Scams have become increasingly common in today's digital world. As a user, it can seem like someone is trying to steal your personal information at every turn. Luckily, there are many ways to protect yourself and your finances from scammers. This blog covers ways to protect your personal information from anyone trying to steal it.

     1. STAY INFORMED

The first step to protecting yourself and your finances is to stay informed. Keep yourself updated on common scams, especially those from the IRS, your financial institution, phone service or other government entities. They often post bulletins describing the latest scam on thier website. If you think there might be a legitimate issue, call the party in question directly and ask.

Knowing what type of scams are happening and being smart about how to avoid them is the #1 way to keep your finances protected. Remember, ligitimate and trusted entities will not call you out of the blue for your personal information!

     2. PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Reputable institutions are almost never going to readomly request your complete social security number, birthday, or banking information. Many times, scammers aquire this sensitive information through fake phone calls or phishing emails.

Phishing emails are one of the most common ways that online predators steal personal information, and with over 3.4 MILLION phishing emails being sent in a single day, it's no wonder so many fall victim to this type of scam.

Any institution requesting your personal information can be called directly (do not call the phone number provided on the email) and given the information, if the request is legitimate. 

You can spot a phishing scam if you look hard enough. These scams typically have an urgent or threatening tone to intimidate the victim. Check for misspelled words, odd text, broken English or sentences that aren't quite right, and a strange sender email address. For Example, the 'sender' might say Facebook and even have the right logo, but the email address is [email protected].

Another way you can protect your personal information is to enable two-factor authentication on all your bank accounts, emails, and social media profiles, if possible. This ensures that you have additional security measures in place, making it harder for someone to 'break-in'.

     3. REGULARLY MONITOR YOUR ACCOUNTS

You won't know if you don't check! It's important to regulary monitor your accounts and credit to ensure no one has stolen your identity or created accounts in your name. Many credit card providers offer credit alerts at no additional charge, or you can sign up for a free monitoring service like Credit Karma to keep an eye on any new accounts or large charges.

You should also regularly check your bank account and remember to dispute any unfamiliar charges. You typically have 30 to 60 days to dispute unauthorized charges. If you're concerned your card has been stolen or cloned, please call Lampco right away so that we can stop the compromised card and issue you a new one. 

It's important to take the steps necessary to protect yourself. Never give any personal information over the internet or phone unless you verify their legitimacy first. Confidential data like birth dates, passwords, social security numbers, and any account numbers should only be shared with trusted and legitimate organizations. Trust your gut, and call Lampco for help if you need it.