“Swiped: How To Protect Yourself In A World Full Of Scammers, Phishers, And Identity Thieves” by Adam Levin is an eye opening book to the world of identity theft and electronic scams. If you are not already taking precautions to protect your PII (Personally Identifiable Information), reading this book will make you start. And if you have already started, this book will help you do it better.
This book covers more that just stolen credit cards or the hacking into bank accounts we hear about on the news. You will be surprised at what some enterprising crooks are up to. It can actually be a little scary when you realize that we are all vulnerable. According to Levin, “The bottom line: If you are in any way plugged into the commerce of daily life, your information is out there, and it is only a matter of time before you become a victim of identity-related crime. But while this seems like a problem (and it sure is), it’s not the end of the world. It’s a situation that can be handled.”
The book is divided into four parts and these are the parts and the respective chapters each part contains:
Part 1: An Overview of the Problem. Chapters include:What’s in a Name (and a Number)?; A Short History of Identity (and Fraud): (And You Thought It Was Just About Credit Cards); and Swiping Happens.
Part 2: The Basics of What You Can Do. Chapters include: Understanding the Problem Is the Solution and The Three Ms.
Part 3: The Many Types of Identity Theft. Chapters include: Spies in Your Home: How the Internet of Things May Violate Your Privacy, Threaten Your Security, and Ruin Your Credit; A Taxing Situation; It’s a Hard-Knock Life: Child Identity Theft; May the Farce Be with You: Social Media Dos and Don’ts; From Dangerous to Deadly: On Healthcare Scams and Medical Identity Theft; Wanted Dead or Alive: (But It’s Easier If You’re Dead); Culture Eats Strategy: Business Considerations; The Three Ms for Companies: You Must Build It Because They Will Come; and The Highest Law.
Part 4: Resources and Terms. The part contains Fraud Stories; A Glossary of Scams; Identity Theft and the Deceased: Prevention and Victim Tips; Request a Credit Report for the Deceased; and Deceased Affidavit of Fact.
It’s not enough any more to reinforce our doors and locks to secure our home and to practice situational awareness to keep ourselves safe when out and about. We must also take precautions and steps to minimize our risk of identity theft and be wary of the scammers and phishers out there trying to take advantage of our on-line and electronic presence.
“Swiped” by Adam Levin provides information and advice on how to protect yourself from those scammers, phishers and identity thieves and I recommend reading it and following the advice to protect yourself from such scum. We have to be responsible for all areas of our safety, and this is one of them.
Swiped by Adam Levin is available at amazon:
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