Episodes
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Nick Paras joined us to explains how to protect your Android phone/tablet. Hackers/identity thieves never sleep. We keep all sorts of valuable information on our phones and it's very scary to think that all of your data that you keep near and dear to you could be stolen in an instant. If things go really bad you need a current back-up so you can restore them and get your phone running quickly and properly.
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The fraudsters are out there trying to get your password info so they can uncover other sites where you're using the same password. Heather says that you should use a different password for every site you subscribe to. That's truly the only way you can stay safe. Remember human psychology is always in play, you're either avoiding pain or you're seeking pleasure. The fraudsters capitalize on this by threatening dire consequences if you don't click that button or make that call or give out your credit card number. Fear is a much better motivator than pleasure because it taps into the survival instinct.
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Missing episodes?
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Heather Wagenhals has always had a particular revulsion against
scammers who exploit the elderly and the ignorant and steal their
money, often their life's savings. Now Heather is compiling a list
of scams around the country. She's put herself onto so-called
"Sucker Lists," and is being voluntarily inundated with scammers.
She records their calls and the phone number they're calling from,
along with any suspect websites. Then she pushes them out on the
web as warning to the unsuspecting. Scammers beware, there's a new
sheriff in town! -
Heather Wagenhals has always had a particular revulsion against scammers who exploit the elderly and the ignorant and steal their money, often their life's savings. Now Heather is compiling a list of scams around the country. She's put herself onto so-called "Sucker Lists," and is being voluntarily inundated with scammers. She records their calls and the phone number they're calling from, along with any suspect websites. Then she pushes them out on the web as warning to the unsuspecting. Scammers beware, there's a new sheriff in town!
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Ransomware seems to be springing up all over. Imagine you're working on your computer one and find out that someone has encrypted your data and is demanding a Bitcoin payment to give you the key to unlock it. It's not just businesses that it's happening to, individuals are getting hit now too. Your best bet is to backup early and often. Then you should be able to get out of it with your data intact. Remember, backup early and often! Two backups minimum, local and a cloud backup service.
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Imagine an 18 year old posing as a doctor and he actually makes house calls. Luckily he was just posing as a holistic doctor. He was enterprising, and while he was visiting a "patient's" home and help himself to her credit cards and check book and borrowed over $35,000. A case of impersonation and identity theft. The perpetrator of this crime is now under psychiatric observation as this was not his first offense. Remember, just because someone has a white jacket and calls himself doctor doesn't make it so!
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Just when you thought it was safe to boot your hard drive here comes ransomware. Hackers have figured out how to use encryption to lock up your computer and make the contents inaccessible without a password and then hold your data ransom until you make an extortion payment. This recently happened to a hospital in South Florida and they were shut down for weeks and had to revert back to paper records until they finally gave in and made the payment. Be certain there are no back doors on your computer, change your passwords regularly and be sure not to click any links you're not sure of. And don't open any suspicious email, ever!
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James Munton, noted author and authority on Cons, both online and personal, says that you need to be careful about your children's identity. Besides the usual assortment of predators, identity thieves have recently taken to getting children's social security numbers, establishing credit profiles and then ripping off banks and credit grantors. The problem is that you and your children won't find out until it's too late. Often the victim only discovers the identity theft after applying for a student loan or auto financing. And then it's too late! James gives some common sense tips to avoid this outcome.
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Just when you thought it was safe to eat your Big Mac, we find out that identity thieves have been breaching fast food company credit card systems. The new chip card reading systems aren't working in many stores. As a result identity theft is continuing unabated. Heather said that the effort to be backward compatible, rather than simply replacing the existing system has been at the root of these problems.
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Morgan Wright is an internationally recognized authority on cyberterrorism, cybersecurity, identity theft and US law enforcement. He has trained over 2,000 law enforcement officers in the investigation of computer crime, including one year training the FBI on internet investigations. Morgan taught behavioral analysis interviewing at the National Security Agency, and is a contributing author to the 4th Edition Computer Security Handbook. He gives you sound advice to avoid becoming an identity theft victim.
