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How to:

Never Get Scammed

By Liam Wolf

We all hear about scams but most people don't take the steps to educate and protect themselves against them until it's too late. Scamming has become a multi-billion dollar industry, which should tell you that these scammers are very good at what they do. It's easy to hear about someone getting scammed and think "I would never fall for that", but you'd be surprised how convincing these scammers can be when they catch you off guard.
Here's the thing, avoiding these scams is really as simple as this; never provide personal or sensitive info to anyone whom you have not verified their identity. Let me further illustrate what I mean and how to actually do that:1. Pop-Ups
If a phone number pops up on your computer/phone/table telling you to call "Apple Support", "Windows Support", or any other "Support", do NOT call that number. If you are worried about something being wrong with your computer, take it to a local computer shop or someone you trust, or lookup the number for the correct support department on the company's website (or under Resources on the homepage).2. Phone Calls
If you ever get a phone call from any company asking for any personal or sensitive info do NOT give it to them unless you are expecting them to call at that time. I don't care if they claim to be the fraud department at your bank telling you that someone is stealing your money, inform them that you would like to hangup and call the bank (or whomever they claim to be) directly. Any legitimate bank or business will not only be ok with this, they will encourage it. Important: don't use whatever number they provide you, make sure to lookup the number from a trusted source like the company's website (or this site if I have it listed).3. Emails/Texts
By now I think you get the picture, but this applies to emails/texts also. Don't trust any phone numbers provided in emails/texts unless you are sure the email or text is legitimately from them. If you closely examine the email address (not just the From: name) and it shows it's from the company's legitimate website then it is "probably" safe to trust the email as most scammers don't put in the amount of effort required to spoof an email address, but it could still potentially be a scam. When in doubt just lookup the number yourself, and never send sensitive info like passwords, SSN, bank info, or credit card info over email or text. Email as a technology is inherently insecure and the same can be said about text messages, as numbers can be spoofed and texts can be intercepted.4. Statements
When looking at your bank/credit card statement, never trust any phone numbers listed next to a specific charge. If a scammer somehow gets your payment info and is able to charge you, they can put whatever they want on the line item to make it look like a legitimate charge that you might not suspect. What's even worse is they can put a fake phone number, so that when you call about the charge you're really calling the scammer! In one case, I saw a client get charged her legitimate monthly subscription for Apple Music, but a scammer somehow got access to Apple's systems and changed the number to a fake number. Again, the lesson is to always verify a companies phone number before calling!5. Friends/Family
In addition to impersonating companies and government agencies, scammers have also been known to impersonate friends or family through text and email (and probably voice soon with the rapid adoption of AI). If you're ever contacted and asked to send money or anything suspicious it's a good idea to use a second form of contact to verify it's who they say.6. Screen Sharing
Never, ever install any software onto your computer or phone at the request of some support or fraud department. Your bank, credit card company, phone company, Amazon, PayPal, eBay, etc.. will NEVER ask you to install software or instruct you to let them connect to your computer or phone. In some cases, Apple will request access to view your iPhone or Apple device, the same might be true with Microsoft/Windows support, but in these cases make sure you initiate the call to a verified number. Same goes if you have 3rd party tech support company that you trust.7. Ad Blocker
Install a reputable ad blocker on every web browser you use. This has several benefits, like not seeing ads, but more importantly by blocking ads you end up blocking a lot of scams that come in the form of ads. Here's what I recommend:
uBlock Origin (for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera)
AdGuard (for Safari, Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android)...or you can use Brave browser, which already has an excellent ad blocker built-in. Brave is basically a privacy focused browser built on the same underlying code as Google Chrome, just with all the Google parts removed. This means that any extension available for Chrome will also work on Brave. Brave has some other quirky features like Brave Wallet, Brave Rewards, and Brave VPN, but I just hide or ignore those.8. Gift Cards
There is never a legitimate reason to purchase gift cards to send to a company or individual that you do not know personally. No legitimate customer service, tech support, fraud prevention, or other employee will ever request you to buy gift cards to send them, period. I don't care what sob story or guilt trip they put on you, don't do it.9. Credit Cards vs Debit Cards
Personally, I use credit cards for everything (and pay them off right away to avoid interest!) Aside from earning rewards points, credit cards offer liability protection for purchases that you didn't authorize. By using credit cards for everything (both online and in person) you effectively eliminate all the potential for scammers to get ahold of your debit card or checking account info through techniques like card skimming or company data breaches. If a scammer gets your credit card and goes on a shopping spree you simply call your credit card company, inform them what has happened, and they will remove the charges and issue you a new card. If a scammer goes shopping with your debit card or checking account, the chance of getting your money back is severely reduced.10. Privacy.com
This is a service that gives you multiple virtual credit card numbers you can use for shopping online or recurring subscriptions, with the ability to set limits for each virtual card, pause, or turn them off at will. This is a great alternative to using a debit card online, since it allows you to pay with your bank account without giving out your actual debit card or bank info to retailers. Since it doesn't work with credit cards there is no liability protection, therefore I don't personally use it (though I've heard great things about it). It's free for up to 12 card numbers per month, and they paid plans for more cards and you can even earn 1% cash back.11. Online Dating
If you're into online dating there's a YouTube channel called Catfished that you should check out. They have countless videos showing people who have spent weeks, months, or even years falling in love with people they meet online that end up scamming them out of all their money. These scammers steal other people's identities/pictures and carry on long distance relationships, always with some great excuse as to why they can't meet just yet. I saw one where the victim was so convinced the person was real that their roommate had to set them up and expose everything in front of her to get her to see the truth. Never send money to someone you don't know in person!Summary
If you do all of that, and never provide anyone you haven't verified with personal info about yourself, the vast majority of scams aren't going to be able to work on you. However, it's important to always be alert as there are always new and creative scams coming out, and dedicating some time to stay informed and learn about them is wise. I'll leave you with one of my favorite YouTube channels: Jim Browning. This guys spends his free time going after scammers, exposing them, and even taking down their operations. He's a true hero and you can learn a lot from watching his videos, but I will warn you some of them are truly heartbreaking when you see how these scammers treat people and take advantage of them. I definitely recommend his 5-part series Spying on the Scammers which garnered media attention and millions of views, where he infiltrates a scam call center and exposes their entire operation, including their own CCTV.

