What Happens to Identity Thieves When You Report Them? 

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal identifiable information (PII) fraudulently for their own gain. Fraud can take many forms, and can cause lasting damage to your finances, credit, and even your reputation.   One of the best ways to fight identity theft is to be on the lookout for warning signs and immediately report [...]

Top 5 Scams to Watch Out for During the 2024 Holiday Season

The holiday season brings a spirit of generosity, shopping sprees, and celebratory spending—but it also attracts scammers who look to exploit the holiday rush. While some scams are holiday-specific, others are annual threats with new, sophisticated twists. Here’s a guide to the top five scams for the 2024 holiday season, starting with the latest [...]

Understanding Data Privacy: Keeping Your Data Secure 

With the rise of online platforms, social media, and e-commerce, personal information has become more vulnerable to mishandling and exploitation. Both data privacy and data security play a critical role in helping prevent identity theft, and adopting strong practices in both areas is essential for keeping your personal information safe.  IdentityIQ is committed to helping [...]

3 Ways Rent Payment Reporting Improves Your Credit

Have you ever wished you could get credit for your on-time rent payments? Now you can. IdentityIQ, a leading provider of identity theft protection and credit monitoring services, now offers rent payment reporting. This service allows your on-time rent payments, and potentially up to 24 months of past payments, to appear as a credit [...]

What is a Dark Web Scan, and Why Do You Need One?

In today’s increasingly online world, most people understand the importance of keeping your information off the dark web. However, we have found that many people do not realize how easy it is for your information to end up leaked on shady corners of the online world. Criminals who obtain an individual’s personally identifiable information (PII) [...]

What Are Acceptable Reasons for Late Payments On Your Credit Report? 

Late payments on your credit report can be a real hassle, but they don’t have to spell disaster for your financial future. Whether you missed a credit card bill by mistake or life threw you a curveball, don’t worry – there are ways to manage and mitigate the impact.     In this article, we break [...]

How Can I Protect My Personal Information After a Data Breach?

Data breaches are an unavoidable reality in the modern world. And your chances of having your data leaked just got worse. More than 2.9 billion records containing sensitive data have been released for free online as a result of a data breach targeting National Public Data. Each of these records includes an individual's full name, [...]

How Cybercriminals Profit from a Data Breach

If you’re still under the impression that hacking is restricted to hoodie-wearing individuals in darkened rooms, then you might be vastly underestimating the scale of the data breach problem.   Just look at the 2.9 billion records released after the National Public Data data breach. Hackers broke into the database, which contains personal information [...]

How to Read Your IdentityIQ Credit Report

Your credit report is a detailed record of your credit history. Understanding how to read it can be essential to help you maintain good credit and achieve your financial goals. This guide explains the key sections of an IdentityIQ credit report in simple terms, covering personal information, credit scores, account histories, public records, and [...]

Improve Your Credit Score with Utility Payment Reporting

Have you ever wondered if there's a way to improve your credit score beyond the traditional methods of using credit cards and loans? Now there is. Utility payment reporting, offered by IdentityIQ, allows your utility bill payments, such as gas, electricity, and even select streaming services, to be reported to major credit bureaus to [...]

The Origins and History of the Dark Web

The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that cannot be accessed as easily. To get to the dark web, you need to use special tools designed to provide anonymity and privacy for the dark web’s users and website administrators. While there are many legitimate reasons to use the dark web, its [...]

How to Spot an Email Phishing Attempt at Work

In the modern workplace, technology is just as common as the typical morning cup of coffee. Alongside the benefits of a digitally connected office, however, is the ongoing threat of cyberattacks. Among these ever-present threats is phishing, which is a deceptively simple yet effective method cybercriminals use to compromise both business and personal accounts. [...]

How to Get an IP PIN for Your Child

Now more than ever, protecting your personal information from getting into the wrong hands is crucial. For parents, this responsibility extends to their children, especially when it comes to financial matters such as taxes. Research shows that child identity fraud costs U.S. families nearly $1 billion annually and affects one out of every 50 [...]

Do I Get a New Identity Protection PIN Every Year?

When you are a victim of a resolved case of tax-related identity theft, the IRS will issue you an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) to help protect you from future fraud. Clearing up tax-related identity theft can take time and effort and seriously delay any tax refund you may be owed, so it’s important [...]

