[CT-NFB] Fwd: Article from AARP Bulletin Cover Story Section 2024 04 01 security tips to stop scammers

[Deb Reed]

I found these in one of my Newsline magazines and hope you find these easy suggestions useful! One for example, is about a setting on your iPhone for unknown callers to go directly to voicemail, another pertains to social media settings, and another concerning money apps such as Venmo.. Please see below of interested in the forwarded article.




Sincerely,
 Deb Reed
Central CT Chapter President 
National Federation Of The Blind
Phone - 860-973-3679 
Cell-860-378-5370
Email - deb.reed57 at gmail.com



Begin forwarded message:

> From: NFB-NEWSLINE Online <publications at nfbnewsline.net>
> Date: April 14, 2024 at 2:15:11 PM EDT
> To: Deborah Reed <deb.reed57 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Article from AARP Bulletin Cover Story Section 2024 04 01
> 
> YOUR DEFENSE: Do These Things Today. Be Safer Tomorrow. AN UPDATED TO-DO LIST TO MAKE IT MUCH HARDER FOR SCAMMERS TO REACH YOU. BY AMY NOFZIGER AND MARK FETTERHOFF. Open your iPhone's contact list and add your family, friends, doctors and other important numbers. Then go into your phone settings and turn on the setting for "silence unknown callers. This will send any caller who isn't in your contacts list directly to voicemail. Every few months, revise the passwords on your financial accounts. Your best bet is to use a passphrase: Ilovemy 17dogz! is much stronger than Scruffy23. Keep track of passwords in a highly secure password manager or by writing them down and storing them safely. Make sure you are signed out of any financial apps on your phone-credit cards, financial institutions and peerto- peer apps such as Venmo, CashApp or Zelle. Also make sure your account settings require security measures such as a PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition. This ensures that if your phone is stolen, the thief will not have access to your money. Be skeptical. Many criminals use friendliness, compassion and kindness as their persuasion method, rather than fear and intimidation. Likewise, scammers create a sense of urgency to get you to act out of emotion rather than logic. If you feel pressured or manipulated, walk away. Audit your wallet or purse. That means remove cards and information you don't need to carry (such as your Social Security or Medicare card). And make copies of anything you do need to carry (front and back) and store in a safe place at home. Add the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline phone number into your phone right now, so you'll have it if you need to call us to report a scam attempt or get more advice on how to stay safer from the people out there trying to steal your money and identity: 877- 908-3360. Routinely monitor your credit report. Some banks or credit cards offer this as a free service. You can also go to AnnualCreditReport.com or call 877-322-8228 to get free reports from the big three credit bureaus. Watch for unusual activity; if you see any, report it immediately to all three bureaus and appropriate financial institutions. Check your social media settings to make sure you have your accounts set to private. This allows only people you choose to trust to view your pages and contact you. Amy Nofziger is the director of AARP's fraud victim support. Mark Fetterhoff is a senior adviser on the victim support team..
> 
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