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What to Do if You've Just Been Scammed

By Liam Wolf

Discovering that you've fallen victim to a scam can be a distressing and disheartening experience. Whether it was an online phishing attempt, a fraudulent investment scheme, or any other deceitful activity, the aftermath of being scammed can leave you feeling vulnerable and violated. However, it's essential to act promptly and methodically to mitigate the damage and increase the chances of recovering from the scam. Here are the steps you should take if you've just been scammed:1. Don't Blame Yourself
Scamming people is a multi-billion dollar industry for a reason, these scammers are very good at what they do and their techniques are always evolving. Hindsight is 20/20, but when it's happening to you these scams can be hard to identify when you haven't been educated about them.2. Stay Calm and Gather Information
Being scammed can evoke strong emotions, but it's crucial to stay calm and composed. Take a moment to breathe and collect yourself. Try to recall all the details related to the scammer - their name(s), their contact information, and any websites or emails involved. Also try to recall any details you may have given them - your personal info, SSN, bank info, credit cards, and any access you've given them to your computer, tablet, or phone. If you need to document or save something on your screen, an easy method for doing so is to take a screenshot. This can be achieved by doing the following:Mac: Press Command + Shift + 3 simultaneously (saves to your Desktop).
PC: Press Windows key + PrtScn (Print Screen) simultaneously (saves to Pictures/Screenshots).
iPhone: Press Power button + Home button or Power button + Volume Up button simultaneously.
Android: Press Power button + Volume Down button simultaneously.3. Cease Communication Immediately
As tempting as it may be to call them out as scammers and send them angry/nasty messages, it doesn't do any good. These people prey on the most vulnerable and lathe best strategy is to just stop communicating with them, if they keep contacting you feel free to call them out after you've finished these steps and properly protected yourself, or feel free to waste their time and keep leading them on, just don't give them any more (real) information.4. Revoke Remote Access and Disinfect Your Device
Computers: First, if possible disconnect the internet (make sure ethernet is unplugged and WiFi is turned off) or shut down the machine entirely. If you have given the scammer access to your computer make sure to revoke that access and uninstall whatever application they instructed you to download (some common ones include Team Viewer, Ultra Viewer, ConnectWise, AnyDesk, LogMeIn, and GoToMyPC). Most of these online scammers are connecting to your computer to scare or manipulate you out of your money, and don't intend to harm your computer or even leave behind spyware. However, you just never know so be sure to read my guide How to Disinfect Your Computer, Tablet, or Phone.iPhones/iPads: These tend to be better protected against these threats, due to their restrictive nature. As of now (7/29/23), if a scammer has you download a screen sharing app to your iPhone or iPad (and give them permission), they would be able to see your phone's screen but they wouldn't be able to control it. This is why they always try to urge you to use your computer instead of the phone. iOS's sandboxed approach means that apps are very limited in how they can affect other apps or the rest of the phone. While I'm not naive enough to claim that it's impossible for an iPhone to become infected, it's really not something you need to worry about as a result of being scammed. Just uninstall whichever app(s) the scammer had you download and you your phone should be safe to use. If you're still concerned though you can call AppleCare and they have the ability to remote into your iPhone/iPad and offer support.Android phones/tablets: Unfortunately, Android tends to be more susceptible to these attacks if the user doesn't know what to look out for. This is because Android has the ability to install apps from anywhere, bypassing any quality control and making it easier to give hackers full access to your phone. Therefore I consider these to be in the same category as computers, so click the link above.5. Stop Payments/Transfers and Call Your Bank(s)
Any current payments, scheduled payments, gift cards, or anything else you're sending them stop or cancel immediately. This usually means calling your bank, credit cards, Western Union, PayPal, Venmo, Cash app, etc.. It's also a good idea to freeze or shut off any credit cards or debit cards that were charge, so they can't be charged again. If money has been pulled directly out of your checking/savings account you'll want to work with your bank and it may be necessary to close the account(s) entirely. Be sure to inform any banks that you contact about the scam and explain what happened so they can best help you. When you call the bank(s) make sure you call a verified number and NOT a number you got from someone on the phone, an email, or even from a line item on your bank statement (those can be fake!). I would get the number from the back of your credit card, your bank's website, or under Resources on the homepage.6. Change Your Passwords
