UNITED STATES—Has your data ever been breached? Well, mine has and I can tell you it is NOT a great feeling, not in the least. It was so bad that someone tried to file a tax return using my social security number. As a result, it caused a massive delay in a refund I was expecting from the government to the tune of nine months after I had initially filed. That’s not it, they tried to purchase a car using my personal details.
Yes, your SSN is pertinent because if it falls into the wrong hands you could be in massive trouble. After reviewing my credit report and spotting some discrepancies I put a freeze on my account. No one can attempt or even try to open a credit card or use my information under any circumstances unless that freeze is unlocked. At the moment, I have no intention of unlocking that freeze as a safety precaution.
Making matters worse, I just got another email about a potential security breach of my information from another company. Like this has to be the sixth or seventh time this has transpired and it makes me say, “What next?” Is your information safe online? No, absolutely not, it is NOT and if someone thinks so they must be crazy.
I know it might sound crazy, but as a result I’m so cautious about what I do online. I’m not someone who stores my credit or bank information on my phone or computer. Absolutely not. Some people argue, it is already likely someone has those details, and they might be right, but I’m not just about to give those internet sleuths instant access to my information because others don’t care. You have to protect your personal information, and it is NOT always easy to do, but you have to be cautious.
Don’t purchase items from websites where they are not secure. Be super careful of clicking on links that you don’t know. These scammers have gotten so fancy they are utilizing what appears to be legit emails from your bank or credit card company and people fall for it. They literally fall for it. I’m getting to the point that when I have to purchase items instead of utilizing a credit card, I use cash.
One thing I’ve never done, and I’ve been very cautious about doing is utilizing a debit card online. It is not the safest and it’s better to utilize a credit card if possible because you can dispute fraudulent charges that may show up on your credit card versus a debit card. Not to mention with Zelle, Venmo, Cash App and these other tools to send instant money to people, you better know where you’re sending money because once you release that money you’re not getting it back.
I feel like every few months I’m getting an email about a class action lawsuit that has been filed against a company because of a data breach and as a result my information has been compromised and it’s like do I need to stop spending money altogether because nothing feels secure anymore, even though, I’m hoping and praying if I utilize my debit card or credit card the processing system is legit and none of my information is comprised.
Tech is supposed to make your life easier, but it feels like it makes things more complicated, and I haven’t even chatted with you all about issues as it pertains to the medical world because that is where I’ve seen several security breaches of my personal information. Things I don’t want floating on the web, especially the dark web is my name, my SSN, birthdate and mailing address. The moment those things are out there people can absolutely use them against you. The notion is that there is no such thing as secure when it comes to your data because once its out there, that’s it, it’s out there.
