Category Archives: Information Services

Understanding and Preventing Identity Theft

By | | ,
Comments Off on Understanding and Preventing Identity Theft

The Invisible Threat

In our increasingly digital world, identity theft has become a pervasive threat that affects millions of people each year. The consequences of identity theft can be devastating, leading to financial loss, damage to credit scores, and emotional distress. Understanding what identity theft is and how to prevent it is crucial in safeguarding your personal information and maintaining your financial well-being.

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone illegally obtains and uses your personal information, such as your social security number, credit card details, or bank account information, without your permission. This can lead to fraudulent activities such as opening new accounts, making unauthorized purchases, or even committing crimes in your name.

Common Methods of Identity Theft

  1. Phishing Scams: Cybercriminals often use phishing emails or messages to trick individuals into providing personal information. These emails may appear to be from legitimate sources, such as banks or government agencies, but they contain malicious links or attachments.
  2. Data Breaches: Large-scale data breaches at companies and organizations can expose sensitive information of millions of individuals. Hackers can exploit security vulnerabilities to steal data, which is then sold on the dark web.
  3. Skimming: Identity thieves use skimming devices to capture credit card information from ATMs, gas station pumps, or point-of-sale terminals. These devices are often difficult to detect, making it easy for thieves to steal your information without your knowledge.
  4. Mail Theft: Physical mail can also be a target for identity thieves. They may steal mail containing sensitive information, such as credit card statements, tax documents, or pre-approved credit offers, to gain access to your personal information.

How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

While identity theft can be a daunting threat, there are several proactive steps you can take to protect yourself:

  1. Secure Your Personal Information: Be cautious about sharing personal information online and ensure that your social media profiles are set to private. Shred documents containing sensitive information before disposing of them.
  2. Use Strong Passwords: Create complex passwords for your online accounts and avoid using the same password across multiple sites. Consider using a password manager to keep track of your passwords.
  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Add an extra layer of security to your online accounts by enabling two-factor authentication (2FA). This requires you to enter a code sent to your phone or email in addition to your password.
  4. Monitor Your Financial Accounts: Regularly review your bank and credit card statements for any suspicious activities. Set up transaction alerts to receive notifications of any unauthorized transactions.
  5. Be Wary of Phishing Scams: Be skeptical of emails or messages asking for personal information. Look for signs of phishing, such as misspellings, generic greetings, or unexpected attachments, and avoid clicking on suspicious links.
  6. Protect Your Devices: Install and update antivirus software on your devices to protect against malware. Keep your operating system and applications up to date with the latest security patches.
  7. Freeze Your Credit: Consider freezing your credit to prevent unauthorized access to your credit reports. This makes it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name.

What to Do If You Become a Victim

If you suspect that you have become a victim of identity theft, take immediate action to minimize the damage:

  1. Report the Theft: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and file a report at IdentityTheft.gov. Notify your banks, credit card companies, and any other affected institutions.
  2. Place a Fraud Alert: Place a fraud alert on your credit reports with the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). This alerts creditors to take extra precautions when verifying your identity.
  3. Close Compromised Accounts: Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Notify the companies where the accounts were opened and provide them with a copy of your FTC report.
  4. Monitor Your Credit: Regularly check your credit reports for any new or suspicious activities. You can request free credit reports annually from each of the major credit bureaus.

To Wrap Up

Identity theft is a serious issue that can have long-lasting effects on your financial health and peace of mind. By understanding the methods used by identity thieves and taking proactive steps to protect your personal information, you can reduce the risk of falling victim to this pervasive crime. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and take control of your identity to safeguard your future.

Stay safe and take action today to protect yourself from identity theft. Your identity is invaluable—treat it with the care it deserves.

Beware: SPAM Texts – Don’t fall for text scams to get your info

By | |
Comments Off on Beware: SPAM Texts – Don’t fall for text scams to get your info

There has been a rise if SPAM/phishing via text.  Known as Smishing (SMS phising)

Don’t give any information out to a message that you receive via text.  You will not be contacted by any reputable company via text where they ask for account information.

If it is a Curley email or phone account contact me.  If it is on a personal account, contact the company via phone.

See the article below for more information on this increasing security threat.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/dont-fall-text-scams-asking-passwords-213342817.html

 

Don’t fall for these text scams asking for your passwords

 Daniel Howley

If you’ve got a phone, you’ve probably received a spam text. Most of the time they’re from bar contests you drunkenly signed up for, and forgot about long ago. No? Just me? Interesting.

