Zero Debt Living

Do report your personal information stolen to the three major credit reporting agencies. If you think that your personal information has been compromised, you need to report this to the three big credit reporting agencies including Equifax (800.525.6285); Experian (888.397.3742)) and Trans Union (800.680.7289). Don’t be fooled if you get an email, supposedly from your bank, saying that your monthly[Read More…]

Do remember these five tips-offs about possible phishing scams: 1.alarmist messages; 2.requests for donations after a disaster has been in the news; 3.bad grammar, poor spelling; 4.deals that sound too good to be true, and 5.promises of big money with little effort. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Don’t respond to requests for political donations from your[Read More…]

Don’t think that because there is an official-looking logo on a website that it is not a fraudulent. It is easy for scammers to steal a logo online and use it. In fact, scammers can steal the entire code of a web page and reproduce an identical page to the page of the organization. Don’t be fooled because a scammer[Read More…]

Do go to one of the big search engines if you are in doubt about a website you received by email.The top search engine results will lead you to the real company. Do delete emails from official sounding sites demanding information from you. The IRS, the Social Security Administration and Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Service will not contact you[Read More…]

Do watch out for breach of security emails. That is, your bank account has been breached and you need to take immediate action over the internet to fix it. Don’t do it. Call the bank. Scammers love to scare you and panic you into taking foolish steps. Do watch out for emails from software companies claiming to be security software[Read More…]

Do check your web browser to determine if phishing protection is enabled. This is not fool proof and the browsers only detect phishing websites on a list. Scammers are incredibly smart so don’t rely on browser protection to protect you from phishing. Do take a second look at websites you click onto. Does it look like the normal, elegant website[Read More…]

What does phishing mean and how can it hurt your finances and your credit, just at a time when you want to build credit? Phishing is a thief attempting to gain access to your financial information by posing as your financial institution. That is, you get an email from your bank, Bank ABC, that your account is overdrawn and that[Read More…]