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Identity Theft Articles
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- Medical Identity Theft: 12 Million Patients Breached - by Submitted on Oct 17, 2019 from Robert SicilianoQuest Diagnostics is a US-based company that provides medical testing services, and announced that it used third-party billing collection companies that were hit by a severe data breach. In fact, about 11.9 million Quest customers were affected. The compromised information could include ...
Views: 12 - What to do and not do before a ransomware attack - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2019 from Hasan RootDo you remember the famous attacks of the Wannacry, Cerber or Cryptolocker ransomware? Are you thinking of generating an anti-ransomware policy to protect your company? Ransomware may seem like a tsunami that as soon as it arrives at our company sweeps it. However, there is Zonealarm anti ...
Views: 53 - First American Financial Exposes 885 Million Mortgage Documents - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2019 from Robert SicilianoApproximately 885 million digital documents have been exposed from mortgage deals that date back to 2003. First American Financial Corp is a provider of title insurance, as well as other services for the mortgage and real estate industries, and it allowed millions of records to be exposed ...
Views: 64 - Two Common Government Employee Impersonation Scams: What to Watch For - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2019 from Robert SicilianoOne of the biggest threats that taxpayers are facing these days is an aggressive scam where criminals call victims and pretend to be IRS agents. The goal? To steal money. All year but especially during tax filing season, the IRS will see a big surge in the number of scam calls, which tell ...
Views: 51 - Mass Shootings: Driven by Evil or a Desire for Celebrity Status? - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIf all a gunman, who opened fire and randomly killed nine people, wanted was 15 minutes of fame, he could have achieved this running naked into the field at a major league baseball game. At least one criminologist believes that the driving force behind mass shootings is a desire for celebrity ...
Views: 46 - Woman Murdered after Man Tricks Her with Lost Puppy Ruse - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2019 from Robert SicilianoThis entire post is brutal and for some, hard to read. But if there is a woman or girl in your life might benefit from being freaked out, read it and forward and share it. We’ve all heard about the man approaching a child, showing her a picture of his “lost” puppy, asking ...
Views: 49 - Another Rideshare Rape is an Epidemic - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2019 from Robert SicilianoWomen should never take a ride from a stranger because it’s dangerous – unless she’s paying the driver??? Wrong, of course. Uber and Lyft drivers provide paid rides to strangers as requested via the Uber and Lyft apps. As of August 2018 WhosDrivingyou.org tallied the number ...
Views: 72 - Should Life Insurance Policies Be Banned? - by Submitted on Aug 06, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIt’s fair to wonder how many people would still be alive today if there were never any such thing as a life insurance policy. Personally I can’t imagine NOT having a life insurance policy if you have children 17 and under. But the below info might ring true for some of you. An ...
Views: 78 - Apps for Stalkers Disguised as Parental Control Tools - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2019 from Robert SicilianoSell something called “SuperParent” or even the actual FlexiSpy — and all is swell. Frankly, I’m not opposed to monitoring a child’s phone, kids shouldn’t have phones anyways. But sell something called “iStalk” or “StalkU,” well ...
Views: 65 - You Know Tom Might Kill You So Why Do You Stay with Tom? - by Submitted on Jul 31, 2019 from Robert Siciliano“Tom” can also be “Alicia.” Nevertheless, it happens often enough to come up every so often in a crime documentary aired on the Investigation Discovery channel. The premise is as follows: A person is SO convinced that their spouse or soon-to-be ex-spouse is going ...
Views: 69 - Florida City Pays Hackers $600,000 after Scam - by Submitted on Jul 25, 2019 from Robert SicilianoRiviera Beach, a city in Florida, has agreed to pay a $600,000 ransom to hackers who attacked its network. This week, the City Council voted to pay the demands after coming up with no other option to meet the demands of the hackers. It seems that the hackers got access to the system when a ...
Views: 76 - Boy Scouts of America 12,000 Sex Abuse Victims is Normal - by Submitted on Jul 23, 2019 from Robert SicilianoThe Boy Scouts of American is no stranger to controversy, and now new information is shedding light on how many leaders were actually involved in a sex abuse scandal. According to official records of the Boy Scouts, more than 12,000 children were sexually assaulted while in the scout program. ...
