Legacy Ministry offers BBB program on protecting personal info
EDITOR DANIEL CLIFTON
MARBLE FALLS — As a regional director for the Better Business Bureau, Adam Price has seen how identity theft and other breaches of personal information can turn someone’s life upside down.
On Monday, Sept. 25, he will share tips and strategies for protecting that information during a Legacy Ministry seminar at First Baptist Church, 901 La Ventana Drive in Marble Falls. The free and open event starts at 1 p.m.
“They’re giving me about an hour and a half, so with time for questions, I’ll have an hour to talk, so I can cover a wide range of things,” he said.
Legacy Ministry is an outreach program geared toward people 55 and older. Weldon French, one of the Legacy Ministry officials, said that with so much of our lives tied up in computers, smartphones, and other devices, it’s now more challenging for people to protect sensitive information, or even know where it’s being stored.
On top of that, there’s the chance of falling for scams.
“I hear about scams all the time,” French said. “With this program, we hope to give people the tools to better protect themselves.”
Price said he plans to cover everything from scams to identify theft.
There are people who are constantly working to break into computers, servers, data files, and other safeguards of private information. Equifax, one of the major credit reporting agencies, recently was attacked by hackers, leaving the private information of millions of people vulnerable to thieves.
And the techniques criminals use are getting better and more sophisticated.
Even if you update your computer, tablet, or smartphone with the latest operating system or protections, there’s no guarantee somebody won’t get through. Sometimes, it’s not even through the operating system that a victim is targeted.
In Price’s own safety practices, if someone calls him on his cellphone and he doesn’t recognize the number or his phone doesn’t alert him to who is calling, he doesn’t answer.
“If you really want me, you’ll leave a message,” Price said.
The ones who don’t are likely robocalls or other unwanted calls. Some might be harmless, but others could be more nefarious.
Scams via the phone happen a lot.
“The grandfather scam is still out there,” Price said. “It’s the one where you get a call, and it’s supposedly someone they know. The caller says, ‘I’m in Mexico and have been arrested and need money.’ They say don’t tell Mom and Dad because they don’t want them to know.
“Or something like that,” he added. “There’s so many out there, and some are quite sophisticated.”
A growing way criminals target people is through emails. An official-looking message asks you to click on a link or open an attachment, but the attachment or link then puts your information at risk.
Price pointed out that even downloading apps can lead to potential problems.
“If you don’t read the fine print, (the app developer) may be able to sell your information to a third party,” he said.
It’s not just people who use technology who are vulnerable.
“There are older people who say, ‘I don’t have a smartphone or computer. I don’t even have a credit card.’ And they feel safe,” Price said. “But I say to them, ‘You go to the doctor’s office, don’t you? Well, those records have your Social Security number on them and other information.’”
It’s almost enough to make you want to turn off all electronics and stop interacting with people or organizations that require personal information.
That’s a good reason to attend the Sept. 25 seminar. Price can’t guarantee your personal information or digital files will be completely safe, but he will share tips, tools, and techniques to make them more secure.
Along with Price’s presentation, Legacy Ministry is offering free document shredding (up to five boxes per family) conducted by a professional shredding firm. The shredding starts at 2 p.m.
The seminar will take place in the church’s Upper Room.