The theme for this year's Older Americans Month is, "Champion Your Health."
Last year, older Americans lost $8 billion to fraud, per the IC3. So this year, we want you to include your cyber health.
Here are three threats to focus on:
- Investment scams: Criminals promise "guaranteed" returns on fake platforms to drain retirement accounts.
- Tech support scams: Fraudsters pose as reputable companies and claim your computer has a virus to gain remote access.
- Romance scams: Bad actors build fake emotional connections over time to solicit "emergency" funds or gifts.
Exposed personal data makes you an easy target. Make yourself harder to find. Remove your profiles from people-search sites and set social media accounts to private.
#OlderAmericansMonth #CyberHealth #FraudPrevention #PrivacyMatters #DeleteMe
Graduation season is a time for celebration, but it’s also open season for scams. 🎓
New graduates are prime targets because they face unfamiliar territory: first-time job hunts, apartment searching, and student loan repayment.
If you get a text or email for a high-paying remote role you never applied for and the "interview" happens all over chat or email, back out. Legitimate companies usually require phone, video, or in-person interviews.
If a landlord asks for a security deposit before you see the rental in person, don't send a dime.
If someone claiming to be a government representative says they can expedite student loan forgiveness for a processing fee, don't take the bait.
Stay vigilant, and reduce your exposed personal info to make yourself less of a target. Start here: joindeleteme.com/scan
You've got this, class of 2026!
#ClassOf2026 #Graduation #JobSearchTips #DataPrivacy #ScamAlert #NewGrad
Why can law enforcement buy your location history and browsing habits without a warrant?
As the ACLU’s Nate Freed Wessler explains, we are currently living in a data broker economy where predatory companies compile our most sensitive information into digital encyclopedias and sell it to the highest bidder—including police.
There is a solution. It starts with:
- Passing comprehensive consumer data privacy legislation to dry up the abusive data broker market.
- Passing the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act to close the loophole that allows police to bypass the court system with a credit card.
Nate knows this battleground better than anyone. He argued the landmark Carpenter v. United States case in 2017, which fundamentally changed how the Fourth Amendment applies to digital data. But as this episode reveals, the work is far from over.
Hear more from Nate, @jasonkoebler of 404 Media, YouTuber and surveillance expert @bennjordan , and cybersecurity expert @gain_sec at the link in our bio.
#FourthAmendment #DataPrivacy #PrivacyRights #LegalTech #WhatTheHack
There is no "on or off" switch when it comes to your privacy, as What the Hack's Beau Friedlander explained in the latest episode.
Every smart camera, social media post, and data broker listing increases your digital surface area. The larger that surface, the easier it is for bad actors to track you, exploit you, or watch your every move.
At DeleteMe, we know 100% invisibility online is a tough prospect, but you can absolutely be less visible. Shrink your attackable surface area and reclaim control over your privacy.
Catch the full conversation on surveillance and the Fourth Amendment with Jason Koebler of 404 Media, YouTuber and surveillance expert Benn Jordan, cybersecurity expert GainSec, and Nate Freed Wessler, the Deputy Director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project.
Listen here: https://bit.ly/4tzuda2
#DataPrivacy #CyberSecurity #IdentityProtection #PrivacyTips #WhatTheHack
Be hard to find.
We can't help you build a cabin in the woods, but we can get your personal data off data broker sites without the hassle of hundreds of DIY opt-outs. That might be the next best thing to going off-grid.
Plus, it comes without the bugs. Check it out at the link in our bio.
#DeleteMe #Privacy #DataProtection
What's worth your Constitutional rights?
You might think of surveillance as something that happens "out there," but it's in our pockets and on our streets. Smartphones monetize our every move. Private camera networks like Flock Safety make our lives available for warrantless searches from law enforcement.
In the latest episode of What the Hack, the Deputy Director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project Nate Freed Wessler weighed in: We shouldn’t need to be tech experts just to preserve our privacy.
Listen to the full episode with Nate, @jason_koebler of 404 Media, YouTuber and surveillance expert @bennjordan , and cybersecurity expert @GainSec : https://bit.ly/4tzuda2
#Privacy #Surveillance #FourthAmendment #CyberSecurity #DataPrivacy #WhatTheHack
Wondering why you get a million political texts a day?
Catalist is a leading data provider for political organizations. It compiles detailed profiles, including your name, address, phone number, and voting history, to help groups target you with specific messaging and outreach.
Take a few minutes to opt out and reclaim your personal space.
Follow our guide:
👉 /blog/catalist-opt-out-guide/
#DataPrivacy #PrivacyTips #Catalist #DigitalFootprint #VoterPrivacy
It's tough to find an issue nearly three quarters of Americans agree on, but here's one:
74% of Americans are concerned about how the government handles their personal data, according to The Center for Democracy & Technology.
Some things we can't control. Some we can:
1. Opt out where you can. Governments often don't need a warrant to get your info; they can buy it from data brokers. Removing your profile from these brokers closes a massive loophole.
2. Advocate. Remind your representatives that data privacy is a non-partisan priority.
3. Be mindful of the digital trail you create. Precise location data and personal info shared with chatbots are fodder for law enforcement and surveillance.
Privacy is a fundamental requirement for a functional society. Preserve it.
#DataPrivacy #GovernmentAccountability #DigitalRights #DeleteMe #PrivacyFirst
Data brokers fuel spam, scams, identity theft, doxxing, and loads of other online harms.
Don't believe us? A recent Joint Economic Committee report revealed billions of dollars worth in cybercrime losses thanks to data brokers.
Here's the pipeline:
1. Brokers scrape your data from public records, apps, websites, and social media and create detailed profiles.
2. Cybercriminals purchase those profiles, or they're exposed in massive breaches.
3. Your exposed data supercharges targeted scams and identity theft.
If that's not enough reason to invest in your privacy, we don't know what is. Check which data brokers have your data at the link in our bio.
The number one way fraud succeeds? Social engineering.
Scammers manipulate people into sharing details or taking actions they usually wouldn't. With a little research and exposed personal info, they can impersonate authorities or create fake emergencies to cloud your judgment.
Hear author, international speaker, and fraud expert Becky Holmes discuss the anatomy of social engineering and how to stay safe in the latest episode of What the Hack at the link in our bio.
#SocialEngineering #Cybersecurity #OnlineSafety #DataPrivacy
Happy World Password Day! 🔐
Today, you'll see a lot of "hacklore" out there—outdated security advice that does little to keep you safe. For example, you've been told to change passwords every 30 days, but cybersec experts like Bob Lord explain that often leads to weaker passwords.
Take a step back from hacklore.
The bottom line? Longer = better. Get a password manager. Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
These simple steps protect you against most account takeovers and typical hacks.
#WorldPassword Day #CyberSecurity #OnlineSafety #PrivacyTips #StopHacklore
When you receive a message that makes you feel panicky or desperate, it’s easy to react without thinking. Fraud expert, author, and international speaker Becky Holmes shares her #1 rule for online safety on the latest episode of What the Hack: Nothing needs to be done in five minutes.
Take just a few moments to step back and think logically whenever you receive an urgent message. It can save your accounts and your bottom line.
Learn more about fraud, the future of trust, and how to stay safe at the link in our bio.
#CyberSecurity #FraudPrevention #WhatTheHack #OnlineSafety
