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AARP Fraud Watch —
Updated
How
Cyber Secure Are You?
3 Things to Protect
Your Information from Scammers
FREE Credit Freezes
7 Scams Reported on Fraud Watch Network —
New
Beware: 8 Red-Hot Frauds —
New
$1 Billion Lost to Cryptocurrency Scams —
New
Criminals Target Medicare Benefits
—
New
How to Stop Cybercriminals in Their Tracks
—
New
Tech Support Scams
Amazon Reimburses Victim of Tech-Support Scam —
New
AARP Fraud Watch Network
Sign Up for
Watchdog Alerts
How Cyber Secure Are You?
Here are some tips to help you stay cyber secure:
- Make sure your passwords are strong.
Don't just stick to the minimum requirements. Passwords should be unique to
you, but at the same time, easy to remember.
 In
fact, instead of a password, consider creating a
passphrase. Make it something unique to you and easy to remember.
For example, if you’re a cake lover, your passphrase could be Ilovechocolatecake.
Like to golf? How about Golfismyfavoritesport. Think of something
that would be easy for you to remember, but hard for a thief to crack. And
make sure you use a unique password for each and
every website that you use. That way a data breach on one site
doesn’t put you at risk on others. An alternative is to use a password
manager (Google "password manager" for options), through which a tool
creates and stores your passwords for you.
-
 Think
before you connect. Before you connect to any public
wireless hotspot — such as those in an airport, hotel, train/bus station, or
café — be sure to confirm the name of the network and exact login procedures
with appropriate staff to ensure that the network is legitimate. Many fake
networks have seemingly legitimate names.
- Never conduct sensitive activities in
public. This type of work can include
online shopping, banking, or other sensitive financial and personal work.
Never conduct these activities using a public wireless network or a public
computer, even if the network appears secure.
- Enable stronger authentication.
Stronger authentication (also known as
two-factor or multi-factor authentication)
 adds
an extra layer of security beyond using a password to access your accounts.
An example of this would be, when you try to log on to your account using
your bank’s mobile app, they may send you a text message with a code to
verify it is really you. Most major e-mail, social media, and financial
platforms offer multi-factor authentication to their users. If you are going
to be traveling, be sure to ask your service provider if you can activate
this feature before departing on your trip. To learn more, visit
Lock
Down Your Login.
-
 Turn
off your Bluetooth when not in use. Bluetooth enables your
device to connect to other devices — for example, it’s what allows you to
operate your smart phone hands-free while you are in the car. When it’s on,
it can open you up to vulnerabilities.
- Keep your software updated.
 Keep
your operating system and other software strong by installing updates to
improve your device’s ability to defend against malicious software, also
known as ‘malware’. Don’t ignore the prompts to update your operating
system. Often times, those updates specifically address a known
vulnerability and will offer added protection from it.
When it comes to fraud, vigilance is our number one weapon. You have the
power to protect yourself and your loved ones from scams. Please share this
alert with friends and family.
Sincerely,
Kathy Stokes
Fraud Watch Network
3 Things To Protect Your
Information From Scammers
Special alert! Data breaches are now so
commonplace that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless. But even if your
personal information is out there, you can protect your identity with these
simple but important steps.
Rethink Your Passwords:
Use unique passwords for each of your online accounts. That way, if one
account is hacked, it doesn’t put your other accounts at risk. A good way to
manage all of those different passwords is to use a digital password manager.
These services can help keep all your passwords secure and help you create
strong passwords for each of your online accounts.
Set Up Digital Access to Your Financial Accounts:
 Scammers
can easily use your personal data to open up accounts in your name — making it
difficult to recover your accounts and hard-earned money. It’s important to set
up online access to all of your financial accounts — bank accounts, credit
cards, 401(k)s, etc. That way you can regularly monitor the accounts so you can
stay up-to-date on all transactions and quickly spot and report any fraudulent
activity.
Freeze Your Credit:
Put a security
 freeze
in place with each of the three major credit reporting bureaus: Experian,
Equifax, and Transunion. That way no one can access your credit file or open a
new credit account with your information. Traditionally there has been a fee for freezing
(and unfreezing) your credit, but thanks to legislation passed by Congress in
May 2018, the process will now be free as of September 21st.
When it comes to fraud, vigilance is our number one weapon. You have the
power to protect yourself and your loved ones from scams. Please share this
alert with friends and family.
Sincerely,
Kathy Stokes
Fraud Watch Network
New Law Makes Credit Freezes Free
The battle to protect your identity is getting a little easier — or at least
cheaper. A new law goes into effect September 21st, 2018 that will make it
free to lock your credit file by freezing it
with the three major credit rating companies.
 In
the past, Equifax, Experian, and Transunion have charged fees to freeze your
credit reports to help protect against fraud. In states that have not already
outlawed the fees, the freezes had cost from $2 to $10, and you needed to pay it
to each credit-rating agency separately. You also had to pay to unfreeze and
refreeze your credit reports.
How It Works:
- A credit freeze locks your credit file,
which makes it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your
name. You will get a PIN to use so you can unfreeze your account to apply
for new credit, and then freeze it again.
-
 Alternatively,
you can place a "fraud alert" on your
reports that will require any business that runs your credit to contact you
before opening a new account. These alerts used to last 90 days, but the new
law extends them to one year.
What You Should Know:
- A credit freeze is an important tool to deter scammers from opening
future accounts in your name, but it doesn’t stop thieves from getting into
your current financial accounts and wreaking havoc.
- To keep close tabs on banking, credit and other financial accounts, set
up online access (on the Internet or through the institution’s app if you
have a smart phone) to monitor your accounts
regularly.
What You Should Do:
-
 Follow
the steps
here
(click on link for steps to follow) to
freeze your credit and the credit of each adult in your household. If you
have children under the age of 16, consider freezing their credit, too,
until they are old enough to use credit.
When it comes to fraud, vigilance is our number one weapon. You have the
power to protect yourself and your loved ones from scams. Please share this
alert with friends and family.
Sincerely,
Kathy Stokes
Fraud Watch Network
Tech Support Scams
 We’ve talked about them before, but tech support scams are
still going strong. Since May 2014, Microsoft has heard from
more than 65,000 customers about fraudulent tech support cons.
And it’s one of the top scams we hear about through the
Fraud Watch Network scam-tracking map.
Enter your zip code to see user-reported scams in our area.
scroll down to see the report dates and type of scam reported.
How It Works
They call and claim to work
for well-known companies like Microsoft, Norton or McAfee. They
say your computer is infected with malware and then ask for
remote access, or money, so they can "fix" it. Or they place ads
in online search engines to trick you into calling them.
What can you do to avoid tech support scams?
- Never give control of
your computer to a third party unless you can confirm that
it is a legitimate representative of a computer support team
with whom you are already a customer.
- Never provide your credit
card information, financial information, or passwords to
someone who claims to be from "tech support".
- Ask if there is a fee or
subscription associated with the "service." If there is,
hang up.
- If possible, take the
caller's information down and immediately report it to your
local authorities.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of
technical support scam, please contact:
AARP Fraud Watch Network
The
AARP
Fraud Watch Network connects you to the latest information about
ID theft and fraud so you can safeguard your
personal information and your pocketbook.
Sign up
for
Watchdog Alerts,
which are free to everyone.
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