How Utility Payment Reporting Can Help You Meet Your New Year Financial Goals

As the New Year continues to roll out, many of us have financial New Year's resolutions that aim to seek the next level of financial strength. There's a transformative tool that can help meet these goals that many are unaware of – utility payment reporting. Beyond traditional credit reporting, this method offers another avenue [...]

Planning to Cancel IdentityIQ? Stay Protected With This Alternative

If you plan to cancel your IdentityIQ membership, we understand that life is unpredictable. Sometimes situations change and priorities shift. If you decide to cancel now, you can always log back in at any point and reinstate your IdentityIQ membership in the future. But with identity theft and other online scams rapidly becoming more [...]

How to Contact IdentityIQ Customer Service

In our digitally connected world, the security of your personal information and credit has never been more critical. With the ever-growing threat of identity theft, IdentityIQ is a reliable solution with a complete suite of identity theft protection and credit monitoring services. As a part of these services, IdentityIQ delivers comprehensive support through its [...]

How to Cancel IdentityIQ

Are you planning to cancel your IdentityIQ membership? Life is unpredictable, and sometimes priorities change. If you plan to cancel your IdentityIQ membership, we respect your decision. However, we strongly recommend that you do not leave yourself unprotected from identity theft. Safeguarding your identity is more critical than ever with one in four Americans [...]

How to Avoid Charity Scams for Israel-Hamas War Aid

If you're considering donating to help the victims of the Israel-Hamas war, it's important to be vigilant and aware of potential charity scams that could divert your hard-earned money to scammers. Criminals often fly under the radar to impersonate real charities, especially during times of conflict and war, social unrest, global health crises, or natural [...]

How to Identify and Avoid Holiday Phishing Scams

The holiday season brings joy, celebrations, and… a surge in online scams. While you’re shopping for gifts or booking flights, hackers are plotting to trick you into revealing your personal details and financial information. Holiday phishing scams are an ongoing issue that ramps up when folks are feeling the most festive. About three-quarters of American [...]

What is Tor and How Does Onion Routing Work?

In an age where online privacy and security are becoming increasingly important, a network known as Tor, short for The Onion Router, is being used by millions of people daily in an attempt to keep their internet activities anonymous. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the world of Tor - exploring its functionalities, [...]

What Are Cookies and Are They Bad? A Detailed Guide on Website Cookies

Cookies are a common and core component of the modern internet, but many people often wonder what these "cookies" are, how they function, and whether they should be a cause for concern. This article explores what cookies are, how they work, and how they impact your online experience, privacy, and security. What Are Cookies? [...]

What is Dark Web Monitoring?

Dark web monitoring is a service that scans the dark web for signs that your personal information is being used fraudulently. While the dark web serves many legitimate functions, the anonymity of it also attracts people who are buying and selling illegal goods and services – including stolen personal information. With so many data [...]

Credential Stuffing Attacks: What They Are & How To Prevent Them

Hackers can use different techniques to steal your passwords. One way they can use your stolen personal data is called credential stuffing. Read on to learn more about credential stuffing and how you can help protect yourself. What is Credential Stuffing? Credential stuffing is a cyberattack involving hackers using software to try multiple combinations of [...]

Tax Season Scams: How to Protect Your Identity

While it’s important to be on high alert and protect your identity all year long, tax season is an especially vulnerable time. Every tax season, identity thieves run a variety of scams to get their hands on taxpayers’ personal information. Many scams occur, but most have a common goal: filing a fraudulent tax return [...]

Tax Identity Theft: A Comprehensive Guide

Tax season can sometimes be stressful even when things go according to plan, but what happens when you are the victim of tax identity theft? Here's a comprehensive guide on tax identity theft, how it works, and what to do if you suspect it. What Is Tax Identity Theft? Tax identity theft happens when someone [...]

How to Prevent Tax Identity Theft

Every year, tax season presents a seasonal opportunity for criminals seeking monetary gain from identity theft. There are many ways that scammers may try to obtain personal information, but the end goal is to file a falsified tax return in the taxpayer’s name and claim a tax refund. The scheme may not be discovered [...]

Looking for Love Online? Be Aware of Scammers and Fraud

Most people know a couple who met on an online dating site. What was once a stigma has now become commonplace as access to the internet has grown, and so has the number of online dating sites. Finding love online is now as simple as downloading an [...]

