Watch out for Scammers during the Government Shutdown

The government shutdown is having an impact on Americans (and the military community specifically) in numerous ways. The added inconveniences, costs (commissary closings), loss of income, reduced training opportunities and much more are adding stress to military families too.


With this turbulence comes the opportunity for scammers to target you as well. These folks are out there and they take advantage of everyone; but the military lifestyle creates some unique challenges and many times the bad guys know this. With the current reduced government protective resources the identify theft folks are working overtime right now; the new health care law is new and a bit confusing which opened the door for consumers to be targeted by pseudo medical insurance help; the crushing amount of spam reduces our watchfulness or we become careless and invite intrusions into our security protected computer and phone systems;  our bank accounts are targeted by thieves gathering our pins through technology and the list goes on and on.

Protect Your Family and Resources!

How can you help protect your family and resources from these thieves? Be informed! Keep up to date on current threats (just like our military members do) and be vigilant. One of the best resources I can recommend for staying informed is the BBB Military Line.  It provides material from a large, knowledgeable and creditable organization and targets military issues. For example, here are this week's "BBB Tips and Consumer Info for the Week of Sep 30-Oct 4, 2013"

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/10/protect-your-identity-dont-get-phished/

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/10/6-steps-for-defending-yourself-against-social-spam/

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/09/5-easy-ways-to-avoid-sport-ticket-scams/
 

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/09/obamacare-scams-emerge-as-new-policies-take-effect/

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/09/warning-security-holes-found-in-new-iphone-ios7-update/

In addition, the Reading Room at MilitaryAvenue.com provides articles from numerous creditable sources on subjects such as how to protect your car from being a target of thieves, auto maintenance mistakes, how to protect yourself from home invasion and much more!

Find more blogs on safety, security and fraud at MilitaryAvenue's Our Letters to You. A Military Family Blog as well.

Remember:  Stay informed, be vigilant and thank you for your service! 

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