I would change the following passwords: any password to an account that has been compromised (accessed by anyone else), any password you gave to a scammer, any passwords that were entered on a computer during or after a scammer had access to the computer (same with Android devices), any password that is the same or similar to a compromised password. For example, if you need to change the password for Amazon, but you know that Bank of America uses the same (or similar) password, you want to also change the password for Bank of America. In fact, you should really read my guide Password Management - Good Security Doesn’t Have to Be a Headache.7. Check for Identity Theft
Scammers might use the information they've obtained to commit identity theft, especially if they've gotten your SSN. It's a good idea to check your credit reports to identify any new accounts that are opened, and keep and eye on them moving forward. You are legally entitled to one free report per year from each of the three credit reporting agencies (Exuifax, TransUnion, and Experian). You can request your free credit report at annualcreditreport.com. You can also use free tools like Credit Karma to check your credit reports. Credit Karma provides you with your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports which are updated daily, just keep in mind the credit scores you see in Credit Karma are NOT FICO scores, instead they are calculated with VantageScore (a different scoring model than what banks use to approve you).You can also place a freeze on each of your credit reports for free to prevent any new accounts from being opened under your name. To learn more read my guide How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft.8. Educate Yourself and Move Forward
Being scammed can be a tough lesson, but it's essential to learn from it and move forward. Use this experience to become more cautious and savvy when dealing with unfamiliar situations, especially online. Remember, you are not defined by this incident, and with time, you can recover both financially and emotionally. Start by reading my guide How to Never Get Scammed.9. Seek Support
Being scammed can leave you feeling embarrassed or ashamed, but remember that it can happen to anyone. Don't hesitate to talk to someone you trust about the experience, whether it's a friend, family member, or counselor. Discussing the situation can help you process your feelings and gain valuable insights.10. Be Wary of Follow-Up Scams
After being scammed once, you might be targeted by follow-up scams. Scammers often share "sucker lists" with other scammers, making you a potential target for future fraudulent activities. Be cautious about unsolicited calls, emails, or messages, and avoid engaging with unknown individuals or businesses.11. Report the Scam
It is often recommended to contact local law enforcement and file a police report, sometimes it can even be required by your bank or credit card company. A lot of these scams are perpetrated by people overseas, so don't expect them to be able to do much about it, but it's still a good idea. Reporting the scam can be helpful not only for your benefit but also to help prevent others from falling victim to the same scheme. Contact your local law enforcement using their non-emergency number and provide them with all the information you have collected. You can also report the scam to the FTC, along with your police report.If you're more technologically inclined, you can also try looking up their webhosting and/or email provider and report them.12. Consider Legal Action
Depending on the severity of the scam and the amount of money involved, you might want to explore the possibility of legal action. Consult with an attorney specializing in consumer protection or fraud cases to understand your options and the potential for recovering your losses.Summary
In conclusion, falling victim to a scam can be a distressing experience, but it's crucial to take immediate action to mitigate the damage. By staying calm, reporting the scam, securing your accounts, and seeking support, you can begin the process of recovering from the scam. Additionally, educating yourself about common scams will empower you to protect yourself and others in the future. Remember, seeking help from relevant authorities and staying vigilant are the keys to safeguarding yourself from scams in an increasingly interconnected world.