How Identity Theft Damages More Than Just Your Credit Scores

Having a good credit score can be extremely beneficial when pursuing important financial goals like opening a credit card, taking out a loan or buying a car or a home. It can even help you land certain types of jobs or rent your dream apartment. For this reason, it’s very important to protect your [...]

How Are Elderly Americans Vulnerable to Identity Theft?

Elderly Americans are facing a drastic increase in cybercrime, identity theft and financial abuse. Adults over age 60 last year reported $1.3 billion in cybercrime losses to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) – a 74% increase from the previous year. The fact is, older Americans are a popular target for criminals who [...]

What Happens If a Scammer Has Your Email Address?

It can be scary finding out that a scammer has stolen your email address, whether it’s your personal or work address. Sadly, there are many ways scammers and hackers can source their victims’ email addresses, including buying them from data providers or the dark web, email harvesting, social engineering, fake websites or social media. [...]

Can My Identity be Stolen from My Birth Certificate?

For most U.S. citizens, an official birth certificate may be the most critical document to have in their possession. Birth certificates back up your identity using your name, date of birth, place of birth, your sex/gender as recorded at birth and the identity of your parents. They’re commonly referred to as “breeder documents” because [...]

Can Someone Change Your Address Without Your Knowledge?

No one ever expects to be a victim of identity theft. But the unfortunate truth is that it happens more often than you might think. According to AARP, one in four people is the victim of identity theft in the United States. Unfortunately, criminals don't always need your personal information to steal your identity [...]

What is Social Media Account Cloning?

When a scammer has the right information, they can easily impersonate you on social media by cloning your account. It’s pretty simple to do when much of the information that scammers need is publicly available on the real person’s profile. Criminals can use cloned social accounts to scam your friends, commit identity theft and even [...]

How to Protect My Business from Identity Theft?

According to recent reports, identity theft is on the rise. Javelin Strategy reported identity theft resulted in an annual loss of $56 million in a mixed result of different criminal and fraudulent activities last year. When it comes to keeping your business database secure, there can be numerous challenges. If you are worried about [...]

How Independent Contractors Can Use Employee Identification Numbers to Help Prevent Identity Theft

If you’re a sole proprietor or independent contractor, there’s a good chance you’ve used your Social Security number (SSN) to conduct business. Whether you’re filing taxes, applying for a business credit card or other general business activities, sole proprietors often have to use a SSN when there isn’t an alternative. Unfortunately, using your SSN [...]

Audi Got Hacked: What Cybercrimals Do with Your Information and How to Protect It

Volkswagen Group of America has revealed a data breach impacting more than 3.3 million customers after a vendor exposed unsecured data online, according to NBC News. The automaker said an unauthorized third party obtained personal information about customers and interested buyers from a vendor used for digital sales and marketing by its Audi Volkswagen [...]

3 Steps to Take if You Are the Victim of Unemployment Benefits Fraud

Although the pace of layoffs and new applications for unemployment benefits has slowed, fraud attempts have not. Scammers continue to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to file fraudulent unemployment claims, often using someone else’s identity. These schemes are widespread and affect most states. Last year, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more [...]

How to Protect Your Mail from Identity Theft

The mail contains some of the most sensitive information that you can have: your name, address, contact information, bank account number and routing number on mailed checks, financial statements and much more. Despite this vulnerability, unlocked mailboxes and easily-opened paper envelopes leave mail especially vulnerable to thieves. Criminals can use the information contained in your [...]

How to Spot a Debt Collection Scam

When creditors sell your unpaid debt to a collection agency, the debt collector can call you directly to try and collect what you owe. But criminals posing as legitimate debt collectors may also target you, using deception or intimidation to collect debts you don’t owe, or they have no authority to collect. Top 4 Debt [...]

Check Scams are on the Rise – Here’s How to Keep Safe

Check scams are staging a comeback as criminals continue to seize on the confusion the COVID-19 pandemic has created in people’s lives and finances. Recently, Wells Fargo sent a message to bank customers warning them to be on the lookout for check scammers. One age group in particular – the 18 to 24 group [...]

Here Are the Top 3 Online Scams and How to Avoid Them

The recent Federal Bureau of Investigations Internet Crime Report shows that cybercrime has spiked, leaving hundreds of thousands of victims and costing more than $4 billion. The FBI received a record number of reports last year totaling 791,790, a 69% growth from 2019. Moreover, losses due to internet crime increased by $700 million, growing from [...]