Views: 64 - Reinforce Your Door with the Door Devil - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2019 from Robert SicilianoUnfortunately, there is no such thing as a totally burglar-proof home, but there is also no burglar who can get into any home. By taking a few steps and using some specific security measures, you can make your home ALMOST burglar-proof. When most homeowners consider security, they usually ...
Views: 74 - "Choking Game" Killing Kids, and Authorities Have to Step Up - by Submitted on Jul 11, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIt only took a minute for 12-year old Erik Robinson to die while playing a macabre game called the “Choking Game.” His mother desperately tried to save her son when she found him with a Boy Scout rope around his neck, but it was too late. Erik was brain dead due to lack of oxygen, ...
Views: 69 - Cognitive Computing- 5 Challenges this Emerging Technology is Suffering - by Submitted on Jul 10, 2019 from Amelia MatthersCredit card fraud has many shapes and forms. The purpose of doing credit card fraud also varies. Some frauds are done in order to perform a huge transaction and some are done to purchase expensive goods for free. Any financial institution is exposed to a large number of attacks that are ...
Views: 106 - Catfished Teen Murders Her Best Friend - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2019 from Robert SicilianoA teenager in Alaska, Denali Brehmer, killed her best friend after a man she met on the internet offered her $9 million to commit the murder. Brehmer, who is 18-years old, killed her 19-year old friend, Cynthia Hoffman, by shooting her in the back of the head at the urging of Darin Schilmiller, ...
Views: 115 - Police Say Scammers Are Stealing Deposits from Homeowners - by Submitted on Jul 04, 2019 from Robert SicilianoThe police in Port St. Lucie Florida have claimed that scammers are now posting homes as available for rent or purchase. You rent/purchase the home by putting a deposit down on the house, but you’re never given any keys. The scammers are getting their victims to the property and even a ...
Views: 69 - Fake Real Estate Agent Caught Stealing $30K in Jewelry - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2019 from Robert SicilianoRecently, a man was accused of pretending to be a real estate agent just to steal some jewelry from an open house. According to Toronto police, he has been arrested. The victims are a couple (their identity isn’t being listed for their safety). They had an open house in a small city ...
Views: 75 - Hackers Hacking Airport USB Ports - by Submitted on Jun 27, 2019 from Robert SicilianoHave you ever wondered if it’s a good idea to surf the internet using a public WiFi network at the airport? It’s heavily trafficked, so it’s more likely that your information could get stolen, right? In some cases, it is safe to use public WiFi; your information isn’t ...
Views: 74 - Deepfakes and the Impact on Cybersecurity Now and in the Future - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2019 from Robert SicilianoCan you believe what you see in a video? Most people say ‘yes,’ but the truth is, you no longer can. We all know that photos can be altered, but videos? Thanks to artificial intelligence, these, too, are being altered at a very quick rate. These videos, known as ...
Views: 85 - Young Kids Getting Sexually Exploited Online More Than Ever Before - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2019 from Robert SicilianoAn alarming new study is out, and if you are a parent, you should take note…children as young as 8-years old are being sexually exploited via social media. This is a definite downturn from past research, and it seems like one thing is to blame: live streaming. YouTube serves up videos ...
Views: 73 - Are Password Managers as Safe as You Think They Are? - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2019 from Robert SicilianoYou have probably heard of password managers, and you probably think they are pretty safe, right? Well, there is new research out there that may might make you think twice, especially if you use password managers like KeePass, 1Password, Lastpass, or Dashlane. Frankly, I’m not worried ...
Views: 79 - Anyone Can Scam You, Even Your Folks - by Submitted on Jun 11, 2019 from Robert SicilianoYou might feel pretty safe with your parents, but more and more stories are coming out about scammer parents—especially when it comes to getting into college. By now, we have all heard of the famous faces who have gotten caught up in the college admission scandal, but they are not the ...
Views: 83 - Facebook Wants my Social Security Number! - by Submitted on Jun 06, 2019 from Robert SicilianoWTH Facebook? Generally, I don’t have a problem giving out my SSN. That might seem contrary to the advice I give, but frankly, our SSNs are everywhere and if my insurance company needs it, I’ll generally just question them on it, maybe resist a bit, and if they insist, and I need ...
Views: 81 - Robert Siciliano on FOX Nation - by Submitted on Jun 05, 2019 from Robert SicilianoI recently had the opportunity to join a panel discussion on FOX Nation. We talked about the grid, and how cyber threats could be the next medium for global warfare. I was able to share opinions with fellow experts on privacy, information security and cybersecurity. Please watch and learn why it ...
