Americans reported $20.9 billion in scam losses last year. Seniors lost $584 million to romance scams, averaging $38,500 per victim. One reader’s brother is $45,000 deep with a fake pop star. The fix isn’t arguing. It’s a two-minute video call test and knowing the blackmail email is usually a bluff.
There are three different products in the identity protection aisle, and the companies would rather you not learn the difference. One watches. One fixes. One pays. Most people buy the cheapest and assume they bought all three.
Your Social Security number goes for $1. Your complete identity? Under $100. Here’s what’s being sold, who’s buying and why medical records are now worth more than credit cards.
“Hey, Kim, I just was notified that my personal data was part of the recent SimonMed data breach. My data’s already out there from another breach. Does it even matter anymore?” — Sara in Newport Beach, CA Hearing about breach after breach at banks, hospitals, insurance companies, even schools, it’s easy to feel like throwing […]
Ashley in Washington asks: “Kim, do I really need identity theft protection? I used to have LifeLock years ago and dumped it because they constantly were selling me other things. I heard you say on your radio show that you use NordProtect now. Why? How is any of this different than freezing your credit? Love […]
