There are new criminals in town, and they may be as close as your laptop or smartphone. These digital fraudsters are experts in what’s known as phishing—a practice by which internet fraudsters impersonate businesses to try to trick victims into sharing sensitive personal information. This includes login and password details, bank account information, or even social security numbers. The cyber-crooks then use these details to perpetrate crimes such as identity theft and fraud.
Read more: What You Need to Know About Identity Theft and Fraud
Phishing scams are a fast-growing form of cybercrime. According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, Inc., 2022 was a record year for phishing attacks with more than 4.7 million incidents reported. And phishing also tops the IRS “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams, impacting everyone from payroll and tax professionals to unsuspecting taxpayers themselves.
Older individuals are especially at risk for phishing scams. The Stanford Center on Longevity reports that those over age 65 are 34% more likely to fall victim to a “phishing expedition” than those in their 40s.
How many types of phishing scams are there and how can you protect yourself against them? Here’s what you need to know.
Email Phishing ScamsAlthough all phishing methods involve tricking unsuspecting victims into revealing their sensitive personal and/or financial information, there are two broad email phishing methods:

• Mass-scale phishing seeks a wide range of victims
• Spear phishing targets a much smaller group

Mass-Scale Phishing ScamsThis is the most common form of phishing—mass emails sent to a broad range of victims. Characteristics of mass-scale phishing emails include:

• A sender name and/or domain that sound almost, but not-quite legitimate: The sender name may be similar to a well-known brand or company name, such as your bank’s name. For example, instead of “Bank of America” the sender name may be “Bank in America.”
• An impersonal greeting: Phishing emails often do not address you by name, but instead include a salutation like “Dear Sir/Madam.”
• Poor grammar and spelling: This happens frequently in the body of phishing emails.
• Urgency or scare tactics: Messages may try to spark a sense of urgency or use phrases to try to scare readers, such as “Your account is past due, you must act immediately.”
• May imitate a legitimate brand, company, financial institution, or entity: This includes re-creating the real company’s logo on the scam email.
• A zip file attachment: When you click on these, a malicious file downloads onto your computer.

Spear PhishingA more customized form of phishing, spear phishing focuses on a smaller, more targeted group of victims and often uses personal details to make email correspondence seem legitimate. These emails appear to come from individuals or businesses you’re familiar with. Signs an email could be a spear phishing expedition include:

• Personalized email messages: These often use your name in the greeting line, instead of a general salutation, such as “Dear Sir/Madam.”
• A reference to personal details: This could include the name of a co-worker. Be particularly wary if the co-worker’s name is misspelled or job title is inaccurate, as these could be signs of a spear phishing email. For example, if Jayne Smythe is your company’s HR Director don’t assume it’s an innocent typo if the email refers to “your HR Manager, Jane Smith.”
• Spoofed links to websites: These can look legitimate but are really sites that collect your personal information for criminals to access later.

Protect Yourself From Phishing ExpeditionsAs email phishing scams become more widespread, take these precautions to protect yourself from being caught in this criminal net:

• Don’t reply to any suspicious emails.
• Install anti-virus and anti-malware security software on your computer and set it to update automatically.
• Don’t click on links within emails asking you to provide or verify information.
• Use caution when opening email attachments as they could contain malicious files sent to infect your computer. Do not click on email attachments from senders you’re not 100% sure of!
• Don’t include any personal information (especially your login/password details, financial information or Social Security Number) within an email.

How To Report Phishing
The Federal Trade Commission recommends taking the following steps to report phishing:
Step 1: If you got a phishing email, forward it to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. If you got a phishing text message, forward it to SPAM (7726).
Step 2: Report the phishing attack to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Phishing Goes Beyond EmailPhishing has evolved far beyond email. Watch out for these scams.
VishingThe term vishing combines the words “voice” and “phishing” to describe phone calls meant to trick unsuspecting victims into revealing their personal information. And vishers are clever, sometimes using information from social media profiles to make it sound as though the call is legitimately coming from a bank, a credit card company or even from the IRS.
Characteristics of a vishing call may include:

• A “Too good to be true” offer
• Fear tactics or threats, much like those in email phishing
• A blocked or altered phone number from the caller

If you suspect you’re on the line with a possible visher, hang up. If the caller claimed that they were calling from your bank or credit card company, call the phone number on your most recent statement or on the back of your credit or debit card to ask whether they’ve been trying to contact you. Your financial institution should have a record of the call if it was legitimate.
The IRS does not call taxpayers to demand payment, nor does it ask for your debit or credit card information over the phone. If you suspect that a scammer is posing as a representative of the IRS, hang up immediately and contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at (800) 366-4484 to report it. Alternatively, use the IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting site.
SmishingSmishers contact victims via SMS (text) messages in an attempt to gain access to personal information. Hallmarks of smishing include:

• Unsolicited texts from unknown phone numbers
• Texts that come from numbers that aren’t 10 digits, such as a 5000 number
• Incomplete details about your personal information, such as a few digits from your bank or credit card
• Links to spoofed sites in the body of the text
• Some smishers use an email service when they text victims to mask their own identities. In this case, instead of seeing a sender’s phone number, you’d see an email address.

