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A Few Thoughts from Kimberly Moss

Easy Target for Identity Theft Update

Posted by Kimberly D. Moss | Jun 24, 2016 | 0 Comments

Less than a week after writing a blog about staying safe online and protecting your confidential information from thieves, I made a rookie mistake. It's embarrassing to admit that even though I know better, every now and then I throw caution to the wind and make a payment online using an unsecured wireless network on a site without proper encryption technology. This is the equivalent of inputting passwords on a public computer (Very bad). What happened to me is a cautionary tale that won't happen to you if you're reading this and take heed.

The office building where I work has an unsecured wireless network that essentially everyone in the building has access to. Guests and visitors can't access it without the password, but the hundreds of other people on this floor are all sharing the same WiFi. For the four years of my business residence, this has been a non-issue. Then, suddenly I found the perfect guitar accessory online: a gold capo. For the non-musicians out there, a capo is a clamp that you use to change a guitar's pitch for certain songs. The best part about this capo? It costed a mere $2.14. I was sold.

When I processed my payment, I used my credit card, pressed order and went on about my day. I received the capo about a week later, and life was good. Until a few days passed, and I noticed an email receipt for $5.00 at Coca Cola. Strange. I don't recall buying anything for that amount. A few minutes later, I got an email receipt for $12.54 at a costume store in Las Vegas, Nevada. I knew foul play was afoot. Immediately, I called the bank and started the dispute process and hung my head in shame. How could I advise people on protecting their information when I'm online buying guitar accessories with reckless abandon?

I'm not sure if one of my coworkers stole my card information right before vacation or if a random teenage internet hacker caught me by surprise to teach me a valuable lesson. In any case, the hyper vigilance campaign is on. Learn from my mistakes and be smarter online and in life. Change your passwords often. Make your online purchases from reputable websites with payment encryption in place for their transactions. And never ever, under any circumstances, trust your fellow travelers on an unsecured network. You don't know who you're surfing with at that coffee bar or restaurant, so why take the risk?

For legal advice when it counts, contact me at (713) 574-8626

About the Author

Kimberly D. Moss

The Mosslaw team is Ready to Work for You! Call us at 713-574-8626

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