Here’s a freebie that every consumer should take advantage of before the offer expires. Major credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are offering FREE credit reports every week to consumers through April 20, 2022 to help them ease any anxiety about their financial health resulting from the COVID crisis. Normally, free credit reports from each […]
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Not The Prize We Want To Win: Florida #1 State For Identity Theft & Fraud
This is definitely not the state prize we want to win. Personal finance website WalletHub just identified Florida as the #1 state for identity theft and fraud, based on average rankings on measures like identity theft complaints per capita, average amount of money lost in identity fraud cases, and fraud arrests per capita. Criminals did […]
What’s Worse Than Coronavirus? How About a Coronavirus Scam.
As if the spread of Coronavirus isn’t bad enough, clients need to be aware of the rapidly escalating number of Coronavirus scams. What scams are out there? The scams include websites selling fake products, and fake emails, texts and social media posts designed to steal your money and personal information. The emails and posts may […]
Wire Fraud Takes A Bite Out Of Shark Tank Investor’s Fortune
Shark Tank investor and real estate legend Barbara Corcoran recently admitted she fell hard for a classic case of email fraud and ended up losing almost $400,000. The perpetrators researched details of her company, and then submitted an elaborate fake invoice and emails purportedly from key assistants. They convinced Corcoran’s staff to wire the funds […]
Traveling For Thanksgiving? Why You Need To Avoid Airport USB Charging Stations
It pays to be safe when you travel this Thanksgiving. The last thing you need is to catch some nasty malware that hijacks your phone or laptop and steals valuable data and passwords. That’s called “juice jacking” and can happen far too easily at the airport when you charge your devices by plugging into a USB […]
What’s A Trusted Contact, And Why Do I Need One?
Several of our clients are receiving reminders from Charles Schwab & Co. to name a Trusted Contact for their accounts. Here’s some information to help you understand what a Trusted Contact is, and why you should consider naming one. What’s a Trusted Contact? A “Trusted Contact” is a person that you authorize your brokerage firm […]
How To Spot A Scam, From One Of America’s Greatest (Former) Con Men
Frank Abagnale is arguably America’s most famous con man. He was a professional imposter whose life inspired the character played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film “Catch Me If You Can.” After getting caught and serving time, Abagnale became one of the FBI’s good guys, using his inside knowledge of how scammers work to protect Americans from […]
Capital One Data Breach: What To Do Now
Details of yet another data breach were in the news this morning. We’re sure many of you have questions about how this may affect you, and what steps you should take now to protect your personal information. For that reason, we’re sharing below information provided early this morning by free-credit-score website WalletHub. The information below was […]
Claim Your Social Security Account Before Hackers Do It For You
Imagine that you’re finally ready to claim your retirement benefits and contact the Social Security Administration, only to find out that someone has been claiming your hard-earned benefits for years, and directing those monthly checks to a bank you’ve never heard of. It can happen. Social Security is asking more American workers to request benefits […]
Florida #1 For Fraud: How Not To Be A Victim
So what else is new? Florida ranks #1 for consumer fraud complaints, partly due to our transient (and often older) population. According to a Federal Trade Commission report, Florida residents lost over $80 million to fraud in 2018. There was a big increase in government imposter scams. That’s where someone calls you, pretending to be […]
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About Mari Adam, CFP®
Mari Adam, Certified Financial Planner™ has helped hundreds of individuals and families build wealth and plan for a more secure financial future for over 30 years. Her advice has appeared in publications such as Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, Money Magazine, Business Week, and CBS MarketWatch.
