BLACK FRIDAY CYBER MONDAY hints, tips, tricks, horrors to avoid as you shop online for the holidays NOVEMBER 13, 6:30 PM Free! No registration necessary! At 4pm watch live from your local library or from this link http://alturl.com/57dd9 Watch the recorded presentation anytime after the 15th http://alturl.com/zyjio https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk%2Fp%2Fgo-bonkers-only-15-days-to-go%2F&ei=BhdlVIwThaGDBMu6g8gL&bvm=bv.79189006,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNFG6Zjv_jl-BRP0ecN19D7_TBHhYg&ust=1415997442934859 http://blackfridaydeathcount.com/ http://www.ecouterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/black-friday-death-count-1-537x402.jpg 1. Protect your computer • A computer should always have the most recent updates installed for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a secure firewall. http://cdn.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/frying-pan-kolbotek-neoflam-560x475.jpg https://imgflip.com/i/ac6z1 Who are you really chatting with ? Her? Or Him? It happens more often than you’d like to think. Basic Rules • Keep everything patched and updated • Never trust anything • Use good passwords • Be Prudent not Paranoid • Did you initiate the action? • Why is this free? • Is the source trustworthy? • When in doubt Google it Basic Rules: Part 2 • Be conscious of what you are clicking on/downloading • Some pop-ups have what appears to be a close button, but will actually try to install spyware when you click on it. Always look for the topmost right red X. • Remember that things on the internet are rarely free. “Free” Screensavers etc. generally contain ads or worse that pay the programmer for their time. What do you do AFTER you learned you've been hacked? • Change Your Passwords • Take that computer/server offline • Take as much time as you can to figure out what happened. • Was it a password? Old program that had a hole in it? If you can't figure it out, you should probably format everything. • Chances are good you can’t just patch things and keep on going. You may miss a backdoor or another open door, and the bad guys will still be around. Hopefully you had all the important stuff backed up and can start over from scratch What to Do if You Are the Victim of Credit Card Fraud Identity theft is terrible, but manageable. By acting quickly and monitoring your activity, you can minimize damage. Report Your Losses If you notice strange activity on your credit or debit card, report the charges to your bank immediately using the toll free number on the back of the card or on your statement. The Federal Trade Commission says you aren't responsible for any charges made on a stolen account number after you report identity theft, so act quickly. Enact a Fraud Alert If you find suspicious activity on your accounts, ask one of the credit bureaus to place an initial fraud alert on your credit report. Once you notify one credit bureau, that bureau will notify the others and alerts will appear on all your credit reports. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the alert will remain on your credit report for 90 days. During that time, creditors cannot open new accounts without verifying your information, making it harder for thieves to access your credit. You can file a fraud alert online through Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Order Your Credit Reports Start by ordering a copy of all three credit reports. By law, you're entitled to one free credit report from each credit bureau each year via AnnualCreditReport.com. You're also entitled to a free credit report after you file an initial fraud alert. Once you have the reports, look for any suspicious activity, like credit inquiries you didn't make or accounts you didn't open. File a Police Report In all likelihood your local police department won't be able to help you hunt down identity thieves, but having a police report is a necessary step in creating an identity theft report to present to creditors. Visit your local police station, report the fraud to the authorities, and ask them to include any accounts you know have been victimized for good measure. Ask for a copy of the report and keep it in a safe place. File an Identity Theft Affidavit The second part of your identity theft report is an identity theft affidavit, which you can file online through the FTC's Complaint Assistant site. Visit the site and follow the steps to complete the affidavit. Write down your reference number and print a copy before you close the screen. You won't be able to access the affidavit later, so you need to print it as soon as you've completed it. Make copies of both the police report and the affidavit: these two items make up your identity theft report. http://dealnews.com/features/What-to-Do-if-You-Are-the-Victim-of-Credit-Card-Fraud/761658.html What to Do if You Are the Victim of Credit Card Fraud Identity theft is terrible, but manageable. By acting quickly and monitoring your activity, you can minimize damage. Dispute Credit Issues Using the list of issues gathered from your credit report, you can write a dispute letter to each creditor that reported something fraudulent on your accounts in order to clear your credit. For example, if someone opened a new credit card in your name, write a letter to the creditor disputing the account and ask the creditor to close the account and to remove it from your credit score. Attach your identity theft report as proof and mail the documents through certified mail. Keep a Record Start an "identity theft file" to keep track of your progress and keep in it a copy of your credit reports, police report, and identity theft affidavit. You should also include a dated copy of any dispute you send. If you talk to any creditors on the phone, write down the name of the person you spoke to and the time of the call. Follow Up By law, your creditors have to respond to your dispute within 30 days and make changes. So after 30 days, order a new copy of your credit reports and check for corrected information. If you still see errors, dispute them with the credit bureaus directly using your identity theft report. Make a new note of the date and follow up again in 30 days. Update Your Personal Information While it won't completely stop future identity theft, change your passwords and PINs that grant access to accounts both on and offline. Add an Extended Fraud Alert After 90 days, you can request an extended fraud alert for your credit reports. This alert will remain on your reports for seven years, and keep you off the prescreened offer list for five years, according to the FTC. You'll also get two free credit reports in the first year. To place an extended alert, call the credit bureaus directly. They may require you to fill out an additional form and mail it in. Restoring your identity and credit can take a while, but the best thing you can do is act quickly. As soon as you suspect something is amiss, start contacting the credit bureaus and your local police department. The faster you can get them working for you, the faster you can resolve things and get back on track. http://dealnews.com/features/What-to-Do-if-You-Are-the-Victim-of-Credit-Card-Fraud/761658.html Tips to Survive Black Friday Have a Plan • Amid the adrenaline rush of deals, it’s easy to get swept up into buying items in retrospect you regret. Make a shopping list of key items you’re on the hunt for, and save all receipts in one place in case you want to return some impulse purchases and get a full refund. http://dailysavings.allyou.com/2012/11/22/black-friday-shopping-tips/ Tips to Survive Black Friday Be “Social” Savvy Follow your favorite brands on Twitter, Facebook and other social media channels to see what they’re offering in special Black Friday discounts. Many retailers will be “leaking” their ads and specials a week beforehand. Also, the deals and prices online often prove better than those in the stores especially factoring in free or reduced shipping. http://dailysavings.allyou.com/2012/11/22/black-friday-shopping-tips/ Tips to Survive Black Friday Map Out the Mall Based on which stores have special deals for items you want to purchase, plan out your shopping trip to save time searching. Plus find out stores hours as they often open earlier or stay open late on Black Friday to accommodate the crowds. http://dailysavings.allyou.com/2012/11/22/black-friday-shopping-tips/ Tips to Survive Black Friday Beware of Shopping Germs As you check out the newest mini-iPad or grab an electronic pen to sign a credit card receipt, be mindful of germs lurking about in this start to the cold and flu season. Germs congregate on handle bars of shopping carts, escalator railings and display toys and gadgets ‹all touched by hundreds of shoppers. (Yikes!) pack an antibacterial travel pack such as the one from Wet Ones to wipe germs off hands. http://dailysavings.allyou.com/2012/11/22/black-friday-shopping-tips/ Tips to Survive Black Friday Keep Your Cool You can sometimes be waiting in line for hours on Black Friday.