Either way, we all get spam. But there’s a special form of spam text that cybercriminals use to trick hapless victims into willfully giving up everything from their phone number to their Social Security number.

It’s easy to fall for these traps, but there are a few things you can do to avoid becoming a victim.

Smishing for info

Smishing, or SMS phishing, scams are similar to your standard email phishing scam, with the exception that rather than email, the scammer attempts to trick the prospective victim via a text message sent to their phone rather than an email.

It’s actually an even more duplicitous way of scamming victims. That’s because text messages have a greater sense of urgency than emails. After all, if you receive a text from someone it has to be important.

When you get a smishing text, you’ll likely see something asking you to call a phone number, or, even worse, click a link to address an issue by providing your bank account, smartphone data plan or some other form of highly personal information.

A classic example of a smishing attempt. The link has been blurred to prevent others from visiting it.

 

Calling a phone number could result in someone talking you into giving up your Social Security number, banking information or website login information. Click on a link in your text message and it could take you to a fraudulent website meant to make you think it’s from something like your bank, wireless service provider or sometimes the Internal Revenue Service.

Clicking that link alone may saddle you with malware on your smartphone, but if you actually enter your personal information on such a site, you could be turning it over to criminals who can then take over your private accounts.

Say, for example, you give your login information for your smartphone data carrier. A criminal could then use that to capture your account and steal your phone number. They could then use that to bypass other forms of security you use, like text message-based and two-factor authentication, to protect your online accounts.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that if someone steals your information, they can take full control over some of your most private accounts.

How to avoid smishing

The best way to avoid smishing scams is to simply ignore any texts you get from numbers you don’t recognize. But some scammers can spoof their numbers to appear as though the messages are coming from numbers you might recognize. So, if you want to be especially safe, simply avoid opening any links sent to you that ask for your login information. And if you’re told to call a number, don’t do it.

If you think you’ve received a fraudulent text or call, contact your wireless carrier, or the institution the person on the other end of the line claims to represent. From there you can see if you’re being tricked, or you’ve got an actual issue. But in reality, chances are, it’s a scam.

If you do happen to open a link sent to you via text message, be sure to download an anti-malware app for your smartphone and run it immediately to sniff out any threats that you may have inadvertently downloaded to your handset.

So remain vigilant. And, above all, take a second before opening that next text.

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT: Curley Adjustment launches new site design

Aside

By | | , ,
Comments Off on NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT: Curley Adjustment launches new site design

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT:

CURLEY ADJUSTMENT BUREAU LAUNCHES NEW SITE DESIGN AT WWW.CURLEYADJUSTMENT.COM

webpage sample1We are very excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website. Visit us at our web address www.curleyadjustment.com.

The site’s homepage features bright colors and an uncluttered design. We wanted to make the new website faster, easier to navigate, and more user-friendly.

You’ll find our new site is divided into several sections: Services, Send Assignment, Office Locations, About Curley and most importantly our new CLIENT PORTAL. We shifted to a client-centric layout so our clients could easily navigate our site and locate the information they need.

Client portal imageThe most notable update is the link to our Claims Management System. This Client Portal will allow our clients to view their claims. Most important clients can use this section to send us new assignments directly into our system.

[Client Portal link is shown to the right]

By using the portal, your information is auto-filled and you only need to attach documents and claim number. All you need is login credentials, just save/remember the password and you have One-Click access to the system. If you don’t already have a login, contact us at info@curleyadjustment.com.

All other information entry is optional.  The two top benefits are security and expedited claims handling.  All of your data is secure, all data is secured using SSL Data Encryption (as used in online banking and e-commerce)

The Services section provides detailed descriptions of the Services and Solutions Curley Adjustment proudly offers.  You will find information on our Claims Handling, Claims Administration, Medical Case Management and Information Services.

Our Locations page will show our offices and ability to cover all of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. You will also find downloadable company information such as our directory and property adjuster map.

Our team has worked hard to put together this website, rich in information, to be used as a resource. We pride ourselves on being a thought leader in the Claims Adjusting field and look forward to hearing any feedback from you.

If you experience any problems using the new website or if you have any questions, please contact us at info@curleyadjustment.com.

webpage sample