Consumer Alert
Five ways to keep scammers and hackers away
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We’re living in the data age. The things we do on our phones and computers, on our internet-enabled smart devices, and on websites leave a trail of our activities and our personal information. That personal information has value — not just to us, but to scammers and hackers who want to steal our identities. Here are five things you can do to keep scammers and hackers at bay.
- Secure your accounts so they’re hard to crack. Use a strong password. And enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on sensitive accounts like your email or financial accounts. 2FA adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification.
- Keep your security software, operating system and internet browsers and apps up to date to defend against the latest threats.
- Your wireless network is the gateway to all the Wi-Fi enabled devices in your home. To protect your connected devices, replace the default Wi-Fi network password and router admin password with a strong password. And encrypt your network to prevent unauthorized access.
- Set your computer and phone to lock when you’re not using them. That’ll prevent unauthorized access to your computer if you step away or to your phone if you lose it.
- Create a backup copy of your information. That way you can recover it if your device gets infected, hacked, stolen, or lost. Back up your data to the cloud or an external drive.
Report scammers and hackers at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If someone stole your personal information, report it, and get recovery steps, at IdentityTheft.gov.
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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
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thank you!
In reply to thank you! by MELVIN T KOLB
I hope the FTC WILL NOT BE ABOLISHED like the UL and other regulations we need good info
Thanks .
The safety tips are easy to read and understand .
God bless all the members 0f FTC , who are efficiently serving the American citizenry .
Thank you for your posts!
I want to thank you for this article. I have had multiple hacks that were not able to get what they needed because of MFA. Great content and good to keep for reference.Everyone should have this info. God Bless and Thanks again.
In reply to I want to thank you for this… by Nannette G Banker
I have done everything I can think to stop them I have completely changed everything I got new phone and new service and new everything did not hook up to any wifi or anything and honestly I had not even really been on the Internet especially on any site I was ever on I just looked at the Google discover news section didn't even click on any of the articles eent to bed and woke up and wouldn't you Google android and Motorola all the blowing up my phone with security alerts to protect my device and they are saying all tthe wild data stiff again so what do I do now someone please rell me cause Google ain't going to help
Thank you for the information. Scammers are thick. I was scammed during covid.
Don't trust them
Very helpful tips. Thank you.
I can't find WiFi network default password in my device settings to change as recomended in the notice I received. Does someone at consumer FTC.gov have any suggestions.
In reply to I can't find WiFi network… by Marcia Litton
To learn how to change default settings, read the FTC article about How to Secure Your Home Wi-Fi Network. It's at this link: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-secure-your-home-wi-fi-network
In reply to I can't find WiFi network… by Marcia Litton
Call the MFG of your router check the bottom of the router
In reply to I can't find WiFi network… by Marcia Litton
Search on the model number/mfg. and get the manual from the company. You shouldn't ever pay for the manual. If your router is over 5 years old, it may be time to get a new one. Security is not cheap. Hardware and software requires ongoing updates.
You should send this article to every single phone - like an amber alert. This is extremely important in the days we live today.
Thank you
How do I stop Teller Marketers from calling my phone. They have been constantly calling me mourning noon and night. I have no peace. Please tell me how to get rid of this problem. They're driving me crazy.
In reply to How do I stop Teller… by Sharon
Use call blocking to stop calls before they reach you. Learn how at How To Block Unwanted Calls at this link: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-block-unwanted-calls.
Register your cell and home phone for free at the National Do Not Call Registry. Registration never expires and is designed to stop unwanted sales calls from companies that follow the law. It doesn’t block calls and won’t stop calls from scammers, but it makes scam calls easier to spot, if scammers are the main ones calling to sell you something. Register at www.donotcall.gov/register.html.
In reply to How do I stop Teller… by Sharon
Change your email address.
Change your telephone number.
My local police department suggested not answering the telephone and said "let it go to voicemail".
Or, if you have a landline answering machine and caller ID collect the suspected number and report it to the FTC.GOV.
I liked one person's suggestion about giving a pre-selected telephone number that could be flagged and traced.
