Identity Theft

With each online profile we create, every service we sign up for and all the smart gadgets we buy we put our identities at risk. Technology is evolving, and with it, our personal information becomes more vulnerable. Protecting your identity isn’t an option; it’s a must.

Did you receive a text, phone call, or even worse – a bill, from AT&T about your “new AT&T phone account”? We know how scary and frustrating this feeling can be because we’ve been there. Here’s our personal account of such a fraud incident, along with our research of what you can do to recover from it, as well as prevent it from recurring.

In 2016, 399,225 complaints were filed with the FTC about identity theft. That’s equivalent to about half the population of South Dakota having their identities stolen. And that’s only complaints, aka, people who decided to contact the FTC about identity theft issues. Can you imagine what the number of people is per year who have their identities stolen? Companies can guess all they want on this number, but the reality is that we can’t truly determine how many victims there were because many people don’t realize their identity has been stolen until years later.

Do you often get online at your local coffee house, a hotel when traveling, or other public places (called WiFi hotspots)? If you’re not already aware — public WiFi access has the potential to severely compromise your online security. And hackers can get into your computer in no time (as in, 2 seconds!). So, what steps can you take to protect your online presence and your identity if hackers come calling? Keep reading to find the best ways to keep your private online self as secure as possible.

There’s been a lot of buzz over the last several years about a way thieves can potentially steal your credit or debit card information out of thin air when they’re in your vicinity, essentially electronically pickpocketing you without you ever knowing. What makes this possible is RFID (radio frequency identification) technology that’s embedded in some credit, debit, and other ID cards. The fear is that thieves can use what’s called an RFID reader or skimmer to steal your information from your card. But just how real is the threat?

We’ve been receiving reports of a mass proliferation of group scam text messages that look like the following. Needless to say, do not click on the link. This looks to be a phishing type scam, the goal of which is ultimately to try and obtain sensitive information from you. The destination site may also contain malware, which tries to implant malicious software (think virus) on your phone or computer.

If you’re not worried about your identity being stolen with your online activity, whether it’s making purchases on a website, online banking, or just being on social media, you should be. You could be at high risk for hackers and cyber thieves if you’re only using a password to access your accounts. It’s a sad state, but criminals have gotten smarter about getting past even complicated passwords. Good news is there’s a better way to protect yourself that goes beyond a password — implementing multi-factor or two-factor authentication. We’ll give you all the information you need to know to understand why you need to enable this easy-to-use security technology, how to set it up, and where to find your best options.