MoneyWisdom Blog

Earlier this week Equifax settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and 50 U.S. states and territories, agreeing to pay out up to $425 million to consumers whose personal information was exposed during their data breach. Approximately 147 million people were affected by this breach, so if you were one of them, here's what to do:

Two simple words capture your eyes...and your heart: “Free puppy.’’ Faster than you can say, “Awww,’’ you're imagining the joy a new friend could add to your household. Those soft, sweet eyes. The wagging tail. The furry friend who'll go on walks or rides with you, or curl up next to you on the couch. Animal lovers can find such imaginings impossible to resist. Unfortunately, scammers know this is not just the way to your heart, but the way to your wallet.

Identity theft is something we all have to take precautions against. Approximately 1 in 15 Americans experience some type of identity theft each year.* The most vulnerable of us are the elderly who may not have the knowledge of how to protect against identity theft in an ever-increasing electronic world.

Scams targeting older adults are on the rise. It's a nearly $40 billion industry, and as thieves conjure up new schemes and technology grows at light-speed, the number of scams is likely to increase exponentially. In the face of such growth, how can you protect yourself or older family members from becoming victims to crooks?

You're checking your email and notice that Apple has sent you a receipt for almost $1,000 worth of iTune purchases and downloads. Except there's a problem: you haven't downloaded anything from Apple. In fact, you don't even have an Apple ID that would allow you to download from iTunes. Surely it's just a mistake so you call the number on the receipt, and the Apple support person tells you the only way he'll be able to issue you a credit is if you go out and buy ten $100 iTunes cards at your local grocery store and call them later with the card's code numbers...

Selling items online you no longer need or want through websites and apps is a great way to earn extra cash and clear clutter. Unfortunately, it's also a great way for crooks to victimize or scam you. Knowing that scams exist — and knowing how to spot them — will go a long way toward keeping yourself from becoming another victim. So here are six surefire tips to avoid getting ripped off when you're selling your stuff online:

Like millions of Americans, I regularly field calls from scammers who threaten me with jail time because I haven't paid my taxes or who tell me the police are coming to my workplace to serve me with papers for a bogus debt. However, earlier this week I got a call from a fraudster who scared me when she said the last four digits of my Social Security number.

Looking for that golden ticket to financial freedom? Multi-level marketing (MLM) companies want you to believe that a) there is such a thing and b) they are it.

Tax season is here, and it’s stressful enough without the threatening and aggressive tactics of scammers impersonating the IRS. In recent years, thousands of people have lost substantial amounts of money, as well as precious personal information, to tax scams. Although you may think you’re too savvy to fall victim, it’s important to remember that every year, criminals find new and creative ways to cheat you out of your money and identity.

While it might not seem like there is much the average person can do to stop ID theft from happening, there are steps individuals can take to minimize personal risk. One of the most practical ones? Ditch the jot-it-down-on-a-notepad method of password tracking in favor of a secure software application that generates and stores passwords on your behalf. In other words, get yourself a password manager, stat.