Thankful for all of you, please stay safe

Tis The Season To Be Scammy 2022

Family and Friends are Important

On a normal day Americans spend almost 3 hours on social media. Teens spend more than 5. You’ll certainly spend more time connecting in this year’s holiday season. Family and friends are important to us. We want to know if they are OK, we want to share our lives, hopes, dreams, and cares.

Pro Tip:

Information you share about other people online is sharing their information. Always be sure they are OK with it being shared, and being shared by you. Did they want to do the big reveal themselves?

Safety and Privacy Doesn’t Have to be Hard:

• Disable location services on your apps and photos unless it’s something that really needs it like maps.
• Check the privacy settings on your apps. Make sure its choices are your choices, not the other way around.
• Be careful with new connection requests, be sure it’s your friend or colleague. Be even more sure with charitable groups, check them out on https://www.charitynavigator.org/
• Be sure the password for where you visit is unique. Don’t use the same password for email, paypal/squre/venmo, and your social life.
• If you’re travelling consider a VPN, especially if you’re using public wi-fi. I’ve used Hide.me, Proton VPN, Privado VPN, Tunnel Bear, and Windscribe. I have heard good things about Mullvad VPN and RiseUp VPN (https://riseup.net/en/vpn).

The FBI recommends don’t tag pictures with your child’s name (predators), and that you never share:

• birthday (identity thieves)
• dates of a trip (home robbery)
• driver’s license or social security (identity thieves)
• credit card or bank information (online robbery)

Safely Shop for Yourself or Your Business

Everyone wants your money. Make sure you choose where it goes.

If you get email or voicemail that says it’s from your credit card, online payments, taxes, bank, or whatever, don’t click the included link. You need to open a new web browser tab and type or paste the address yourself to make sure it goes there, and not some other site. Beware of typos in the address!

Secure websites addresses start with HTTPS. If you wave the mouse or pointer over the address area’s padlock or shield you should see a message that it’s verified and/or secure.