If you receive a text that seems suspicious, avoid clicking on any links included in the copy. If the sender claims to be from your bank or credit card company, immediately contact your financial institution using the number on the back of your credit or debit card (not the number in the text nor on any websites linked within the text). You’ll want to confirm that the text came from them.
Social Media PhishingIf you’re on Facebook or other social media networks, you may receive a duplicate friend request from someone you’re already friends with on the platform. Chances are a social media phisher is casting a line. Watch for these signs of social media phishing:

• A notification that a contact has set up a new social media account to replace their previous one
• Private messages from your contacts asking you to click on links within the messages. These links could point to spoofed sites where criminals will try to steal your personal information.
• Fake posts right in your newsfeed asking you to click on a link to provide your personal details
• Suspicious posts or messages from “admins” of the platform

Be vigilant when using social media. If you receive a duplicate friend request, don’t click on it or accept it. Instead, try to contact your friend via a different method, like phone or text, to let them know you’ve received a second friend request. And don’t click on any suspicious links in messages, posts or status updates.
PharmingThe word pharming combines phishing with farming and it’s yet another form of cybercrime. When pharming, fraudsters secretly install malicious code on a computer or server to direct traffic away from a real website to a fake website. The fake website can send malware to visitors’ own computers or collect personal information. Criminals can use your information for a variety of fraudulent and illegal activities, such as:

• Applying for credit cards, loans or even mortgages
• Using victims’ own credit card accounts to make online purchases

To help avoid becoming a pharming victim, always check that you’re visiting a secure site. Look for an “s” at the end of “http” in the URL address in your browser bar, as well as a little padlock symbol at the bottom of your browser page to confirm security. You should also install anti-virus and anti-malware software on your computer, tablet and smartphone. And as with other forms of phishing, never click on suspicious links.
Read more: How to Cyberproof Your Smartphone

As a computer and smartphone user, the best way to protect yourself from phishing scams is to become familiar with their many forms. Know what to watch for and never open attachments, click on links or respond to unsolicited communications if anything seems even a little off. When it comes to phishing, it’s better to play it safe in order to protect your personal information and avoid becoming yet another fraud or identity theft victim.
Have you run into any phishing scams recently? Share your experience and any tips you have for avoiding them below.
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From technology to materials to equipment, most business owners have a good idea of what they need to effectively run their business. However, not many know the types of insurance that their small business needs.
Getting a coverage is the best way to protect you, your employees, and the business. The climate is always changing and continues to produce potentially devastating effects on businesses. Liability lawsuits are fairly common now. In addition to this, accidents happen and things break every now and then.
Without a small business insurance, you may need to cover the property damage and liability claims on your own. This can cost you an arm and a leg. You may end up losing not only your own business but also your personal assets.
There are many types of insurance for small business owners to choose from. Here are the ones we think are a must-have.

1. Business Interruption: InsuranceBusiness operations are likely to get interrupted when a disaster or a catastrophic event occurs. During this time, normal business operations will be disrupted. Your staff won’t be able to manufacture products or make sales calls.
That’s where a Business Interruption Insurance policy comes in. It’ll help compensate against lost wages. It’s particularly applicable to businesses requiring physical locations. A retail store is a good example of this.

2.Vehicle Insurance: Accidents are common on our roads. A vehicle insurance will ensure that your company vehicles are fully insured to protect your business from accident liabilities.
Typically, Vehicle Insurance policy covers all road vehicles – from motorcycles to cars to trucks. An automobile insurance has a dual function – it’ll protect your vehicle against physical damage as well as personal injury emanating from the accident.

3. Product Liability Insurance: This is a must-have for businesses that manufacture products for sale on the general market. Inasmuch as your business takes every measure to ensure that its products are safe, it can still find itself named in a lawsuit resulting from the use of its products.
That’s where a Product Liability Insurance policy comes in. It’ll be tailored specifically to the type of products your business produces.

4. Home-Based Businesses: InsuranceHome-based businesses are a perpetually popular choice for many entrepreneurs. Sadly, homeowner’s policies don’t offer the same coverage as a commercial property insurance does.
That’s why you need a Home-Based Business Insurance policy. It helps protect your inventory and equipment in the event of an issue.

5.Workers’ Compensation Insurance: Worker’s compensation provides insurance to employees who are injured on the job. It covers medical and rehabilitation costs for an employee who is injured at work.
You should make a point of adding it to your small business every time you hire an employee. Without one, you could face pricey claims.

6. Property Insurance: Property Insurance policy is a must, regardless if your business owns or leases its space. It covers damage resulting from perils like fire, storm, or theft, up to the business premises.
However, earthquakes and floods aren’t usually covered under standard property insurance policies. If you live in an area prone to these issues, consider getting additional protection.

