A break-in happened and a lot of very important things have been stolen but as one goes about the business of daily life completely unaware, the crime wave is growing exponentially. Most people have no concept about the lack of security in their lives.
They assume a locked door is enough and the scams that they hear about are mainly done to people who are aging, have memory loss or are incapable of avoiding them.
Cybercrime is a growing threat. The truth is that 1 in 3 people will be scammed, hacked, or defrauded in their lifetime and some of them more than once! Cyber criminals have so many entry points into daily lives now that can wreak havoc on lives and financial security. Your computers, phones, gaming systems and smart home devices are all potentially susceptible to a cyber-attack that might be used to run up fraudulent charges, steal your identity, target your children, and block access to your personal information, according to FEMA.
There are over 4,000 ransomware attacks every day in the United States since 2016, according to the FBI. That’s a 300% increase since 2015, which averaged 1,000 ransomware attacks per day. If you are the victim of cybercrime, you could face financial consequences like extortion demands, expenses to restore a stolen identity, legal fees for lawsuits, and even temporary living expenses due to cyberbullying. With the recent OMV data breach here in Louisiana, each and every person in the state should be aware and alert to the fraudulent use of the driver’s license to open new accounts and potentially steal their identity.
What is cybercrime?
It is a break-in or break-down of your personal information or identity. How does this crime happen? Most of the time, this crime happens without the person’s awareness until it is too late. A cybercriminal accesses personal data and uses that data to steal identity or money from that person virtually.
Types of Cybercrime include but are not limited to:
Cyberattack – a virus or reprogramming of desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, Wi-Fi routers and other internet access points, such as smart home devices and security systems.
Cyberbullying – online harassment that results in wrongful termination, discipline from school, temporary relocation expenses, temporary private tutoring, lost wages and legal expenses.
Cyberextortion – ransomware attacks that block you from accessing your personal data and demanding a fee to regain control of your computer, smart devices or phone.
Data breach – personal data entrusted to you is lost, stolen or published. For example, if you sell tickets for a school fundraiser and have credit card information from buyers on your tablet and the tablet is stolen.
Online fraud – problems like identity theft, unauthorized banking or credit card transfers, phishing schemes and other types of fraud.
Scamming – a person or persons pretend to be someone you know and they take information from you in this guise and use it to defraud you or entice you into investing into a company, product or service via wire, banking or other means such as a gift card purchase or sending money through cash apps like Zelle, Venmo, Paypal, CashApp, etc.
Cybertheft – stealing of an online identity such as a Facebook page in order to defraud or scam the friends of the person or to use the identity of said person in another type of cybercrime.
Recently, a sweet lady who has been struggling with breast cancer has had her Facebook page hacked and stolen multiple times. She cannot access her photos from all the previous years nor look back at the memories and each time she tries to set up a new account to post about her journey, she gets hacked again. This cruelty has taken a toll on her mentally and emotionally as she struggles to fight cancer physically. Another local business owner shared that he was scammed out of thousands of dollars by a person pretending to be his banker. A third person shared how their business identity was stolen along with consumer information and the clients were harassed with threatening emails, letters proclaiming lawsuits and much more. Scammers can make phone calls appear to come from government entities or businesses, and emails that appear to be legitimate may be attempts to steal your information.
Tips for Protection
Protect your data by cutting up credit cards. Use a secure card that you check regularly when shopping online and report suspicious activity immediately to the card company. The three major credit reporting bureaus are giving consumers access to free credit reports weekly through the end of 2023, accessible by using AnnualCreditReport.com. Check to be sure that accounts are being reported properly and watch for signs of fraud, like accounts you don’t recognize. You can also sign up for a free credit report and score from NerdWallet to receive alerts when there are changes.
Keep all bills, checking information and personal identifying information from your trash by burning it or shredding it before disposing of it as this is a primary source that hackers can gain insight. Stolen mail is one of the easiest paths to a stolen identity. Have your mail held if you’re out of town. Consider a U.S. Postal Service-approved lockable mailbox. You can also sign up for Informed Delivery (https://www.usps.com/manage/informed-delivery) through the USPS, which gives you a preview of your mail so you can tell if anything is missing.
Never take phone calls from anyone where you share information. Ask them for a return call number and then verify that number before calling it back. Never give out critical information over the phone unless you made that call, even if you think it is someone you trust because AI can now mimic your banker’s voice as well as your child’s. Initiate a callback or return email yourself, working from a known entity such as the official website, rather than responding to a call or email. And be wary of attachments — many contain malware.
Change passwords frequently and do not keep passwords the same for multiple accounts as this is a hacker’s dream.
Freeze your credit reports with all three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — restricts access to your records so new credit files cannot be opened. It’s free to freeze your credit and unfreeze when you want to open an account, and it provides the best protection against an identity thief using your data to open a new account. Check the reports regularly.
Get insurance coverage such as LifeLock or through your homeowners’ insurance. Cybercrime has gotten so prevalent that some home insurance companies now offer personal cyber insurance to help cover some of these risks. According to a Forbes article, personal cyber insurance is no longer a luxury but rather a necessity. “Personal cyber insurance, also called “cyberattack insurance,” is often sold as an add-on to homeowners’ insurance and can cover a range of cybercrimes as well as help in the recovery.” These policies are essential in the event of cybercrime. They will give you access to fraud specialists who can assist you throughout the recovery and resolution process, provide active cyber monitoring to help prevent or minimize a cyber loss, offer lawsuit protection for allegations of unintentional online libel, slander or invasion of privacy, help with replacing or repairing electronic data as well as retrieving, replacing or recreating financial or personal identification documents.
Use alerts. Protect your mobile devices. Use a password manager to create and store complex, unique passwords for your accounts. Don’t reuse passwords. Adding an authenticator app can reduce your risk. Don’t rely on security questions to keep your accounts safe; your mother’s maiden name and your pet’s name aren’t hard to find. Think carefully about what you post on social media, so you don’t give away key data or clues about how you answer security questions. Use alerts and notification settings. Many financial institutions will text or email when transactions are made on your accounts. Sign up so that you know when and where your credit cards are used, when there are withdrawals or deposits to financial accounts and more.
Monitor your financial and medical reports. Read financial statements. Make sure you recognize every transaction. Know the due dates and call to investigate if you do not receive an expected bill. Review “explanation of benefits” statements to make sure you recognize the services provided to guard against health care fraud.
Safeguard your Social Security Number as your Social Security number is the master key to your personal data. Guard it as best you can. When you are asked for your number, ask why it is needed and how it will be protected. Don’t carry your card with you. Securely store or shred paperwork containing your Social Security number.