Facebook users, stay safe out there
In light of Cyber Security Awareness Month (October), and the recent Facebook data breach, it’s a good idea to look over your social media accounts and make changes to passwords and settings so you can keep your personal information safe.
While automatic log-ins through Facebook are convenient, they also allow hackers access to many different accounts since most of us tend to tie many apps to one account such as Facebook or Google. The bad news is that if one of your accounts is hacked, all of your information is subject to be stolen.
According to Facebook, the way hackers got in was through their code related to the “View As” feature. This feature allows a user to see how their profile appears on other people’s screens.
The vulnerability in the code may have allowed hackers to steal your access token to potentially take over your account. Your access token is the thing that your browser uses to keep you logged into your Facebook account after signing in once.
Spammers like to hack Facebook accounts because they gain access to your followers. And, of course, they can gather a lot of your personal information, which they then use to steal your identity.
So if you’ve used this “View As” feature, you should take these steps to make sure your Facebook account hasn’t been hacked:
- Go into your Facebook account and go to the arrow (pointing down) in the upper right-hand corner of your Facebook page and click on it.
- In the popup menu, select Settings. A new menu will pop up on the left side of the page.
- Click on Security and Login and then Where You’re Logged In.
This is pretty cool because it shows a list of all the devices that you’ve logged in with and their locations will pop up. If there is a login location or device you don’t recognize, it’s a good bet you’ve been compromised.
If that’s the case, go to the Facebook help center to see what steps you must take to secure your account. Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/2eOxzVA
Protect yourself and your identity now because if your identity gets stolen, the time it takes to secure your account with Facebook won’t compare to the time it will take you to get your identity back once it’s been stolen.
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SPOTTING A PHISHER: From the Harvard Alumni Association Newsletter:
Phishing can come in many different forms, from obvious-to-spot frauds to sophisticated deceptions, but they share some common characteristics. Before you click a link, consider if the message you are reading contains these suspicious attributes:
- Sense of urgency and time constraint
- Fear of losing money or winnings
- Requests to verify accounts or credit card numbers
- Communication from services you do not use
- PDF attachments from businesses
- Generic email providers
- Poor grammar and spelling
- Confirmations that lack details, such as delivery locations or travel dates
- Any emails from the IRS
- Unexpected, but out of character, emails from people you know
- Files or links that require you to download additional software to view them
- Close, but not quite right, links
If you see any of these signs, don’t proceed. Delete the email and move safely on!
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DECODING COSTCO PRICING: If you love to save a buck or two, here’s a consumer awareness tip to help you decode the prices at Costco.
Getting the best deal means knowing how to read the price tag. If the price tag ends in “97” cents, this means it’s being sold below cost, or it won’t be restocked. In other words, you probably won’t find it cheaper anywhere else.
Prices ending in ”88” likely indicate manager markdowns. Items in this category could include sellable returns or floor models.
Prices ending in .00 designate products that Costco is trying to get rid of, so if it’s your favorite, you might buy a few extras before they run out.
Check the tag for an asterisk. If you find one, that means the item will not be reordered. If you see an asterisk on the tag and there are quite a few items in stock, you might want to wait until the price gets marked down to a 97 and then buy it. Typically, you will find the “97” with the asterisks in the seasonal section of the store.
Even if the item is on sale, check out the date code, usually at the bottom right corner of the price tag. If the last time the price was updated was a few weeks ago, there is a good chance that the item is about to be discounted further.
If you purchase something at Costco and then you notice it goes on sale within 30 days of your purchase, you can take your receipt in and get refunded the difference.
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REMEMBER: “We’re On Your Side”
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We have many more tips and interesting cases that we’re working on. Call us at 208-274-4458. You can follow us at www.billbrooks.us. We are available to speak about consumerism to schools and civic groups. Terri Dickerson is a writer and consumer advocate living in Coeur d’Alene. Bill Brooks is a consumer advocate who lives in Coeur d’Alene. Bobbi Brooks is the proofreader.