How Cybercriminals Use Stolen Personal Data for Tax Fraud

When an identity thief has purchased your personal information from a data breach, they can use it for all manner of malicious purposes. One common use is tax identity theft. This means a criminal might have purchased your bank account details and tax documents online and then have authenticated access to your bank account. Then [...]

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Post a Photo of Your COVID-19 Vaccination Card Online

You may have noticed that nestled in with baby announcements, social-distancing birthday photos and dog snaps, social media posts are now also featuring people celebrating getting their COVID-19 vaccinations. It’s natural that after a year of living under pandemic restrictions people are eager to share their experiences with the shot. One thing you should [...]

What is Identity Theft Insurance?

Identity theft insurance is a type of insurance policy that can help victims recover from losses caused by identity theft. It may be offered as a standalone policy, or as a benefit with other types of insurance or identity protection plans. Not all identity theft insurance policies offer the same level of coverage. If you’re [...]

How to Help Protect Your Credit Health When You Missed a Bill Payment

Life is hectic and it’s easy to miss details sometimes, even when that detail happens to be a bill coming due. Making your payments on time can be tough when you’re having financial troubles or simply juggling a lot of responsibilities. It’s important to pay your bills on time to protect your credit health. [...]

5 Data Breaches You May Have Missed

The news cycle has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the presidential election, nationwide protests and a whole lot more. With all that transpired over the last few months, and even with the SolarWinds cyberattack making headlines, it might be easy to forget that data breaches and hacks continue to expose the personal information [...]

Don’t Fall Victim to COVID-19 Vaccine Phishing Schemes

As the COVID-19 vaccine continues to become available to more people, be aware of potential phishing scams related to the vaccine. It’s important to stay vigilant to certain warning signs prevent you from being a phishing scam. Two vaccines to prevent coronavirus infections have now been granted authorization for emergency use. Every day thousands of [...]

4 Identity Theft Myths to Stop Believing

Identity theft has been around for a long time, and it continues to evolve and adapt with the times. With the variety of scams out there, it’s easy to get bogged down in rumors and half-truths. When it comes to identity theft, you need to avoid believing misinformation and spreading it to others. Here [...]

2 Things You Can Do to Help Reach Your Credit Goals in the New Year

The start of a new year is a great time to reassess your financial health and implement habits that help positively impact your credit profile. Monitoring your credit report and identity is the best place to start your financial resolutions since it can have a ripple effect in other aspects of your life as the [...]

Here’s How the Recent SolarWinds Cyberattack on U.S. Agencies and Companies Affects You

Cybersecurity experts are still trying to determine the scale of damage wrought by a recent cyberattack using SolarWinds software on the U.S. government and Fortune 500 companies. The attack aimed at the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments as well as international companies continued for months until it was discovered by FireEye, a cybersecurity company that [...]

How Oversharing About Your Kids on Social Media Can Lead to Identity Theft

Every day, criminals scour the internet for personal information they can use to commit fraud and identity theft. In this digital age, individuals need to take steps to protect their privacy and information from fraudsters. This is as true for children as it is for adults, as kids can be victims of identity theft well [...]

How Multiple Credit Cards Can Affect Your Credit Score

To use a credit card for establishing credit, you need to have at least one open card that can be reported to the credit agencies. But beyond that, there’s no definitive number of cards you need to have in your wallet for good credit. While your credit cards directly impact your credit, the number of [...]

Fake Employer Scams Soar During Coronavirus Pandemic

As unemployment numbers continue to climb, so do fake employer scams that are preying on those searching for work. In fact, there have been triple-digit increases in fake employer scams that aim to gain access to personal and financial information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online human resources schemes where criminals pose as potential employers have [...]

How to Help Protect Minor Children from Synthetic Identity Theft

According to the Federal Reserve, synthetic identity theft is one of the fastest growing forms of identity theft in the country. Synthetic identity theft occurs when a criminal uses a combination of real and falsified data to create a fictional identity for financial gain and other fraud. Children are particularly appealing victims for synthetic [...]

Malware Attack Suspected in Barnes & Noble Data Breach

A malware attack is suspected in a recent Barnes & Noble data breach that exposed customer information. The attack also led to some customers not being able to access their e-reader Nook libraries and the temporary shutdown of cash registers at the bookstores’ physical locations. Barnes & Noble officials said the cyberattack took place earlier [...]

