re: Reminder to keep track of your bank account.

my wife works in a fraud call center - and gets 125 to 150 calls a day for people with fraud on their accounts. it has made me realize that all the security training at work that seems common knowledge and makes me roll my eyes, is there for a reason.

people have forgone critical thinking in favor or convenience. they forget one of the most important rules - if it is too good to be true, it is. someone is not gonna give you a 500 dollar set of Bobby Flay cookware, and all you have to do is pay shipping. or one of the biggest i hear about - just pay shipping for an item you may win.

you read that right - the number of people that will willingly give their card or account info to pay for shipping on an item that will enter to win is juts mind numbing.

the ones that crack me up are the ones that pay money on Only Fans, and their spose finds out and they call in making proclamations that they account must have been hacked, cause they would never visit somewhere like that - or dating sites is another one as well.

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The best way is to lock your profile with the 3 big reporting agencies (you have to do all 3) and then no one can get credit in your name. Just unlock it when you're buying a car or whatever.

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I did this as well when the LA. DMV was hacked

I got a "virus warning" on my laptop", need to call this number, supposedly a Chase number. Called my bank's manager & she told me this was a
"very common scam", they get "over a 100 such scams a week". There are several podcasts where the owners track down scammers & they are crazy funny. One actually got into a scammer's own account & bled it dry. You can actually hear the scammer screaming, in fear & anger.

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Of course, you can also use a credit card as they handle all the fraud for you. If you're a guy who has no problem paying off the balance every month, it's a good way to go. Of course, some people cannot control themselves and end up in big debt with credit cards.

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I have a few of those people at my company. They either use small limit credit cards, or prepaid cards for their daily spending to give them some protection with an account separate form their checking accounts.

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How does LifeLock help you in situations where someone has access to your account numbers and using them fraudulently? I just assumed they were there to assist you in events if someone was trying to open new accounts in your name

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You are right. They mostly just tell you if your information or identity has been stolen or shows up on the dark web, etc., so that you can change passwords and such.

I was way out of the country over Thanksgiving and my bank sent me a text to make sure a charge that went through on the bank card was GTG. I wrote "Yes" and for the rest of the trip had no issues. Most places are just "Tap and go".

“How does LifeLock help you in situations where someone has access to your account numbers and using them fraudulently”

Little long but true story.. be careful..

Fwiw .. recently got scammed again.. identity theft.. they bought my info off dark net for about 50 bucks.. look for people with to much cash in checking ( I am retired and fill up my checking at beginning of year with money to be used … NOT anymore) …
these guys then set up two more accounts in my name with internet banks.. they then are able to transfers bank to bank with less suspicion.. I discovered this because I got a letter thanking me for joining a bank in California.. they set things up.. one day.. ping your account twice with about a one dollar move.. them boom.. two moves on was 15k one 17 k.. in about five minutes..

Has to argue with bank in California to shut down the account fraudulently made.. locked down my info.. put an alert so anytime my bank is charged.. moves etc over five dollars I get a text notice..I actually went to govt social security and locked my ss number..
ai is gonna make this even worse.. be careful..
I asked the bank fraud manager if she sees this often.. she said countless times a day.. usually not quite that large of amount though..

A fun fact .. they fake account had a pin question set up.. my mother’s maiden name was the answer.. and they had it right!