7. Professional Liability: InsuranceCommon claims that Professional Liability Insurance policy covers are misrepresentation, negligence, inaccurate advice, and violation of good faith and fair dealing.
When it comes to Professional Liability Insurance, there is no one-size-fits-all policy. Each industry faces its own set of unique perils that will need to be customized for an individual business.

8. Directors and Officers Insurance: A wide range of scenarios is covered under a Directors and Officers Insurance policy. From paying to legal representation throughout lengthy and costly official investigations to legal costs and damages where actionable mistakes have been made.

9.Business Owner’s Policy (BOP): This type of insurance packages everything a business owner would need. Usually, it includes crime insurance, liability insurance, vehicle coverage, property insurance, and business interruption insurance.
A BOP isn’t a one-size-fits-all policy. You can always customize one to fit your company’s specific needs. Normally, you’ll save money by taking this policy as it costs less than the costs if you would have taken all individual coverages.

10. General Liability Insurance: A General Liability Insurance policy is a must-have for every business, even for home-based businesses. It covers your business in the event of damage caused by day-day-operations or legal liabilities.

11. Homeowner’s Insurance: A Homeowner’s Insurance policy can help ensure that a non-business loss will not drag your business down. Typically, the policy will cover your house, including both the structure and its contents, against man-made and environmental perils.
Such perils include theft, vandalism, fire, lightning, and winds. However, a standard policy won’t offer you protection against perils like earthquakes, soil erosion, and flood damage. As such, you may want to get additional coverage.
 
To protect your small business, you must correctly evaluate the perils that you face and choose insurance accordingly. Insurance isn’t a place to skimp – but for budgetary reasons, the aforementioned insurance types are basic ones that you need.

The following article was provided by Granite Foundation Repair, a local foundation repair company servicing the DFC area.
to edit.

​Rogue Movers fall into two categories: 

1. Movers who have obtained a license from the licensing authority but have a pattern of fraudulently scamming consumers through a variety of means, usually involving lowball estimates, refusal to deliver without more money, committing extortion and fraud on consumers.
2. Operators who merely claim to be movers and have not bothered to get licensing authority from any agency, but follow the same pattern of bilking uneducated, vulnerable people.

The greatest difference between the two is that there may be some kind of contract issued by the licensed mover which may be of some help to a wronged consumer, whereas an unlicensed operator may just smooth talk their way into performing the move without any protection at all for the consumer. 
The problem is lack of education, again falling into two categories:

1. Most consumers are uneducated about rogue operators and don’t know to research the reputation or licensing of the mover they are considering hiring and therefore do their research after the operator has ripped them off for more money by holding their shipment hostage until the additional funds are paid.
2. There is a lack of education on the part of enforcement agencies. Too often when a customer calls some enforcement agency for help, they are informed that it is a “civil matter” and to take it to court. When a licensed rogue mover or a rogue operator with no license operates with the sole purpose of scamming all their customers, they quite often have other areas that are non-compliant, i.e. the driver does not have the proper licensing, the vehicle is not safety compliant; the driver and/or crew may have outstanding warrants, etc.

A rogue, licensed or not, operates by offering an attractively low moving estimate, takes possession of the customer’s property and then increases the price to transport and/or deliver, holding the delivery of the goods until the customer pays the fraudulently inflated price.  Conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion, money laundering. One of the more frequent ploys the rogue will tell the customer is that their shipment “takes up more cubic feet than originally estimated”.  Not unusually, the customer doesn’t have a clue how many cubic feet of space their load requires and accepts the rogue’s increased price, or not, and it doesn’t really matter, the rogue is already in possession of all the consumer’s goods any way.
Educating yourself, the moving public and law enforcement is a start.

• You can check to see if a company has Texas authority at:  https://apps.txdmv.gov/apps/mccs/truckstop/
  
  
• You can check if the company has interstate authority at: https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/. Remember, just a USDOT number does not indicate a company has interstate authority. A company with interstate authority will have an MC number in addition to the DOT number and both of those must be active in the FMCSA “safer” system. 

And, you can call SMA at 1/800-759-2305, or email dorothy@texastrucking.com to check them out and file a complaint if they are not properly licensed. If notifying SMA or an enforcement agency be sure you’ve seen their truck operating and not just an ad on the internet or the yellow pages. Rogues tend to flit in and out of existence more quickly than ads do.

Welcome to our new insurance agency blog!
 
This is our very first post. We're not quite sure what we're going to write about here, but the plan is to create helpful content for customers and prospective clients about information that is relevant to you.
 
We hope you'll come to view this as a top resource for keeping your family and your finances safe.
 
Here are a few of the topics we may be writing about:

• Answers to clients' frequently asked questions.
• Helpful information about insurance shopping.
• Safety and Health Tips and Ideas.
• Local Community Information.

 
Stay Tuned!