How to Help Protect a Deceased Loved One from Identity Theft

No one is completely safe from identity theft – not even after they die. In a form of identity theft known as “ghosting”, criminals can use a deceased person’s personal information to file false tax returns, claim Social Security benefits, open fraudulent loans and credit cards and more. Millions of deceased Americans have their [...]

Phishing and Malware Attacks Most Common Techniques for Credential Theft

Every day we use our personal information for access to online accounts, smart devices and other resources. This happens so frequently that the sensitivity of credential information can be taken for granted. A recent study by password management company LastPass found that a staggering 61 percent of business users reuse the same passwords for [...]

One of Largest IT Staffing Agencies in U.S. Reports Data Breach

A ransomware attack has exposed the commercial and personal employee data of Artech Information Systems, one of the largest IT staffing agencies in the nation. The data breach occurred Jan. 5 – 8 after a bad actor gained access to company servers through an employee user account, according to Bleeping Computer. Company officials said [...]

Former Uber Executive Charged in Data Breach Cover Up

A former Uber executive has been charged with covering up a data breach affecting 57 million app users and drivers. Joe Sullivan, Uber’s former chief security officer, is facing obstruction of justice and other charges stemming from a 2016 data breach. The breach occurred when two men hacked a third-party server to steal the personal [...]

How to Help Protect Your Medical Records from Cybercriminals

Medical records are a prime target for cybercriminals, and data breaches are a frequent occurrence in the health care industry. These records are valuable because they may contain a large variety of personal information, including your name, address, insurance information, Social Security number (SSN) and medical history. Medical records can be used to commit [...]

How Teletherapy Can Help Gig Workers & Others

The COVID-19 outbreak has brought a lot of uncertainty into the lives of many Americans. Over the span of just a few months, the number of unemployed individuals rose by 14 million. In response, many people have turned to the “gig economy” for supplemental income. The Labor Market The gig economy refers to the share [...]

Google and Amazon Customers Top List of Brand Phishing Targets

Scammers are now targeting Google and Amazon customers the most frequently with brand phishing attacks, according to a new report. A recent study by security company Check Point found that Google and Amazon customers tie for the most phishing attacks aiming to steal their personal information at 13% of total attacks during the second quarter [...]

Student Credit Cards Can Help Students Establish Credit

This fall, college students are returning to school or logging on from a distance during a time of deep economic insecurity. While the coronavirus pandemic may have devastated some job opportunities, there are still ways for college students to work on establishing financial independence before they graduate. Having a strong credit history can help students [...]

Cybercriminals Targeting Healthcare Industry Along with Coronavirus-Related Scams

As headlines focus on coronavirus-related scams, the related healthcare industry also continues to be a top target for cybercriminals. This year alone more than 3 million patient records have been exposed, according to Health It Security. Top 5 Healthcare Data Breaches This Year 1. Health Share of Oregon More than 654,000 patients had their [...]

4 Credit Moves to Make When You Move Back in With Your Parents

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, a record 32 million adult Americans lived with their parents or grandparents as of April. The pandemic is one likely culprit, but other factors – including housing costs and high student debt – have contributed to this phenomenon for years. Moving back in with your parents [...]

Tips on Bringing in Additional Income During COVID-19

There’s no surprise that COVID-19 has impacted people and businesses in all kinds of negative ways within the past couple of months. Unemployment rates have risen quickly, and many businesses have had to close due to inactivity. To help those looking for additional income, here is a list of survey-taking jobs that are easy to [...]

Report: Data Breaches Cost Public Companies on Average $116 Million

How expensive is a data breach for a big company? A recent report by Audit Analytics provides insight to this question in a study that sampled 639 cybersecurity breach incidents at public companies in the last nine years. The report, “Trends in Cybersecurity Breach Disclosures,” found the cost of a data breach directly relates to the life cycle of an incident and on the sensitivity of the compromised customer information. According to the study, the longer the [...]

Donating to Charity? Follow These Best Practices to Avoid Fraud

Whether you’re giving money to help those in need during the coronavirus pandemic or supporting political activism, donating to charity is a worthy endeavor. If you’re donating to charity for the first time or you’ve been supporting your favorite causes for years, it’s a good idea to ensure your donation is safe and the [...]

