I never victim of a scambut in the past I hadn’t gone out of my way to avoid them either.

This is a problem for two reasons. First of all, after years of data breachesmy social security number, address, and passwords are likely circulating on the dark web, making it easier for my identity to be stolen.

Second, as someone who writes about scams for a living, it’s a matter of pride not to get caught up in such a thing.

With this in mind, I decided to protect myself from scams as much as possible. The steps I followed are simple, free, and most only take a few minutes to set up.

Here’s what I did.

1. I froze my credit

A credit freeze, or security freeze, effectively blocks unauthorized access to your credit report, which lenders use to approve loans and credit cards. A credit freeze will prevent fraudsters from stealing your identity and taking out credit in your name.

You can set up a credit freeze by visiting the websites of the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, ExperiencedAnd TransUnion. The online process is quick and free, but you can also do it by telephone or by mail. It’s easy to thaw when you need to apply for credit or a loan.

Since I have no plans to apply for a new credit card, mortgage, or loan in the near future, freezing my credit was a no-brainer for me.

2. I turned on stolen device protection on my iPhone

Let’s say you’re in a public place, like a bar, and you lose your phone. Later, you find out it was hacked, and thousands of dollars were taken out of your Apple Pay or Venmo accounts. All a thief needs is your phone and your password, often obtained just by watching you type it. Once they have access, they can reset your Apple ID or Face ID, effectively locking you out and taking control of your identity.

To combat this, Apple introduces “Stolen Device Protection” in January 2024. This security feature requires Face ID or Touch ID for critical actions such as password reset and imposes a one-hour delay in certain cases, such as when the device is in an unfamiliar location . During this time, alerts are sent to your trusted devices and email, giving you the opportunity to intervene before changes take effect.

To enable Stolen Device Protection, make sure your iPhone software is updated to iOS 17.3 or later. From there, you can follow these steps:

1. Go to the Settings app and select “Face ID & Passcode”
2. Enter your password
3. Enable “Stolen Device Protection”

3. Set Venmo to private

Venmo can be a convenient way to split the bill or make small purchases, but I never understood the “social” aspects of the app, or why all my transactions were visible to the public by default.

Rather than expose my personal payment information to phishing scams, I changed my default privacy settings to “Private.” To do this, open the Venmo app:

1. Go to the Me tab
2. Tap the Settings gear icon in the upper right corner
3. Tap Privacy
4. Under Default Privacy Settings, select Private

4. Enrolled in Informed Delivery

Informed Delivery is a free service offered by the U.S. Postal Service that notifies you of incoming mail and packages.

It helps you keep tabs on your deliveries and quickly spot any missing or stolen items, which fraudsters could use to access sensitive information like credit card offers or bank statements. If anything is missing, you can report it through the Informed Delivery website and USPS will investigate.

Here’s how to register:

1. Visit the Informed delivery website
2. Create or log in to your USPS account
3. Verify your identity to activate the service

5. I finally have a password manager

Data breaches are so common now that I have to reset my few passwords every few months. But even changing passwords isn’t enough: Hackers can crack an eight-character password with a mix of numbers, letters and symbols in just eight hours. according to a 2022 study. Clearly, “Hello123!” don’t cut it anymore.

To get ahead of potential breaches, I started using a password manager. After exploring a few options, I went with Bitwardenwhich also offers a free option. It generates unique 30-character passwords for all my accounts, and with a simple master password I can access everything securely.

To log into a website, I use Bitwarden’s Chrome extension or iPhone app, which automatically fills in long, secure passwords for me – no typing or remembering required. I also no longer have to worry about weak or reused passwords.

While updating all my logins is still a work in progress, I’ve prioritized my bank and credit card accounts and it’s already giving me peace of mind.

6. Enabling two-factor authentication for banks

To further protect my bank accounts, I added two-factor authentication to my login process. In addition to a longer, more secure password, I now receive a text code every time I log into my banking apps or websites.

It’s an extra step, but I think it’s worth it, especially after seeing phishing emails that look almost identical to legitimate emails from my bank. Typically, I completely avoid clicking on links or images in emails or text messages. Instead, I search for my bank directly on Google and log in using that link.

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