How can We cope without you? Thanks for watching out for US.
Thank you
Do everythibg to protect yourself!!! It CAN happen to you,too.
Thank you for your services. I have used this many times over many years.
Your warnings make my life easier and help me to think better about what is best for me. Also, I verbally share with my "senior" senior citizens who also have to think differently in today's world. Thank you very much.
Thanks for providing valued pertinent information to assist in daily life. :-) I enjoy many of your email message contents
Thank you for all the information you send.
The problem is that there are 365 companies or more that obtain private personal information like age, address, phone number, email address, and relatives and their private information. This personal data is sourced from government sources and agencies and various public information sites that they collate and then sell to other companies that legally post this information on the internet. Our politicians have failed our most vulnerable citizens like our elderly and the disabled by NOT creating legislation to make this assault on our privacy illegal. I have been fighting to remove my personal information splattered over the internet for more than 10 years. Interestingly we won't find Politicians information on the internet because they excel and serving only themselves. It's an absolute disgrace.
In reply to The problem is that there… by Cynthia Allen
One of the grocery stores where I shop at runs sales advertisements weekly that can be accessed on the internet. I like their products and their store employees.
In order to receive a discounted sales price a customer needs to clip on the product on the store's APP.
I have noticed on my cellphone that they provide information to many third parties. Don't know why this is necessary and if there is an incentive or profit motive.
They also provide a paper copy that is available in the store.
Some of the sales items shown on the paper copy must be clipped on a cellphone or other device that connects to the internet.
What FTC.GOV legislation might change the practice.
Years ago before the internet everyone could obtain the same sales price discount.
If an individual could not afford a cellphone or other device to connect to the internet would that be FTC.GOV's incentive to create equality and fairness for all shoppers?
Thank you for the easy to understand info. Unfortunately, it is the same advice given anyway. With the upticks in Data Breaches and every entity out there wanting all our Personal Information, this advice doesn't cover everything. Just a small fraction. We NEED to clamp down on companies requiring information and then NOT protecting it!
In reply to Thank you for the easy to… by Marie U.
FTC.GOV could be the legal instrument to initiate law(s) to stop grocery stores from gathering and selling consumer's information to others on the internet. There is no reason, in my opinion, that you must download an APP to receive a discount price on merchandise at the checkout. The stores have their computers as a valuable tool for knowing what their inventory is, what is selling and what is old stock that is not selling. The rest of the data that they collect on the consumer is questionable. Are they making a profit on that too.
I agree that many politicians are simply out for themselves.
How do I email a fraudulent email to the FTC so they can investigate the sender?
my ssn ,driver license number, medical ID, address,phone ,and email have all been found on darkweb.Experian send me notice and if I want to know where on the dark web,i can buy that info from them
Holding on to Identity theft information should be a Felony and not a way for the credit bureaus to make money off of the victims. GREED is a sicknes.they dont want to help us they want us to help them cash in
Thank you so much for writing this article. I'll definitely save it and refer back to it often.
Thank you so much for this reminder.
Hey everyone, thank you for sharing
Great information for all consumers!
Thank you 🙏🏽
Very helpful. I had been seeing title lock adds and wondered if I needed it. You article gave me the information that I needed. Thank You.
Great info. What about Microsoft?! They have signed onto my medical info and maybe my military ID card info!
Please block all scammer I really don't appreciate it
Catch the scammers and lock them up fora life, not worth to have them out on the street.
Thanks for the info! I was hacked and my computer is not back to normal yet !
With all the fraud and Identity theft, your information is very helpful
I was wondering if we chat in Apple about Iphone and the operator apple asked the
information on the about: version, serial number and sofort , is ok?
Otherwise apple can not solved the issue , I have to gave them screen shot.
Must be a lot of scammers out there. My number has been on the Do-Not-Call list since 2003, and I still get dozens of calls every day. My phone notifies me of potential spam, so I don't answer, but I wonder if I miss legitimate callers that are simply not in my address book (like a message from a doctor's message service.)