Advertise on podcast: Privacy Mentor with Carrie Kerskie

Technology has made many aspects of our life a lot easier, but it's also come with its fair share of downsides, some of which you may not be aware of. The convenience that comes in this digital age comes at a price, the cost being your information. In this episode, Carrie goes over the argument of Privacy vs. Convenience. Things you’ll learn in this episode What is Privacy vs. Convenience, and what are some examples? What's the price of using convenience-based products What about smart devices? How to switch to a privacy mindset Want to take our privacy quiz? Click here Visit Our Website At https://privacy-mentor.com to learn more about how to protect your privacy!

A new change makes it easier to access your Experian freeze, listen to find out as Carrie explains this new feature to manage your account online. Resources: Link to Experian https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html Privacy-Mentor Website https://privacy-mentor.com Link to Protect Your Identity in 14 Days https://kerskie.podia.com/protect_your_identity_14days

Want to find out how much your smart devices know about you? Well now you can… This week, Carrie interviews the creator and lead of Mozilla’s Privacy Not Included Guide, Jen Caltrider. This guide reviews things like smart speakers, toys, games, wearables, and other devices that are connected to the internet. However, some of these items come with a pretty “creepy” downside. Watch the episode to find out more! Links and Resources: Privacy Not Included - https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/pri... Mental health apps guide - https://foundation.mozilla.org/privac... Visit Our Website At https://privacy-mentor.com to learn more about how to protect your privacy!

2FA was created to protect your online accounts against cyber criminals. In this episode Carrie shares with you a new scam that uses 2FA codes to gain access to your financial accounts. What you’ll learn: What is 2FA or MFA How this scam works Two tools to avoid becoming a victim Want more great tips? Join the Privacy-Mentor email list. No span, just useful tips, tricks, and tools to help you protect your privacy from identity theft, fraud, and cyber threats. If you value your privacy, check out our site at https://privacy-mentor.com/. Your privacy depends on it.  

Email plays a big part of communicating in this digital age, but did you know that many of the free email services are scraping your emails to collect information? That’s right. The reason so many of these email services are free, is due to the fact that they are profiting off of data collected via emails you send and receive. This data is then used and sold for marketing or other purposes. Following up one of our previous episodes with Startpage's Director of Brand and Strategic Partnerships, Kelly Finnerty, I sit down with Robert E.G. Beens, the Co-Founder and CEO of Startpage and StartMail, and a recognized privacy expert and advocate. Here are a few key takeaways you’ll learn in this episode: What is StartMail and why was it created Why it's important to protect email privacy What are the risks of not using encrypted email? What to know about encryption Do all parties need to use StartMail to maintain encryption? What shouldn’t be sent in an email How to migrate your email to StartMail Are custom domains available? Do they offer email plans for businesses or only consumers? How StartMail proved they value privacy when censored by Russia? If you are currently using a free email service, you owe it to your privacy to listen to the episode and explore StartMail. Your privacy will thank you. Also, don’t forget to check out episode 66, where we talked to Kelly Finnerty from StartPage. Robert E.G. Beens is the Co-Founder and CEO of Startpage and StartMail, and a recognized privacy expert and advocate. At Startpage, Beens oversees operations, product development, technology, and finance. He is also a commercial airline pilot with Netherlands-based airline KLM. He earned his Master’s degree in Corporate, Social & Economic Dutch Law from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Resources: Check out StartMail - https://www.startmail.com/ Make Startpage your default search engine - https://add.startpage.com/protection/?campaign=11&source=aff Episode 66 - StartPage, The Ethical Search Engine - https://privacy-mentor.com/ep66/ Visit our website privacy-mentor.com

By now you’ve probably heard of some form of credit protection service, whether it be a freeze, a lock, or a fraud alert; however, you’d be surprised to know the differences between these services, and how one form may protect you more than another. In this episode, Carrie and Kyle discuss these three forms of credit protections, what they really do, and which one can actually help protect your personal credit. Things you’ll learn in this episode What are these services, and what they provide Why one of these services is better than the others Where to activate these services Are these free? Will having these in place prevent me from doing anything with my credit? Resources: Steps to place a freeze and show notes www.privacy-mentor.com/ep68

Remote access software is a topic we’ve brought up several times in previous podcast and blog post, and in this episode Carrie and Kyle go over exactly what it is, and how bad guys are using it to their advantage. In this episode you’ll learn: What is remote access software? What are some common example of it? How are criminals using it? How to detect and remove it What to know to minimize your risk of falling victims to these scams Previous episode we reference where we talk about victims of remote access software https://privacy-mentor.com/ep47/ Visit our site for more episodes and post https://privacy-mentor.com/ Check out true cybercrime podcast - Modem Mischief https://www.modemmischief.com/episodes

Here’s a brief overview of what you learn in this episode: Why StartPage was created What makes StartPage different from other search engines What is a search bubble? Typically, if a product is free, you are the product. How does StartPage generate revenue? How to get started with StartPage?

Following up last week’s episode about 1099 fraud and staying on the topic of tax scams this season, Carrie interviews Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigations. Ron answers some of Carrie's questions and gives some tips to help you avoid any problems this tax year. Things you’ll learn in this episode: What to look for when selecting a tax preparer Are you, or your return preparer responsible for your taxes? How to check if your preparer is legit Will the IRS ever call you threatening to take legal action? Resources: IRS Website https://www.irs.gov/ IRS Press Released 10 Tips file:///C:/Users/kkers/Downloads/Filing%20Season%20_10_Tips_To_Avoid_Fraud.pdf Watch a video of the interview here: https://youtu.be/Y6FMJT0lzc8

This week, Carrie talks about another popular issue we see this time of year around tax season. In this situation, a woman received a 1099 form regarding taxable miscellaneous income she’s made off an investment account; The problem is, she’s never opened or had any such account. Find out why criminals are taking advantage of investing platforms, and how victims are being held responsible for paying taxes on money they’ve never made simply because criminals used their identity. Things you’ll learn in this episode: Why criminals are setting up crypto/investing platforms using your Identity How the IRS counts on you to file these accounts you’ve never set up Steps to take to remove these fraudulent tax claims and to restore your information Link to episode 52 that Carrie references in the show: https://carriekerskie.libsyn.com/be-on-the-lookout-for-this-welcome-letter-in-the-mail In that episode we go over how the FBI and IRS reach out to you over bank accounts that you’ve never set up.

Recently, Carrie received a call from someone worried that their mobile phone number was hacked. Out of fear, and some bad advice, they made some drastic changes on their own to protect their information. What they did not only gave the bad guys more control but locked the victim out of being able to access their own accounts. Listen to find out how you can avoid a situation like this, and what the right steps to take are to protect against phone number theft. Things you’ll learn in this episode: Popular types of phone number fraud The worst thing to do when you find out your number is potentially stolen What the right to do is Tips to protect your number in the future

Love is in the air in this episode, as Carrie talks about the notorious sweetheart scammers. This Valentine’s Day inspired topic covers a type of criminal that takes advantage of individuals in search of relationships online; but it’s not just those looking for love that are at risk. Carrie will share with you how non-romantic relationships found online could also pose a threat. Learn about sweetheart scammer’s intentions, and the dangers they present to their victims. What you’ll learn from listening to this episode: Who are sweetheart scammers? Why these scams aren’t restricted to only romantic relationships Some extreme case examples demonstrating the severity of these scams Red flags that can indicate someone is a potential sweetheart scammer   Link to article Carrie References in the episode: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/data-spotlight/2022/02/reports-romance-scams-hit-record-highs-2021 TinderSwindler documentary on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/who-is-tinder-swindler-real-shimon-hayut