Protect Your Personal Information

Unfortunately, I have known people through the years who have gotten duped by unscrupulous characters and cheated out of money.  This can happen through various ways, so we must be vigilant about giving out personal information, making strong passwords, and knowing some other basic ways to protect ourselves.  With this in mind, let’s go over some things that can help you protect your personal information and your money:

HELPFUL TIPS

·       The IRS NEVER calls you; they always send letters in the mail, so don’t fall for anyone who says they’re calling from the IRS (doesn’t happen UNLESS you request a callback)

·       Don’t fall for the trick of buying gift cards on a credit card if someone you don’t know asks you to do that (they’re looking to scam you out of money)

·       Be very selective about giving out and NEVER post online your birthday, SSN, bank account info, credit card info, or any family member’s private/personal information as well; scammers will look for any piece of info they can use to their advantage so don’t give them the opportunity

·       Make your passwords strong and/or difficult to guess; don’t use the same password for multiple accounts, and DON’T give anyone your passwords, username, login IDs, etc.  Write them down if you must!

·       Make sure the companies/people you deal with (advisors, insurance agents, etc.) have policies in place to not expose your personal/private/sensitive information to others

·       If something sounds fishy or too good to be true, call a relative/trusted friend and research it online to see if it’s a scam

·       Verify emails are coming from a trusted source; if you’re not sure, ask a relative/trusted friend to look at the email address to make sure.  Lots of phishing emails out there so be on alert!

·       Get quality antivirus and antispam software programs on your devices; it will help filter a lot of this type of nonsense out for you

·       Scammers love to prey on the elderly on social media so be hyper-aware of this and be suspicious of anyone who contacts you out of the blue that you don’t know

These are just some of the things that can help you to protect yourself from unscrupulous scammers, so make sure to be vigilant about what information you give out – your money depends on it!  Hope this helps…you’re welcome!

Find an experienced financial advisor who helps clients protect their personal information, works for an RIA firm, earns his/her money from fees (NOT commissions), believes in having an abundance of investment choices for clients, and has the heart & demeanor of a teacher, NOT a salesperson, and chances are you’ve found the right financial advisor to help you prepare and plan for your goals.

For more information, please visit https://www.mfadvisers.com, email marty@mfadvisers.com, or call (570) 760-6524.