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How to:

Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

By Liam Wolf

There are a lot of services out there that claim to do a lot of things to protect you from identity theft, however, in this case the most effective thing you can do is also the simplest, and it's completely free! I'm talking about placing a freeze on your credit reports. In this step-by-step guide, I will explain everything you need to know to about credit freezes.1. Understand Credit Reporting
As you may know, there are three main credit bureaus in the United States; Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. These agencies collect and store consumer credit data, including payment history, credit accounts, public records, and use this information to calculate credit scores that assess creditworthiness (aka how responsible you are with credit). Anytime you apply for a new line of credit, the bank runs a check on your credit report to determine if you qualify.2. Understanding the Problem
If your identity is stolen, or in other words, if someone pretends to be you, they can open a credit card or make purchases like a car (or even a boat) in your name, leaving you responsible for the payments. To apply for a new line of credit, a thief usually only needs a few pieces of personal information, such as your name, address, phone number, date of birth, and your SSN (social security number). With this information, they could open credit cards or make large purchases in your name and rack up a lot of debt before you could stop it. Moreover, all that personal info isn't always as hard for them to find as you might think.3. Understand Credit Freezes
When you freeze your credit reports, credit bureaus are required to block access to your credit information. This means that creditors and lenders cannot check your credit history, which prevents potential identity thieves from opening fraudulent accounts using your identity. This means that even if a thief has all your personal information, they cannot open any new lines of credit while your credit reports are frozen.4. Placing a Freeze by Phone
To place a credit freeze by phone all you need to do is to call each of the three credit bureaus. They all have an automated system to walk you through the process without even needing to talk to anybody. Just be sure you have your name, date of birth, phone number, address, driver's license number, and SSN. You may be asked additional verification questions for security purposes. Be ready to create a PIN and write it down, as you'll need this to remove the freeze in the future. This will probably take around 5 minutes per credit bureau. You can find the phone numbers under Resources on the homepage.5. Placing a Freeze Online
This is also a fairly simple process and shouldn't take more than about 5 minutes per credit bureau. The general idea is that you go to the website of each credit bureau, create a new account, and place a freeze on each credit report. Make sure you have the same information I mentioned above on hand, and be ready to create passwords and verify your email address for each account. I'm not going into too much detail because an excellent 10-minute video already shows the entire process for each one.6. Monitor Your Accounts Regularly
Remember, a credit freeze prevents the opening of accounts by thieves, it doesn't stop scammers from getting your existing accounts or stealing your cards. It's always important to monitor your bank statements, credit card bills, and any other financial accounts regularly for fraudulent charges. Side note: when reviewing financial accounts, never trust the phone number printed next to a transaction or charge, always lookup the number for whatever company you want to contact using their website or a trusted source (like my Resources section).7. Temporarily Lift/Thaw the Credit Freeze
There may be occasions when you need to allow access to your credit information, such as when applying for a new loan or credit card. In such cases, you'll need to lift or 'thaw' the freeze temporarily. Just like when placing the freeze, this can be done over the phone or online; the process is essentially the same as before, but this time, you'll want to select the 'unfreeze' option. There's usually an option to temporarily unfreeze (i.e., unfreeze for 2 hours), which eliminates the need to place the freeze again yourself. If this option is not available or you don't select it, make sure you go back and freeze your credit afterward.Bonus tip: Before applying for a loan or credit card, inform the lender that you have a freeze in place and inquire which credit bureau they plan to check. This way, you won't need to spend time unfreezing all three bureaus. While sometimes they may not disclose the bureau or might check more than one, it's always worth asking.Summary
Protecting yourself from identity fraud is crucial in today's digital age. Placing a freeze on your credit reports is a proactive measure to safeguard your financial well-being that everyone should do. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can take control of your credit information and significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to identity fraud. If you'd like to learn more about protecting yourself from online scams, read my guide How to Never Get Scammed.

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How to:

Remove Your Personal Information from the Internet

By Liam Wolf

Coming soon!

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How to:

Disinfect Your Computer, Tablet, or Phone

By Liam Wolf

Coming soon!

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Antivirus Software:

Do I Need It and Which One Should I Get?

By Liam Wolf

Coming soon!

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Password Management:

Good Security Doesn't Have to Be a Headache

By Liam Wolf

Coming soon!

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Backup Solutions & Best Practices:

Never Lose Important Files Again

By Liam Wolf

Coming soon!

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Recommended

Products and Services

By Liam Wolf

Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page are referral or affiliate links, meaning I may receive compensation as a result of you signing up using them. However, I will only ever recommend products or services here that I have personally used and genuinely recommend.1Password
I have been using 1Password for over 4 years now (currently July 2023) and I have no plans to stop. It's a fantastic piece of software that is very functional, nice looking, cross-platform, affordable, and of course very secure.

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