Online tools to help protect against fraud

As the number and types of scams increase, products and services are available to protect you from scammers. Some are free and come from government agencies, non-profit organizations or large corporations; others come from entrepreneurs with unique and often high-tech means of protection. Edition Aarp has compiled a list of services that will help keep your information safe.

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1. Conduct a study of financial vulnerability

Wayne University's Gerontology Institute has developed an online survey on financial vulnerability at OlderAdultNestEgg.comto help older Americans evaluate decision-making. As part of its program, the SAFE Service offers, among other things, personalized training to help users detect fraud or identify theft.

2. View broker history on FINRA Brokercheck

FINRA, the independent non-government regulator of securities firms doing business in the United States, has a free online tool BrokerCheck.finra.orgwhich allows you to view the history of brokers, as well as find complaints and disciplinary actions against brokers. And remember: always hang up from the cold calling broker. Legitimate doesn't work like that.

3. Protect your packages with informed delivery

Free US Postal Service InformedDelivery.usps.com Sends images of your emails by email prior to delivery. Thanks to this, users can track and manage the delivery of parcels to protect them from thieves.

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4. Sign up for an anti-identity theft service

A number of companies promise to keep your personal data for a fee. EverSafe.com и IDShield.com are among those patrolling the dark web for fraudulent use of your Social Security number, false address changes and other misused personal information, and monitor your bank accounts and credit cards to ensure they have not been compromised.

5. Stop phone scammers with call blocking software

Start by registering with the National Registry for Call Barring Service DoNotCall.gov... Then call your carrier and ask what kind of call blocking services they provide; more people are adding free call verification options in response to the surge in fraudulent phone calls. If you want more complete protection for your smartphone, consider services such as RoboKiller.com or truecaller.com.

6. Check the person's profile photo using image search

To lure victims, online dating scammers often use stolen photos. Before answering a request, look for his photo and find out where else the image appears on the Internet, and this will help identify scammers. Image search services include images.google.com, tineye.com и yandex.com.

7. Protect loved ones from fraud

Convince the person to sign up for a service that constantly checks all of their financial accounts for unusual transactions and then sends alerts to you and others if they occur. GuideChange.com and EverSafe.com promise to investigate the finances of older Americans and root out fraud. Their systems constantly monitor how money is being spent looking for suspicious transactions.

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8. Confirm the person's biography before hiring

While any of us on the Internet can find information about almost every person, many companies are ready to do professional work for a fee. They provide detailed information on criminal convictions, civil court records, and credit ratings.

And services such as goodhire.com, checkr.com и IntelliCorp.netwill provide monthly updates for added peace of mind.

9. Protect confidential emails with decryption

Postal services such as ProtonMail.com, Tutanota.com и mailfence.com, encrypt your incoming emails, so no one can read them unless they do a highly secure login and decryption process.

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