When you drive onto our property, you will see Lake Sunrise to your left with a sign that says, “No Fishing”. I kind of wish that we had another sign that says, “No Phishing”. Unfortunately, I don’t think that it would do much good.
Seniors seem to be targets of all kinds of scams, including “phishing.”
Phishing is a cybercrime that scammers use to lure sensitive information or data from you. They use phone calls, emails, text messages, etc. to get your information. Some of our seniors have been targets of these scams. But its not just limited to seniors. Some of our missionaries have had their identity stolen and large sums of money have been drained from their bank accounts. One of those missionaries spoke in chapel yesterday describing what happened to him. He also gave some helpful information on how to avoid being a victim of identity theft. I thought I would pass on a few of his suggestions.
Freeze/lock your credit profile with all three major credit bureaus.
- TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289 (press #0 to speak to live person.)
https://www.transunion.com/credit-reports-disclosures/free-credit-report
- Equifax: 1-888-202-4025 (press #6 to speak to a live-person.)
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/free-credit-reports/
- Experian: 714-830-7000 (press #2 to speak to a live-person)
https://www.experian.com/consumer-products/free-credit-report.html
Freeze your banking profile with ChexSystems: 1-800-428-9623
Request a Tax ID Pin with the IRS via ID.ME
Create a new account then follow prompts to request an IRS PIN
Put a freeze on your utility profile with NCTUE
https://www.exchangeservicecenter.com/Freeze/
Enable notifications with ALL sensitive accounts.
- Your financial institutions (transactions & new logins)
- Online shopping vendors (orders & new logins)
- Email, Google, Microsoft, Apple... (new logins)
- Social media (new logins)
Enable 2-Factor authentication for ALL sensitive accounts. (Wherever possible)
- Your financial institutions
- Online shopping vendors
- Email, Google, Microsoft, Apple...
- Social media
Make sure your contact information is up-to-date for ALL sensitive accounts.
- Your financial institutions
- Online shopping vendors
- Email, Google, Microsoft, Apple...
- Social media
Update every password so it is unique and sufficiently complex
- Your financial institutions
- Online shopping vendors
- Email, Google, Microsoft, Apple...
- Social media
I realize that last one is nearly impossible, especially if your memory is like mine.
I just watched an IT webinar on password security. Did you know that the average person in the U.S. has 70 different passwords that they have to remember? And if you’re like me, you probably have a favorite password that you use over and over and over again. That is an absolute “no no,” if you want to protect yourself from cyber thieves.
So what is a person to do? There are a number of password management apps that will store your passwords for you in a secure vault. The one I use is called LastPass. It is also the one that our IT department recommends. For years I have been using the free version. Just recently, I purchased the premium version which costs $36 per year.
You can get LastPass here: https://lastpass.com
BTW, when your web browser asks you to store that password for you, it is best to say “no.” That is not a secure method of storing passwords.
Since I am one of the IT consultants here at our retirement center, I thought I would pass on a few things that I have learned. Hope you find this helpful.
Blessings,
Bob
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Hold Tight to Jesus
By Charles Spurgeon
It appears almost impossible that those who have been redeemed by the blood of the dying Lamb and loved with an everlasting love by the eternal Son of God could forget that gracious Savior; but if startling to the ear, sadly it is too apparent to the eye to allow us to deny the crime. Some other love steals away your heart, and you are unmindful of Him upon whom your affection ought to be set. Some earthly business engrosses your attention when you ought to be fixed steadily upon the cross. It is the incessant turmoil of the world, the constant attraction of earthly things that takes the soul away from Christ. While memory works to preserve a poisonous weed, it allows the rose of Sharon (Christ) to wither. Let us charge ourselves to tie a heavenly forget-me-not around our hearts for Jesus our Beloved, and whatever else we let slip, let us hold tight to Him.
