Passwords can be your first line of defense against stolen personal information (phone data, banking information, email, medical records) so it’s important to create one that is strong.
Nobody likes to think about the possibility of a disaster, but it’s important for you to be prepared long before one happens. Once one hits, it's unlikely that you’ll have enough time to take the steps to protect yourself and your personal information.
While you’ll likely never be able to get rid of all your junk mail, here are some ways to help you minimize it.
While it’s impossible to entirely rid your life of spam, you can take action to significantly reduce the amount you receive.
Yes, but all verifiable sources of income must be considered the same. For example, disability income may not be treated differently from office job income.
Yes, tenant screening companies can interview people who know you, such as neighbors, former employers or landlords.
Yes. Many stores do this to help identify patterns of return fraud and abuse. Read our article for more information.
With Visa and MasterCard, no. They both have rules that limit stores from requiring you to show your ID as a condition of purpose. These rules also make them accept your card even if you refuse to show your ID. However, you may still be required to show ID for other reasons related to the sale, such as for buying alcohol/tobacco, using a card flagged as lost/stolen, suspected fraud, etc.
If someone insists that you show your ID to use your credit card, you can show a copy of the Visa or MasterCard rules.
Ransomware is a type of malware that locks the you out of your computer or mobile device—demanding payment (often virtual currency like Bitcoin) to restore access (no guarantee you’ll regain access if you pay). While medical facilities, universities and government agencies are prime targets for these attacks, anyone can be a victim.
As phones (and other mobile devices) have become indispensable parts of our lives, it's increasingly important to reduce their privacy and security risks.