How to Find Out If You Were Affected by the Equifax Hack. There are a number of nefarious activities to watch out for when your Social Security number has been compromised. With the recent Equifax data breach, you might be wondering how to tell if a thief is using your stolen information. No. But government spies can get your phone to play dead. Its a crafty hack. You press the button. The device buzzes. You see the usual poweroff animation. Cell Phone Spy App Monitor Any Phone Remotely. Phone Spy App records SMS, call history and audio, locations, WhatsApp, Facebook, Viber, Skype, internet activity. Since the advent of mobile phones, the cell phone spying has always been a curious topic. I bet, you may have downloaded various bullshit free app for spying on. Second, and most importantly, monitor your credit report. You can use a credit monitoring service like Equifaxs TrustedID which theyre offering for free for a. First, check the potential impact at Equifaxs Trusted. ID website. Youll have to enter the last 6 digits of your Social Security number and your last name, and the site will tell you if theres reason to believe your information has been stolen. When the breach was first announced, they told you to check back, which was terribly frustrating, but the site will now tell you instantly how likely it is youve been hacked. Note Some users have reported getting conflicting info from the site, so you might just want to err on the side of caution and assume your data has been compromised. Second, and most importantly, monitor your credit report. You can use a credit monitoring service like Equifaxs Trusted. ID which theyre offering for free for a year, but its probably best if you also check your credit reports regularly yourself. Youre entitled to a free copy of your report from each of the three major bureaus each year Equifax, Experian, Trans. Union and you can grab your copy at annualcreditreport. If anyone has opened a line of credit in your name, it will show up on your report and youll have to dispute it. If theres fraudulent activity, you should contact each of the three credit reporting agencies to dispute the inaccurate items. Heres the contact info for all three bureaus Equifax Alerts8. Equifax Consumer Fraud Division, PO Box 7. Atlanta, GA 3. 03. Experian Fraud Center8. Experian. P. O. Box 9. Allen, TX 7. 50. 13. Transunion Fraud Alert8. Trans. Union Fraud Victim Assistance Department,P. O. Box 2. 00. 0Chester, PA 1. Finally, consider putting a freeze and a fraud alert on all three of your credit reports if your data has likely been stolen. Some states may impose a fee for this, but Equifax is waiving that charge right now. Last week Equifax announced a Cybersecurity Incident that affected 1. Between Read more Read. Its also important to review your credit report regularly, not just right now. As CNN put it,. But it could happen. Opening a fake account is the most common thing someone will do with your Social Security number, but its one of the least damaging things they can do. Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, told Popular Science With the social security number, however, we get into synthetic identity theft, in which someone can literally take over your identity and use it to steal medical goods or commit serious crimes. Criminals could also file false tax returns, create fake children to go with the identity, and even create problems with mortgages and home deeds, the site reports. The FTC shares some red flag warnings of identity theft You see withdrawals from your bank account that you cant explain. You dont get your bills or other mail. Merchants refuse your checks. Debt collectors call you about debts that arent yours. You find unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report. Medical providers bill you for services you didnt use. Your health plan rejects your legitimate medical claim because the records show youve reached your benefits limit. A health plan wont cover you because your medical records show a condition you dont have. The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name, or that you have income from an employer you dont work for. Dixon suggests creating an account at the Social Security Administration website before anyone else does. Important if youve already placed a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit reports, you wont be able to do this online and youll have to either remove the freeze or go into your local Social Security office, according to the SSA. This way, you can at least check your Social Security earnings to see if anything looks off. Youll need to have some information on hand, as the site will ask you about specific accounts you have open to verify your identity, and if you provide a wrong answer, youll be locked out for 2. Also, the FTC suggests filing your taxes as early as you can before a potential scammer can. Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job, they explain. Respond right away to letters from the IRS. If you suspect someone is using your identity to open lines of credit, apply for jobs, or other activities, youll want to file an Identity Theft Affidavit and create an Identity Theft Report with the FTC. You can file this online or by phone or mail 1 8. ID THEFT 8. 77 4. TDD toll free 1 8. Pennsylvania Ave., Washington DC 2. Cheap International Cell Phone Data Service For Travelers Expert Vagabond. Cheap International Cell Phone Service. Travel Tips. How do I use my phone while traveling overseas There are a few options for travelers to keep in touch on the road with international cell phone service and data plans. Ive had a lot of questions about how to use a cell phone when youre traveling. So I thought Id talk about the different ways you can use your phone to stay connected anywhere in the world. Its easier than you think Why would I even want a working mobile phone while traveling First of all, Im not on vacation. I run this blog as a small business. Local tour operators, clients, and public relations people need the ability to contact me. Staying active on social media is a major part of my business model too. While Id love to tell you that wifi is fast and cheap everywhere, thats just not the case. A working cell phone allows me to call locals for meetups, get directions, or ask for