Bank of America Discloses Payroll Protection Program Data Breach

Business clients applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans with Bank of America may have had their personal and business information exposed in a data breach, according to a letter the bank sent to affected customers. The data breach occurred on April 22 as Bank of America uploaded customers’ PPP loan applications to the [...]

Glitch Causes Data Breach for New Illinois COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment System

Illinois residents filing for coronavirus-related unemployment using the state’s new online system might have had their personal information exposed. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D,  announced the Illinois Department of Employment Security experienced a system “glitch” after launching this week. The system, a new online portal, has been set up for contractors and self-employed residents filing for [...]

FBI and Cybersecurity Agency Issue Warning China is Hacking Organizations and Companies Working on COVID-19 Research

The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have issued a warning that China is attempting to hack the networks of U.S. organizations, pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals working on coronavirus vaccines and research. The federal agencies called research institutions, companies and others working on the COVID-19 response “prime targets” for Chinese cyberattacks. [...]

Beware of Scammers Using Coronavirus Website Domain Names

Scammers have been registering coronavirus-related domain website names daily in order to commit fraud, according to new reports. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercriminals have been registering malicious sites with names that include “coronavirus” and “COVID-19”. They also are using combinations of the pandemic names and the word “vaccine”. Reports are showing malicious [...]

Small Business Association Data Breach Exposes Data of Nearly 8,000 Emergency Loan Applicants

A data breach in the Small Business Association (SBA) loan application portal may have exposed the personal information of thousands of businesses last month as they submitted emergency loan applications during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Washington Post. The SBA has seen a large influx of applications from struggling businesses seeking emergency loans [...]

Hackers Preying on Pandemic: 5 Common Sense Tools to Protect Yourself

With hackers and scammers going to unprecedented lengths to steal information during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important to know about tools you can use to help make it more difficult for criminals to access your information. While data security and identity theft are complicated issues, taking steps to reduce your exposure doesn’t have to [...]

4 Tips for a Smarter Emergency Savings Fund

As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us, having an emergency savings fund is important for handling unexpected expenses. From job loss to reduced income to other unplanned issues, it is important to save up a few months’ worth of expenses to weather financial storms. Building a strong emergency savings fund takes more than slipping [...]

How to Avoid Missing Bill Payments During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused enormous financial insecurity across the country, with more than 10 million Americans applying for unemployment last month alone. If you’ve been financially affected, you’re probably worried about how you’re going to pay your bills. Timely bill payments aren’t just important to maintain your housing, services and other essentials. You [...]

How to Receive Financial Assistance and Relief During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has already dealt a severe blow to the American economy and has caused financial insecurity for countless citizens. The situation seems poised to get worse before it gets better. If you’re experiencing financial hardship – such as a job loss or reduced income – because of COVID-19-related circumstances, there are local, state [...]

Can’t Afford Your IRS Tax Bill? Here are Your Options

After doing your taxes, you might find out you owe a hefty tax bill to the IRS. Millions of people owe the IRS every tax season and coming up with the money all at once can be a big financial burden. While you probably won’t be able to get out of paying the IRS, [...]

FICO to Release FICO Scores 10 and 10T as Newest Versions of Credit Scores

FICO® has announced its newest credit score models – the FICO Score 10 and FICO Score 10T – with a focus on consumer personal loans and credit trends. The new FICO Scores aim to reward those who pay lenders on time and give lenders more precision and predictability powers when making lending decisions, said [...]

How to Plan a Debt-Free Vacation This Year

Planning a debt-free vacation is ideal. But traveling is costly, and the expenses can really stack up when it comes to vacations. Many people end up piling debt onto their credit cards just to travel to exciting destinations or get some rest and relaxation. If you want to plan a vacation this year without [...]

Phishing Attacks Becoming More Sophisticated

Hackers are becoming more and more sophisticated in their phishing email attempts to steal personal and company data. The number of data breaches caused by phishing is increasing with hackers finding their way into a company’s network using phished information such as employees’ stolen credentials, according to a recent report from cybersecurity organization Crowdstrike. [...]

How to Pay Down Holiday Credit Card Debt

If you went into debt shopping for the holidays, you’re probably not alone. Many American consumers plan to put at least some of their holiday spending on their credit card to pay off later. But putting too much holiday debt on your credit card can be bad for your wallet and your credit. Large [...]

