Security Breaches

Telephony, electronic, transmittal, SMS, MSM, written imposters and cyber criminals fraudulent attempts are all crafted to appear legitimate, such as and not limited to, mailers from surrounding business, phone calls from services you use or messages from your bank. Can be of any trusted source. It boils down to the scammers requesting personal information, which criminals then use for identity theft.

So what should you do if you find yourself a victim of a scam? Use the list below as a checklist in the order as shown below.

May need to do extended steps if you find yourself a victim to damages of a critical Hit.

Stop contact Immediately

Either shred imposters material and move on, delete email, end task, pull the plug immediately, hang up immediately and or disconnect immediately. Stopping no other way than said recommendations.

Do not reply, respond or contact your network using infected owned device and associated services.

The malicious bug, trojan, virus, phishing, spyware, malware typically is programed to be initiated by your next panic steps.

Unplug, if acctable remove batteries of Routers (Bridges, AP, Combo Boxes, Modems) immediately & wait 5 mins & turn back on

May need to reset these devices to factory settings. Leave out batteries for an reasonable amount of time.

Unplug ethernet cord of device used to scam you, disconnect WiFi & remove batteries if acceptable

Remove external drives safely. May need to reset devices to factory settings

Disable Sync

Such as and not limited to are MySMS, Firefox, Chrome, Office, OneDrive, iTunes or iCloud

Flush out Rogue DHCP

As well as flushing out rogue DHCP ensure you have DHCP conflict detection if you don't already have DHCP conflict detection enable in your main routers settings.

Put device in safe mode and uninstall recent installations

May need to reset entire devices, to factory settings. If can not uninstall, try other options to uninstall. Seek professional advice because resetting device operating system incorrectly may result in catastrophic failure.

Analyze and address devices alerts under event log, if not available analyze each registered directory folders

Each event has a error code, address by obtaining definitions from trusted source and follow instructions accordingly.

Turn on your devices antivirus services

Select option to scan for unusual behavior and virus detection, opt in to fix all. Preferred protections are the services associated to the brand of the default.

Export saved passwords

Export passwords into a uninfected external drive and remove these saved passwords to include vault contents. Do not export unfamiliar vaults.

Perform virus check on your installed browsers

May need to reset devices manual installed browsers to factory settings or uninstall 3rd party browsers.

Remove unknown unfamiliar extensions

Remove 3rd party extension and clear bowsers history, cookies, tracking tokens and accepted certificates.

Conduct uninstalls to your 3rd party developer App's

Uninstall 3rd party apps, open browsers to clear its history, cookies, tracking tokens and accepted certificates accepted.

Uninstall all installed browsers (not ie, Edge or Safari)

Uninstall 3rd party browsers, may need to delete local and roaming folders for each company. May need to reset devices browsers to factory settings.

Reset default settings for ie, Edge or Safari

May need to reset pre installed browsers. Cease using ie if you have not already done so.

Create new emails

May need to discontinue use of your current emails.

Inform your internet provider

Consider having a dynamic IP address if you already don't have one (typically IPS providers install and enables dynamic IP address). Ask them about wanting to enable dhcp conflict detection if you don't already have dhcp conflict detection enable.

Inform your phone or cellular provider

Consider having a private line or number.

Block the incoming tool used to scam you

Telephony: Block phone number and may need to add a second line for primary use.

Electronic: Block email, move to spam, then delete and delete again from recovery & blacklist domain in your email client & main router settings. May need a new primary email address.

Transmittal: Block fax number as if it was a phone number and may need to add a second line for primary use.

Messenger: Block profile, remove contents and report profile. Typically options are presented when you initiate blocking the profile.

SMS: Block incoming numeric numbers then delete message thereafter delete trash immediately.

MSM: Block all phone numbers involved, delete with contents then delete from trash (If a number you recognize inform them via another way of communicating and be lery of any inbound contact from such known numbers for a reasonable amount of time.)

Written Imposters: Shred correspondence and do not call anyone regarding receipt of BS.

Cyber: Block URL in your main router settings clear devices data memory & cache, force stop and then reboot.

Change Router (Combo Box, Modem) User IDs & Passwords Immediately

All routers types come with the same user ID and password, typically people do not realize when they install their equipment, they would need create a user ID & Password otherwise the default factory credentials are always accessible to hackers even without falling victim to a scam.

Change Passwords Immediately

This goes for email and all accounts, including bank accounts and PIN numbers. Create strong, complicated, new passwords that feature a confusing slew of numbers and symbols. Such passwords are much, much harder for cybercriminals to break.

Notify Credit Agencies

Contact one of the three major credit bureaus as soon as possible and let them know your account was potentially compromised. Place a fraud alert on your account until the issue has been resolved.

Contact Debit & Credit Card Companies

Alert credit card companies and explain the situation. Your credit cards might not have been used yet, but if you feel unauthorized charges are in your future, it’s essential to freeze or cancel your cards. Let your bank know what happened so they can further protect your credit line. May need to change bank account numbers and purge checks & online bill pays.

Change your secondary payment methods

Such as and not limited to Messenger Pay, Paypal, Samsung pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and ect..

Update Your Software

Update your electronic devices software to the newest versions and run a comprehensive virus scan if you think you’ve infected your system with a virus or other malware. Additionally, you should use encryption, ensure you have a firewall enabled, and regularly back up personal information on an external hard drive to include mobile devices. Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks whenever possible, and if you must use a public connection, select the most secure option, such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Also, make certain to turn your computer off (not sleep or hibernation mode) when not in use, as it’s inaccessible to hackers when powered down.

Check Accounts Regularly

Review your bank and credit card accounts regularly to be sure no suspicious activity is taking place. You may also opt to leave the fraud alert on your credit report for a while until you’re absolutely certain you’re out of the proverbial hot water.

Report Scam, Reporting Resources

Numerous resources are available for reporting an scams, such as Federal Trade Commission and international scams including the National Fraud Information Center. National Fraud Information company reports fraudulent activity to the federal government and maintains detailed records of fraud incidents. They also provide links concerning whom you can contact within your state for assistance such as Identity Theft , do not call registry, and E-consumers government.

Stay proactive:

Stay proactive until you’re absolutely certain fraud-related problems have subsided, and know what to look for in the future. The more you educate yourself on phishing and other Internet scams, the less likely it is such problems will occur.

Other helpful resources include:

Internet Crime Complaint Center: The FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center run a site called the Internet Crime Complaint Center. It features many tips and other helpful information about avoiding email scams and what to do if you fall victim to one. It also offers a link for filing a claim against a third party who stole your identity or made an attempt. U.S. Department of Justice: The U.S. Department of Justice runs websites that allow you to file email scam complaints. The site also features plenty of helpful tips and advice. National Consumer’s League: This site can help you file a complaint and provides information on how to avoid fraud. Better Business Bureau: The BBB makes it possible to alert others to what happened to you so they don’t fall for the same scams.