Views: 74 - Who Has Access to Your Personal Info? The Answer Might Surprise You - by Submitted on May 30, 2019 from Robert SicilianoAre you aware that many people probably have access to your personal info? If you have ever gotten an apartment, have insurance, or applied for a job, someone has done a background check on you, and you might be shocked by what’s in there, including your debts, income, loan payments, and ...
Views: 168 - Beware of Conference Invitation Scams - by Submitted on May 30, 2019 from Robert SicilianoConference invitation scams are those that involve a scammer sending invitations out to events with the intention of scamming the invitees. These might be real events or fake events, and the scammers target people including business professionals, lecturers, CEOs, researchers, philanthropists, ...
Views: 93 - WARNING: You or Your Members Could be Targets of List Scams - by Submitted on May 24, 2019 from Robert SicilianoThere are scammers out there targeting conference exhibitors and attendee. What are they looking for? Credit card numbers, money wires and personal information that they can use to steal identities. One of the ways that scammers get this information is by using invitation or list scams. ...
Views: 93 - How to Protect Your identity When Buying or Selling a Home - by Submitted on May 24, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIf you are in the process of buying or selling a home, at some point, you are going to have to disclose personal information when you go through the process. Because of this, a home buyer, especially, is much more likely to become a victim of identity theft. Here are some ways to protect your ...
Views: 108 - The "Mother of All Data Breaches?" It Could Be Here… - by Submitted on May 17, 2019 from Robert SicilianoYou have probably heard of one data breach after another these days, but this is one that you should really pay attention to: more than 772 million unique emails, along with more than 21 million unique passwords, have been exposed. Troy Hunt, who runs the website “Have I Been ...
Views: 82 - Youra Sheethed: My Dalliance Scambaiting a Nigerian Con - by Submitted on May 14, 2019 from Robert SicilianoI put an ad on Craigslist to sell a refrigerator that I no longer need. Within a few minutes I’m happy to report Micheal responded to buy it! SCAMMER: Hi am Micheal I like to ask if this item is till available for sale and what the present condition it. ME: Still for sale, someone is ...
Views: 91 - Youth Suicide on the Rise…is Social Media to Blame? - by Submitted on May 10, 2019 from Robert SicilianoA startling new study shows that youth suicide is on the rise, and it has risen in dramatic fashion. Data from the National Poison Data System shows that there were more than 1.6 million cases of kids from 10 to 24-years old attempting suicide by poison during the time between 2000 and 2018. ...
Views: 116 - Want to be a Cybercriminal? Try Facebook - by Submitted on May 03, 2019 from Robert SicilianoWhen you think of a cybercriminal, you probably picture someone in a black hoodie in a dark room on the dark web, but most cybercriminals are out there in plain sight, including on Facebook. Talos, a cybersecurity firm, found that people can easily join Facebook groups, and then participate ...
Views: 123 - New Phone Scam Scares with Social Security Sham - by Submitted on May 01, 2019 from Robert SicilianoWe all get scam phone calls, but the newest one is meant to scare. When you pick up the phone, you get a message that your Social Security number is suspended due to suspicious activity, and then prompts the victim to speak with an agent to get help. The FTC makes something very clear: your ...
Views: 319 - Second Hand USB's Could Have Personal Info Still Inside - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2019 from Robert SicilianoAn unsurprising study was recently released that found even when a portable USB drive is erased, not all of the documents and images are always removed. That, of course, is frightening. Here’s how the research was done: Researchers went online to sites like eBay, to second-hand shops, ...
Views: 114 - FTC Brings Office Depot Fines and a Strong Warning to Other Companies - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2019 from Robert SicilianoThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that Office Depot, along with a tech support firm, must come up with $35 million to settle a lawsuit over claims that both organizations were part of a computer repair service scam, which involved a fake malware scan. In the FTC complaint, it was ...
Views: 114 - Exclusive Coaching Call Webinar Recording - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2019 from Robert SicilianoMy interview with CNN has been trending all over the internet, and that makes me so happy because we talked about a very important topic–personal security. I’m so passionate about this subject that I wanted to provide some followup commentary. Use this link to view my most ...
