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DON"T USE non secure web WIFI --- LONG STORY

Don Baer

Don Baer

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somewhere east of Queen Creek, AZ - South East of
earlier this month while visiting my son in Kaliforia I was notified of a transaction on my debit card that I didn't make someone using my debit card took $1000 from my checking account. I called the bank fraud department and they froze my debit card (luckily I had plenty of cash) and ordered me a new card with a new numbers. That was on the 6th of August. Fast forward to the 18th and I get a notification from my bank that someone had put in a new address for me in Brooklyn, NY. I got that removed and on the advice of the fraud department canceled all my credit cards and debit card and added a level of security to my account requiring further verification on anyone accessing my account. This morning I get notification that someone had taken $5000 from my checking account. I checked my account and someone had written a check on my account for that amount. Again I call the fraud department and they discovered that someone had ordered new checks and they were sent out to the same address in Brooklyn that had been put on the account. They stopped payment on the check. So now I after two hours on the phone I have new checking and saving account. Now I will need to contact Social security, Cal Pers pensions account, the VA and and my business account so I can receive funds as well as notify all the folks I have automatic payments of my new account number so they can get paid. The only things we can figure is I accessed my online banking using the WIFI at the hotel I was staying at and that's when they were able to capture my banking information. I have also ran antivirus software on all my computers just to be sure.. The good news is I will have all the funds back in my account on Monday but what a hassle you can't be to careful the thieves are out there.
 
Sorry that happened. Although computer network security has existed long before anyone knew what the internet was, the early 80's made John Q. Public aware of words like computer virus, Trojan horse and other fun terms. Many of us have been waving the security awareness flag for decades and are often thought of as extreme, paranoid or a little over-the-top.

As you mention, being aware of what resources you are using and what their security levels are is key for safe computing. There are plenty of things that can wait till you get home as opposed to using your phone in uncertain locations. If you really, really need to know and are at Starbucks, use your phone as a phone and call the business you have questions for.

Technology is your friend but, just like so many other aspects of our modern life, there are people who find ways to bend it to nefarious use.
 
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And they will continue to do this as long as they can get away with it. Most credit card fraud isn't even investigated beyond restoring your account. There isn't even a bank or credit card investigation, let alone a prosecution. Much like our government's "Do Not Call List", there is no enforcement, so the scammers and junk callers continue without paying for their crimes.

My phone was ringing about 20 times a day with scammers trying about everything possible to get financial information out of me. I recently added a new phone system that allows me to block any phone number from calling me again, and it's working. I have a list in the system of over 200 blocked phone numbers so far. I have only received two so far today, but they won't be back, at least from that number. They were both blocked.

Last week I had a woman with an India accent trying to tell me that my computer was sending bad information to her computer. This is an old one that a guy with a similar accent tried on me a few years ago, so not new to me. They wanted to access my computer so they could fix my problem. RIGHT!?. I'll bet they would fix it.

I responded to both callers the same way. I asked what was being sent, and they wouldn't tell me. Then I asked which of my computers was doing this? He then wanted to know how many I had and I replied 8. Then he said "The one that you are using". I said that I was using 5 presently, he swore at me in what sounded like Pakistani and hung up. The woman, when I replied the same way, wanted to know how many computers that I had, and I told her. Then she just hung up.

Then there are the ones that tell me they are with my Cable Service (by it's name), with a special new price for more bundles, but they are calling me from a private number just across town from me and it's not coming from any phone with the cable company name. They get blocked. I do the same when private numbers are calling me from my power company, city office, etc. If the phone ID doesn't say the name of the company I block them too. I also block the ones with the right company name, but they say they are from somewhere else = Instant Block!

Yup, it's getting more and more peaceful every day. I love this new phone system.

Charley
 
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