5 Credit Score Myths to Stop Believing

There is a general lack of awareness surrounding credit, as American consumers’ knowledge about credit scores has been on a steady decline since 2012. And when you aren’t informed about your credit, it can be easy to believe misinformation and even spread it to others. Unfortunately, believing falsehoods about your credit can lead you to [...]

Data Breach Hits Parent Company of Joe’s Crab Shack, Claim Jumper, Rainforest Café and More

Landry’s Inc., the parent company of more than 600 restaurants, hotels and casinos, has announced a data breach exposing customers’ card payment information. Company officials reported a hacker accessed and installed malware to their network supporting payment processing, which is used by servers to swipe and charge customer credit cards. They said encryption technology [...]

Pennsylvania Attorney General Reaches $110,000 Data Breach Settlement with Orbitz and Expedia

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced a $110,000 settlement with the traveling websites Orbtiz and Expedia after a data breach that put the credit card information of almost 21,000 state residents at risk. Shapiro lead an investigation into the data breach that discovered a hacker was able to add malware to steal credit card payment [...]

Why Local Governments Are Vulnerable to Ransomware Attacks

The highest profile data breaches and cyberattacks often involve big businesses with millions of customers. But private companies aren’t the only organizations that are vulnerable to cybercrime – local governments are also popular targets for criminals. According to Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigation, 16% of all 2018 data breaches involved public sector entities including [...]

SMS Database Leaves Millions of Text Messages with Personal Info Exposed

SMS communications company TrueDialog left millions of text messages exposed and unprotected in an online database that security researchers discovered last month, according to reports. TrueDialog is a communications company that enables clients, including private businesses and universities, to send text messages to customers, students and other individuals. The service allows message recipients to respond [...]

Watch Out for Scams This Holiday Season

This holiday season alone, retail industry professionals expect Americans to spend more than $1 trillion. Criminals see this increased spending as an opportunity to rip off consumers, steal their money, and obtain their personal data to commit fraud and identity theft. It pays to be vigilant. Here are four types of scams to watch [...]

The Pros and Cons of Automatic Bill Payments

These days, many banks and service providers offer automatic payments to make paying your bills a little easier. This feature lets the companies you do business with automatically charge your credit card or debit your bank account on a predetermined date every month. While automatic payments can remove many of the headaches associated with [...]

SIM Swap Scams: How to Protect Yourself

A SIM swap scam occurs when thieves have gained enough of your personal information to convince a wireless provider to transfer your phone number to a new SIM card that is in their control. Once they have your phone number, they will try to access your accounts, including email, banking and even social media, and [...]

What is Email Spoofing? Definition & Protection Tips

When people hear the term “spoof” they often think of a humorous parody of a song, movie, or real situation. It’s all about imitation — just like it is in the context of cybersecurity. But when it comes to cybersecurity, the imitation isn’t about humor or entertainment. In this context, spoofing refers to the [...]

Watch Out for This Google Calendar Phishing Scam

Email and phone phishing scams are commonplace in the modern age. Their goal is to trick you into providing personal information, such as bank account numbers or personally identifying data, that can be used to commit fraud or identify theft. But thanks to spam filters and call screening, many phishing scams now go ignored. [...]

Instagram Accounts at Risk with New Phishing Scam Using False 2-Factor Authentication

A new phishing scam is using false two-factor authentication to take over Instagram accounts. The scam, recently discovered by researchers, starts with emails stating the recipients have had a login attempt into their Instagram accounts. The email states if the recipients did not attempt to log into their accounts they need to log in [...]

How to Know When a Store Credit Card Isn’t Worth Your Time

Many retailers, from online sellers to department stores and smaller chains, have their own version of a store-branded credit card. Chances are that you’ve been offered one in exchange for a discount off your purchase at some point. While retailers often try to lure customers at the cash register with savings, store credit cards aren’t [...]

Five Charged in ‘Largest Criminal Case Ever’ of Identity Theft Targeting Military Members and Veterans

Five men have been charged with stealing millions of dollars from military members and veterans as part of an international identity theft and fraud ring that used stolen personal information to gain access to Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs benefit sites. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Frederick Brown, Robert Wayne Boling [...]

My Information is for Sale on the Dark Web: What Should I Do?

The numerous recent data breaches have exposed the personal information of millions of people and put them at risk of having their information bought and sold on the dark web. The dark web is where cybercriminals go to anonymously buy and sell information – such as names, passwords, credit card numbers, and Social Security [...]

Go to Top