California’s New Consumer Privacy Act: Know Your Rights

The majority of Americans are growing more concerned about how companies and the government collect and use their personal information, according to a recent survey by Pew Research Center. Eight in 10 consumers believe that the potential risks of data collection overshadow any potential benefits.

This sentiment is not surprising, given the data breaches that have occurred over the last few years. To increase individuals’ privacy rights, legislators passed the California Consumer Privacy Act bill (CCPA) in 2018. The law became effective Jan. 1, although enforcement begins July 1, 2020. This will give companies adequate time to comply with CCPA requirements. It’s likely that other states will follow California’s lead with their own privacy laws in the near future. Continue reading

Don’t Fall for These Social Security Scams

As fraudsters become more sophisticated, they find more ways to separate consumers from their hard-earned cash. One of the ways they’re making inroads is via a caller ID “spoofing” scheme pretending to be a representative from the Social Security Administration. Other scams use email or snail mail. There are variations of all these tricks, but the goal is the same – to steal your money, identity or both.  Here are just a few to guard against.

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