Scam of the day – December 15, 2024 – Senior Dating App Data Breach Affects 700,000 People

by | Dec 14, 2024 | Scam of the day

The 40+ dating website Senior Dating has shut down after recently suffering a data breach on November 23rd.  The compromised and stolen personal information of 765,517 of the apps users included biographies, birth dates, drinking habits, education levels, email addresses, gender, geographic occupations, profile photos relationship status, smoking habits and social media profiles and while this information is not directly likely to be used for purposes of identity theft and scams such as would be the case if Social Security numbers were compromised, this information is very valuable to a scammer or identity thief who can use this to create convincing spear phishing emails, text messages and phone calls that can lure the targeted victims into clicking on malware infected links, make payments or provide information that would lead to identity theft.

TIPS

Victims of this data breach should  freeze their credit if they have not already done so.  Freezing your credit is actually something everyone should do.  It is free and easy to do.  In addition, it protects you from someone using your identity to obtain loans or make large purchases even if they have your Social Security number.  If you have not already done so, put a credit freeze on your credit reports at all of the major credit reporting agencies.  Here are links to each of them with instructions about how to get a credit freeze:

Everyone also should monitor their credit reports regularly for indications of identity theft.  The three major credit reporting agencies now provide free weekly access to your credit reports so you can monitor your credit reports easily on your own.  Here is the only link to use to get your free credit reports.https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action
Some scammers have websites that appear to offer “free” credit reports, but if you read the fine print, you often may find that you have signed up for unnecessary services.
Finally, be wary of anyone who calls you purporting to help you in regard to the data breach who  asks for personal information in regard to this data breach as that is a favorite tactic of hackers to lure you into providing additional personal information that can lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft.  Also, as always, never click on a link or download an attachment to an email or text message unless you have absolutely confirmed that it is legitimate and don’t provide personal information in response to an email, text message or phone call unless you have absolutely confirmed that the communication was legitimate.

If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is sign up for free using this link. https://scamicide.com/scam-of-the-day/