recommendations. I can call a guesthouse to inquire if they have availability for the night. I can check on bus schedules, pull up Google Maps if Im lost, get help in an emergency, and much more. International Roaming. If you have a cell phone plan with a major carrier in the US, you can usually continue to use your phone while traveling overseas. Keeping the same phone number and everything. While this is extremely convenient, it can be ASTRONOMICALLY expensive. These companies Verizon, AT T charge ridiculously high fees for international roaming, and you can easily return home to a phone bill that costs more than your whole vacation did But if youre traveling overseas for a short period of time, and dont plan on using your phone much, it might be the best option. Just make sure to keep the phone in airplane mode when not in use, otherwise, you can rack up big fees without knowing it. Its wise to call your provider to make sure the phone will even work at your planned destination, and confirm how much their international plans cost if not included in your regular service. Is Your Smartphone UnlockedIf you are from the United States, your smartphone might be locked to AT T, Sprint, or Verizon preventing you from using other service providers. This can limit your options for using cheap international cell phone data service overseas. One option is to buy a separate cheap unlocked international phone to use specifically when youre traveling. Another option is to call AT T or Verizon and ask them what steps you need to take to unlock your phone, which may require paying a fee. Once your phone is unlocked, you can use sim cards data plans from other companies when youre traveling. International Cell Phone Service. A whole new industry has sprung up around using your cell phone overseas, due to the high rates many mobile carriers like AT T or Verizon charge for international roaming while traveling. You can now purchase global or international sim cards that allow you to use your cell phone at reduced rates around the world. You can also rent mobile wifi hotspots that work overseas. Some examples of this include Know. Roaming. One. Sim. TEP Wireless. Basically, these services have special agreements with cell service providers around the world, charging you an inflated fee to use them. These options are for people who dont want to mess with buying a separate local sim card in each country they travel to. Global sim cards or mobile hotspot rentals are best for travelers who are visiting a country for a short period of time. For example, GAP year students. Business travelers. People on a week long vacation. Theres a problem though. These services can be unreliable and expensive. Renting a mobile hotspot can cost 7 1. Data speeds are often throttled after a certain amount has been used, or coverage is sparse. In my experience, global sim cards and international wifi hotspots generally arent worth the cost unless youre a serious business traveler with cash to burn. T Mobile International. If youre a T Mobile customer, they offer something called T Mobile ONE Plus International. Basically they give you free international data roaming in over 1. But theres a catch. Data speeds are slow, about 2. G. Thats just enough for checking email, Facebook, and some basic web browsing. You can also make voice calls when you travel, but those calls will cost 0. One bonus is that if you travel to Mexico or Canada, youll get the same unlimited data calling service as you do in the United States. The Plus International plan also includes free Go. Go in flight Wi. Fi on airplanes Conveniently Recharge a Local SIM at Convenience Stores. Local SIM Cards. If your phone is already unlocked which means youre able to use SIM cards from different cell companies, then its possible to buy a local SIM card when you arrive at your destination and use a local pre paid cell phone plan. This is by far the cheapest option out there, especially for longer term travel. It usually costs 2 1. SIM card which you can then fill with talk time or data on demand. Depending on the country, service can be extremely cheap. Usually 4gb of data costs about 3. USD. Even if youre only traveling somewhere for a week, its still cheaper than renting a wifi hotspot for 1. Data speeds with a local smartphone plan are always very fast 4. G LTE where available. Before I buy a local SIM card, I try to research which company has the best coverage for the particular area Ill be traveling in. You can go online and ask other travelers whove been there recently or wait until you arrive and ask locals which provider they prefer. Often, you can buy these sim cardsservice at your destination airport, making the transition extremely smooth. Whats My Current Setup At the moment I travel with a factory unlocked i. Phone 7 I bought without a contract which means you have to pay full price for the phone, normally phones are subsidized by AT T or Verizon. When Im visiting the United States, I use a Net 1. Wireless prepaid SIM card that gives me unlimited talk text plus 4. GB of data for around 5. If Im going to be living in a foreign country for a few weeks or months, Ill pick up a local SIM card and buy a pre paid mobile phone plan, giving me a local phone number and fast internet access in country. EXAMPLES In Mexico I use Tel. Cel. The sim card costs about 1. I pay about 2. 5 a month for voice, text, and 3. GB of 4. G data. In Thailand I use True. Move. The sim card is free, and I pay about 3. GB of 4. G data. So cheap Every country will have their own local cell service providers. I generally like to go with the most popular one which is easy to find by simply asking locals once you arrive. If you run out of minutes or data, simply buy more at any convenience store or shopping center. Easy cheapWhy cant American cell companies be more like the rest of the world Traveling Somewhere Soon Dont forget travel insurance Im a big fan of World Nomads for short term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance here. READ NEXT My Complete Travel Gear Guide. How do you stay in touch on the road Have any questions about international cell service Drop me a message in the comments below Disclosure Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.
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