Views: 101 - “Troncast” Podcast with Tron Jordheim - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2019 from Robert SicilianoI recently had the opportunity to join Tron Jordheim on his podcast hosted on stitcher.com. We talked about digital security and how to watch out for yourself in our digital landscape. I was able to share advice on privacy, information security and why it is so important to take control of your ...
Views: 135 - How to Phish Google and Facebook and Make Millions - by Submitted on Apr 05, 2019 from Robert SicilianoEvaldas Rimasauskas, a Lithuanian man, became very rich. How? He is a criminal who used his lying skills to get more than $100 million from companies such as Facebook and Google between 2013 and 2015. He’s now in jail, but during his trial, Rimasauskas admitted that he was guilty of ...
Views: 141 - The Serious Job of Protecting Client Information - by Submitted on Mar 28, 2019 from Susan Friesen6 Important Small Business Cyber Security Tips Chances are, you think twice before entering your credit card information online to buy something, watch out for malicious links in emails and keep your PC updated against viruses, spyware and hackers. However, how much thought do you put ...
Views: 322 - How Criminals Prey on the Art World and Real Estate - by Submitted on Mar 16, 2019 from Robert SicilianoAny industry involving wiring transfers of large sums of money is vulnerable to this new type of hack. Purchasing a car, home or piece of art are large transactions and are not usually done in cash. In well-established industries like real estate, there are some checks and balances, but while ...
Views: 167 - 10 Tips to Not Ending Up A Dead Real Estate Agent - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2019 from Robert SicilianoYes that title is awful and yes you should be offended. Real estate agents often find themselves in dangerous situations. And for 20 years, I’ve been screaming this, doing something about it, and it keeps happening. And the real estate agents and industries response? Thots and prayers. ...
Views: 165 - How to Access that Old Email Account - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2019 from Robert SicilianoHave you ever wondered if you could access your old email accounts? You might want to look for some old files, or maybe need information about an old contact. Whatever the reason, there is good and bad news when it comes to accessing old email accounts. The best thing that you can do is to ...
Views: 173 - Make Your Mobile a Tough Target for Thieves - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2019 from Robert SicilianoYou should definitely pay attention to your mobile phone security. Most of us don’t, which makes it easy for hackers and ID thieves to target us. Here are some tips to protect yourself from becoming a target for thieves. Use a Passcode One of the easiest ways to ensure that you are not ...
Views: 140 - How to Monitor a Cell Phone - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2019 from Robert SicilianoDo you fancy yourself a spy and wondering how you can monitor someone else’s cell phone? You won’t get that information here, but there is some good info on cell phone monitoring if you keep reading: The Legalities of Tracking Cell Phones Generally, it is not legal to monitor a ...
Views: 204 - The Top Cyber Security Threats to Real Estate Companies - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2019 from Robert SicilianoGone are the days when hackers would only target retailers. These days, the bad guys an target businesses in any industry, especially those that aren’t quite up on cyber security. The real estate industry is one such group, and according to a recent survey, about half of businesses in ...
Views: 145 - How to Block Spammy Scammy Telemarketing Calls - by Submitted on Jan 24, 2019 from Robert SicilianoAre you getting a lot of scammy, spammy telemarketing calls? If you are, you know how annoying they can here. Fortunately, there are some apps out there that can help. Here are a few worth looking into: CallApp You can use CallApp to lookup numbers, and then decide if you want to answer it ...
Views: 160 - How To Determine a Fake Website - by Submitted on Jan 22, 2019 from Robert SicilianoThere are a lot of scammers out there, and one of the things they do is create fake websites to try to trick you into giving them personal information. Here are some ways that you can determine if a website is fake or not: How Did I Get Here? Ask yourself how you got to the site. Did you ...
Views: 142 - Your Kids Digital Lives Are in Shambles - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIf you have a teenager, you probably have a battle in play: do you or do you not manage your teens mobile devices. Though some parents see this as an invasion of their child’s privacy,(which, frankly, is stupid) there are many reasons why you should start managing what they are doing ...
Views: 133 - Your Real Estate Agent May Have a Gun - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIf you are thinking of buying a house, and you start going to open houses, you might be surprised to learn an interesting fact: the real estate agent might be carrying a gun. Some of you reading this might have jumped to this article looking for a fight, because in M’erka guns are a ...
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