“We advise against using public Wi-Fi, but
if you’re going to use it, avoid logging in to
sensitive accounts,” says Allen Spence, director of
product leadership at IDShield, an identity theft
protection company.
To protect yourself from inadvertently using
insecure Wi-Fi networks, adjust your phone
settings to avoid auto-connecting to Wi-Fi.
SOFTWARE: Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities
in phone software. Schifferle of the FTC suggests
consumers routinely check for and download
software updates for their phones, because
updates often include security patches.
PHONE NUMBER VULNERABILITIES
There are two common ways that scammers
target your phone number: robocall scams and
phone number theft.
ROBOCALLS: U.S. consumers fielded nearly
48 billion robocalls in 2018, according to an
estimate from robocall blocking service YouMail.
That was a 57% increase from 2017.
A common scam comes from supposed
representatives of the Social Security
Administration requesting you give your
personal information or your benefits will be
cut. If you get a call from a number you don’t
recognize, don’t answer. That’s the best way to
ensure you don’t get caught up in a phone scam.
And know that government agencies like Social
Security and the IRS won’t call you out of the
blue seeking your personal information.
“You should never give personal info or money
unless you have initiated the call,” Schifferle
says. If you answer a call and realize it may be a
scammer, hang up, she advises.