The youngest adults in Florida (ages 18-24) are referred to as Generation Z. Of course, most young adults in this age group have grown up with smartphones and other types of advanced technology. However, the majority of Generation Z seems fairly oblivious to the threat of identity theft. In fact, while most young adults in Florida use smartphones, only about 24% of them can define the terms “malware” or “ransomware.” The experts from the Association for Financial Professionals who discovered these statistics believe that young Florida consumers make it easy for fraudsters to commit identity theft. However, armed with the right information, these Florida members of Generation Z can learn to protect their financial well-being and credit scores.
How Generation Z Members in Florida Can Protect Themselves Against Identity Theft While Using their Smartphones
First and foremost, young adults in Florida must understand that there are certain identity theft risks associated with exchanging – or storing – information on smartphones (or tablets). In fact, all consumers, of every generation, should take precautions against the following threats.
Malware:
“Malware” is an umbrella term used to describe several types of hostile or intrusive software. Commonly, fraudsters and identity thieves employ varieties of malware that steal information from smartphones and tablets.
Typically, through “phishing” schemes, scammers send victims in Florida bogus emails that look like they are from legitimate businesses. Then, when recipients click links embedded in these emails, they unwittingly invite the malware into their systems. From there, fraudsters can steal payment information and personal data from their victims’ devices.
Ransomware:
“Ransomware” refers to a specific type of malware that swipes all data from hard drives. Normally, hackers lure victims to accidentally install it through phishing scams. Or, if they can physically steal and hold on to a device long enough, they can manually install ransomware. Once a thief steals a Florida consumer’s data, the scammer holds the information for ransom – hence, the name. Usually, the victim must pay a certain amount of money to the thief in order to reclaim their data.
Of course, even if a Florida victim pays the ransom to retrieve the information, it may not end their dilemma. Sadly, fraudsters can still copy ransomed data and use it to steal money from consumers or commit identity theft.
Public Wi-Fi:
While not a threat in and of itself, there are definitely risks associated with sharing sensitive information while using public Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, shopping while using public Wi-Fi falls under the category of “sharing sensitive information.” Yet, a lot of Generation Z members in Florida shop from the convenience of their smartphones, while connected to public Wi-Fi.
Sadly, most fraudsters and identity thieves can easily hack into the free, unsecure Wi-Fi offered in public places. So, if you share your debit or credit card information over the internet while sipping a latte at your favorite coffee shop, you may unknowingly put yourself at risk for identity theft.
Why Generation Z Members in Florida Should Regularly Check their Credit Reports
Many young adults in Florida, aged 18-24, may not yet know the importance of regularly checking their credit reports. In fact, some older Florida residents might not review their credit reports as often as they should. Yet, credit report monitoring is an important part of protecting yourself against identity theft.
Unfortunately, no matter how many security precautions you take, fraudsters may still take your information and use to make fraudulent transactions or set up bogus accounts. Yet, you can minimize the damage by routinely checking your credit reports for signs of identity theft.
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) entitles all consumers to free copies of the credit reports from the three major credit bureaus every 12 months. Just go to www.annualcreditreport.com to request your credit reports from TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian.
Then, while looking through your credit reports, if you spot signs of identity theft, file a police report immediately. You will need a copy of this report in order to fully recover your credit reports from identity theft damage. Next, contact Credit Repair Lawyers of America in Florida.
When you trust our firm with your identity theft issues, our team of credit pros will handle the recovery process from beginning to end. This way, you don’t have to deal with creditors and the credit bureaus on your own. You’ll also get immediate access to an experienced credit attorney who will do whatever it takes to get you clean credit reports – legally and for FREE.
The Free and Legal Way to Get Better Credit After Identity Theft
Don’t let fraudulent accounts on your credit reports bring your credit score down. At Credit Repair Lawyers of America, we’ve been cleaning up credit reports for consumers since 2008 for free. How do we do it? All of our fees come from the defendants in settled cases. This is why our clients pay nothing for the work we do.
Let’s start the conversation about what we can do for your credit. Set up your free consultation today by calling Attorney Gary Nitzkin at (855) 956-2089 or sending him a message through our contact page.
For more information about Free Credit Repair After Identity Theft, check out https://creditrepairlawyersam.com/florida/fix-identity-theft/.
