TheLiveBigWay® Digest: Cybersecurity Edition

This edition of TheLiveBigWay^® Digest is a little different. We’ve recently seen a significant increase in the number of scams targeted at Clients (and in our own inboxes; no one is safe!) — phishing emails, check fraud, malware, and more. Scams are getting harder to spot, and the consequences are more serious than most people expect until they’re in the middle of cleaning one up.

This Digest is dedicated entirely to the practical side of staying protected: increasing awareness of common scams, recognizing the signs, knowing your options, and having a plan before you need one. It may feel obvious, but remember:

• Pause and inspect any link you receive via email before you click it (in most cases, it’s safest to go directly to the website requiring action, log in if needed, and find the information there)
• Be cautious responding to texts from unknown numbers
• Do not answer the phone for an unknown number you’re not expecting (if it’s legitimate, they’ll leave a voicemail!)
• Set up multi-factor authentication on every account you can

We encourage you to thoroughly review the resources below and challenge you to take at least one action today like: review your credit report, freeze your credit with all three bureaus, start using a password manager, or learn how to spot AI videos.

Stay safe,

The YeskeBuie Team

We’ve long since entered the digital age, making it easier than ever to connect with anyone around the globe. Technological advancements can feel exciting and new, but this growth in virtual connection has an unpleasant side: bad actors using your online presence to steal personal information. This type of attack is becoming more advanced and increasingly common. Learn more about how to protect yourself against bad actors online.

Picture this: A fraudulent account shows up on a credit report. A check you didn’t write gets cashed. A card gets declined. When this happens, the amount of time you spend cleaning up starts to add up — hours on the phone, disputes to file, accounts to freeze, passwords to change, and, sometimes, years pass before the damage can be remediated. Flip your identity security response from reactive to proactive with this practical guide.

You may have heard terms like phishing and spam calls for years now. You might even feel confident in your ability to spot a scam text or telemarketing call. But are you familiar with deepfakes, port-out scams, and no-click attacks? And, more importantly, would you know how to identify them if scammers try to target you? Let’s dive into how to identify these newer types of scams and what steps you can take to avoid falling victim to them.

We’ve worked with our trusted partners at Schwab Alliance and KnowBe4 to provide you with additioanl reading materials for more tips and information to keep you in the know.