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Your Social Security number is one of the most sensitive pieces of personal information you own. Too bad yours (and mine and every other Americans’) has likely been leaked and sold on the Dark Web. Before you panic, there are a few steps you can take right now to protect yourself and your identity. TURN YOURSELF INTO A GOOGLE WORKSPACE AND MICROSOFT OFFICE PRO I’m giving away an iPhone 16 Pro with Apple Intelligence.  No purchase necessary; enter now! Is it really that big a deal? It sure is. Your Social Security number is the key to the castle. It’s the unique identifier that connects your financial, government and personal records. With your SSN, criminals can open credit card accounts, apply for loans, hijack your tax refunds, use your government benefits or even apply for jobs. There’s an easy step you can take. In this photo illustration, a Social Security card sits alongside checks from the U.S. Treasury on October 14, 2021, in Washington, DC.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Image...

Americans are grappling with an ongoing surge in robocalls, a trend that has become increasingly concerning due to the prevalence of scams . According to a recent report by YouMail, a call-blocking service, nearly 4.5 billion robocalls were made in September alone.  This marks a slight increase from the previous month and a notable rise of 5% compared to the same time last year.  As so many of us continue to receive these unwanted calls, we are left wondering how to protect ourselves from potential scams and what can be done to mitigate this persistent issue. ENTER CYBERGUY’S $500 HOLIDAY GIFT CARD SWEEPSTAKES! IT'S FREE TO ENTER — SIMPLY SIGN UP FOR MY FREE TECH NEWSLETTER TO GET YOUR CHANCE TO WIN NOW! Robocall on an iPhone   (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson) Robocall statistics for September 2024 The latest data from  YouMail reveals alarming trends in robocall activity across the U.S.: Total calls: Approximately 4.5 billion robocalls were made. Calls per second: ...

Do you remember those TV shows where the villain gets defeated in one season but comes back even stronger in the next? Think "Stranger Things" on Netflix. The malware we’re talking about here is just like that. It’s called FakeCalls, and every time researchers figure out how it infects devices, it evolves with new ways to hide.  Earlier this year, it was reported to be impersonating large financial institutions, and now security researchers have discovered that the malware has gone through another upgrade. It can even hijack the calls you make to your bank using your Android phone. ENTER CYBERGUY’S $500 HOLIDAY GIFT CARD SWEEPSTAKES Man surfing on his Android phone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson) What you need to know FakeCalls is a banking trojan that focuses on voice phishing, where victims are deceived through fraudulent calls impersonating banks and are asked to share sensitive information. Earlier versions did this by prompting users to call the bank from wi...

With most of your life attached to these nine numbers, your Social Security number (SSN) is incredibly important to keep safe. That’s why it is crucial to pay attention to signs that your SSN may have been compromised. While preventing the misuse of your SSN is paramount, there are action steps you can take if it does fall into the wrong hands. I’M GIVING AWAY A $500 GIFT CARD FOR THE HOLIDAYS Enter the giveaway by signing up for my free newsletter. There are steps you can take if your Social Security number falls into the wrong hands. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson) Top signs someone might be using your Social Security number Are you concerned that your Social Security number may have gotten into the wrong hands? Check below to see if you are experiencing any of these signs: 1) Changes to your credit report and score Americans are granted free credit reports every 12 months from the three major consumer reporting companies. Regularly culling through these reports can hel...