In today’s digital world, long before the most recent pandemic, we could stay in touch with friends and family around the globe and do everything from shopping online to completing paperwork with a government agency.
With the ease of digital access also comes the threat of cybercriminals lurking, waiting to steal your identity or financial information.
At Domani Wealth, we have several security measures in place to help protect our clients’ information.
And we have some tips for you to make sure how you use your information is also safeguarded.
Scam Calls
I’m sure you can relate – how many times a day does your phone ring with spam calls?
Whether its people posing as calling about your Social Security, your utility provider, a payment you missed, your vehicle warranty, or the IRS, assume these calls are a scam. Most legitimate agencies and businesses will contact you in writing. Legitimate contacts will also ask you to call them, so you know you’ve called the organization you want to contact, and verify your identity that way, rather than them calling you.
Especially if a caller is threatening to suspend social security payments or posing as the IRS asking you to verify private and sensitive financial or identity information for tax purposes, beware of identity theft possibilities.
The IRS and Social Security Administration will never call you to verify this information over the phone. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from one of these agencies, do not give them any information over the phone.
If you’re not sure if the person or organization calling you is legitimate, take a message, and then get in touch with the institution yourself to follow up. If you’re not sure of the phone number, use Google or visit the contact us page of the organization’s website. If it’s a company you do have an account with, call the contact number listed on any recent statements or letters from them.
Phishing
As more and more communication is happening digitally, you may receive an email that appears legitimate, asking you to take a certain action, click on a link, or open an attachment.
The emails are sent with the intention of stealing information and/or infecting your computer. Using this method, hackers can gain access to your personal information, logins and passwords, or hold your computer “hostage” with a virus until a payment is made.
These phishing emails will often look like they are from a legitimate company – a name you recognize. One of the best ways to avoid being taken advantage of is to closely look at the “from” email, which will likely not be correct. You can also hover over any hyperlinks to see where they will actually take you.
For instance, [email protected] may be transcribed as [email protected] or [email protected] may be [email protected].
Identity theft and stealing of personal financial information are real dangers in today’s world and can be challenging to recover from.
To obtain some other tips to help protect your personal information, you can download our checklist for Securing Your Identity and Financial Information. You can also get in touch with us anytime to discuss your financial accounts. Get in touch with us today!