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Kasrten Nohl has a PHD in cryptography and is a worldwide acknowledged expert in digital security. He's extremely concerned about the potential vulnerabilities of the emerging global digital payment systems. As we transfer from magnetic credit card strips to purely digital systems, the potential for fraud and the profits from it are going up exponentially. In the end the consumer really doesn't have any control over the situation and must rely on business and government to be protected.
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When it comes to Identity Theft, Carrie Kerskie literally wrote the book. Your Identity, Because Nothing Is Private Anymore has become a classic on preventing identity theft. Carrie also advises you to immediately set up your online account at the Social Security Administration, because if you don't, an identity thief can do it instead. Always set up your online banking accounts, even if you never intend to use them, because failure to do so allows an identity thief to set it up in your place and start stealing your funds. And always be wary when using debit cards. Credit cards are much safer.
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With the annual ritual of tax filing comes a stern reminder that identity thieves are lying in wait. Through various sources, they're able to obtain your social security number and date of birth. Then they electronically file a tax return and get the tax money that you've paid in. When you try to file a legitimate return, it gets rejected as a duplicate filing. This is a nearly $6 billion dollar problem. Finally, the IRS and the States are taking action and working with the online tax preparers to minimize the risk. But no doubt, just when they think the problem is solved, these thieves will come up with new ways to defraud the system. Patrick discusses several ways that you can minimize the risk.
Go to keepMyId.org and get started now. Use the code FSN2 for the best value. -
In 2015 Starbucks was hacked! Their mobile user accounts were breached by hackers. I'm a Starbucks account holder and was never notified. So many hacks, so little time. There were so many breaches last year that we could cover pages and pages describing them. In 2016 Rob expects medical record hacking to take center stage. So get ready and start thinking ahead because it will probably happen to you and to me.
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Noted cyber security expert Nick Piras was on with us again. There were so many questions about Cloud Security that we felt obligated to devote another show to it. Nick gives you the 3 three things you must absolutely do now to protect your data and your life and your identity. He also gives you the inside scoop on security, Apple vs. PC and what to do about that Smart Phone that can absolutely destroy your life.
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No sooner that you've rung in the new year and the scammers descend. Happy New Year! You can't build a Great Digital Wall of China/Trump, it's just not practical. Restrict your social network access and you can keep things a little more private. Be wary of friend requests. Keep your phone numbers hidden and unlisted. Pay attention to click for support sites, fake charities and fake sites that appear real. Watch out for chip credit card scams and part time job scams. The list is endless. So be vigilant!
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No sooner that you've rung in the new year and the scammers descend. Happy New Year! You can't build a Great Digital Wall of China/Trump, it's just not practical. Restrict your social network access and you can keep things a little more private. Be wary of friend requests. Keep your phone numbers hidden and unlisted. Pay attention to click for support sites, fake charities and fake sites that appear real. Watch out for chip credit card scams and part time job scams. The list is endless. So be vigilant!
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Noted identity theft expert and bestselling author Robert Siciliano joined us to discuss the Identity Theft Epidemic. Christmas Time is notorious for all sorts of scams. With the advent of chipped credit and debit cards, new scams have been created to take advantage of the consumer confusion created by this technology. Beware of banks calling you to discuss your new card. It's an opening to get your private info. Also beware of phony websites for charities and retailers, created just for the purpose of stealing your data. Awareness is the key to keeping you and your data safe this holiday season.
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While internet scams are certainly proliferating, conventional tried and true scams are still being conducted every day of the week. They appear to be exceptionally effective during the holiday season. Thieves understand that you're more focused on getting through the holidays and that therefore your guard may be down. Heather talks about the home based work scams where the scammer works on your confidence to get you to send them money, while you're waiting for their wire or check to clear, which it never does. So be on your look out for scams this holiday season.
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James Munton is a magician and expert in helping you avoid scams, cons and identity theft. His new book, The Con: How Scams Work, Why You’re Vulnerable & How to Protect Yourself. If you’re worried about becoming a victim James can be an invaluable source. Beware of the latest scam, which is really an old one, Rocks In The Box, where someone in a parking lot offers you an iPad for an incredibly cheap deal, only to find out it's an empty box with a floor tile in it. So beware!
To keep you identity safe go to KeepMyId.Org and use the code FSN2! - Show more
