default privacy settings let others into most of their personal information. Facebook does a decent job of explaining how to lock your privacy down(https://www.facebook.com/help/privacy) but you must spend at least 90 minutes going over the settings to properly protect yourself.
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: “Holiday ID Theft”, “Online scams”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, “Preventing Identity Theft”, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Facebook, Facebook Privacy Settings, holiday, Holiday Identity Theft, Holiday Scams, holiday security tips, Holiday Shopping, John Sileo, Sileo, twitter privacy
Holiday Security Tips: On the fourth day of Christmas, the experts gave to me, 4 pay solutions!
True or False?
When you use a debit card, funds are more secure because they are drawn directly from your bank.
False. While it’s true that funds are drawn directly from your bank, it actually makes it harder to get the money reimbursed while the issue is being resolved if fraud does occur.
You can receive a reimbursement for debit card fraud up to a year later.
False. Debit cards generally only reimburse fraudulent purchases if you catch them within 60 days.
It is safer to use a credit card than a debit card.
True. When you use a credit card, nothing is withdrawn from your bank account immediately. Pending transactions can take several days to clear. In addition, credit cards uniformly give you more protection than debit cards and your maximum liability is capped at $50.
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: "High security checks", “Holiday ID Theft”, “Online scams”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, “Preventing Identity Theft”, Black Friday, Checks, Credit Cards, Cyber Monday, Debit Cards, holiday, Holiday Identity Theft, Holiday Scams, holiday security tips, Holiday Shopping, John Sileo, Sileo
Holiday Security Tips: On the third day of Christmas, the experts gave to me, 3 stymied hackers!
Although you may trust the baristas at your local coffee shop to make that perfect Gingerbread Latte, you can’t always trust the person sitting next to you. Hackers can easily tap into Wi-Fi connections at public hot spots to steal your identity information, including credit card and bank account numbers. This can be especially dangerous during the holiday season when “hotspot sniffers” come out of the woodwork using free monitoring apps like Firesheep.
Solution: Stop shopping online using free Wi-Fi hotspots.
If you must shop online while out in public, take the following precautions:
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: “Holiday ID Theft”, “Online scams”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, “Preventing Identity Theft”, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, holiday, Holiday Identity Theft, Holiday Scams, holiday security tips, Holiday Shopping, John Sileo, Sileo
