I was recently talking to a friend. She called me because there was a big issue at work: a ransomware attack. Basically, a hacker installed software that locked down the entire network, and then demanded that her boss pay $8500. Ultimately, against my recommendations, the only choice they determined they had was to pay the…
Do you know when something is “fake news?” If you have half a brain, you should. However, when someone in authority makes a claim, the masses who elected that person into that authoritative position, automatically trust what has been said and spread that fake news. That needs to stop. My mother one said believe nothing…
These days, shopping online isn’t a risky, crazy or scary task, but with all of the cyber criminals out and about, you might want to think twice before clicking “submit payment.” If you are going to be shopping online, there are some things that you can do to keep yourself safe. Here are some tips:…
The IRS has taken the step of urging taxpayers to be aware of emails and calls that can lead to people giving up their personal info to cybercriminals. The IRS has been telling taxpayers to take more care than before during this time. They has also reminded people that the IRS does not call taxpayers…
You might think that freezing your credit is enough to keep you safe. In fact, freezing your credit was actually a smart thing to do in order to prevent fraud and stop yourself from becoming a victim of ID theft. It is free to freeze your credit whether or not you are a victim of…
You might not realize it, but hackers are making a ton of money thanks to phishing attacks, and now they have started to focus on gift cards. Scarlet Widow, which is a notorious scam group out of Nigeria, has really been boosting its efforts to romance scam people and using gift cards. The group is…
The winter holidays are a time for friends, family, and fun…and also fraud. Here are 10 ways that you can protect yourself from shopping scams this holiday season: Gift Card Scams Don’t ever give anyone your credit card information to claim a gift card that you hear about via email. Shop Smart Online shopping? Don’t…
We all know that the election could lead to turbulent times, and there are going to be risks out there. What can you do if you come across some type of violence or protesting? Let’s start with some general tips to keep yourself safe: Don’t wear candidate-specific clothing. You are only bringing attention to yourself.…
“TechWorld” has some interesting information, such as a story on a report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. And while you may not see this as being “fun”, it is at a minimum interesting. I’m here to break it down for you. In this report, the public was advised to stop using two…
Cyber criminals are always trying to keep one step ahead of the crowd, and now there is another scam that you should be aware of. It’s called “synthetic identity theft,” and it is when a bad guy takes some of a victim’s personal information, and then they make up the rest. These people also will…
