A New Jersey family is living a nightmare

January 9, 2025

It started back in September. Dan in Bridgewater, New Jersey, had his bank account hacked. Their first step was to withdraw money and apply for a loan. In October, he got a letter from TD Bank notifying him of an address change on his account.

Dan told CBS News hackers are now in all his financial accounts, took over his email and Amazon accounts, and have taken complete control of his cellphone and even his landline. It’s a safe bet the hackers are in other facets of his life, including stealing his medical ID and selling off access to his insurance.

It’s really not that hard for someone with the right know-how to find these login credentials. Often, your passwords are part of data sets hackers will give anyone for free. Others cost only a few bucks on the Dark Web. For as little as $30, someone can buy enough details to do this to you, too.

Imagine that for a second. What started out as a strange bank charge has become a full-blown disaster.

Whoever hacked Dan has applied for 18 credit cards, tanking his credit score. He gets texts saying, “[A]m watching you,” and, even with the police and FTC involved, there’s been no progress in solving the case.

It can happen to anyone

Unfortunately, Dan’s story isn’t unique. It’s just an example of how quickly one hack can spiral into a full-blown identity theft attack. These are all folks I’ve talked to recently on my national radio show:

Peter called me after his 85-year-old mom lost her life savings — $1.4 million. Scammers convinced her they were bank officials and federal agents.
Debby, an Air Force vet and successful banker, was conned out of $1 million by a man pretending he loved her.
Rick got a message on WhatsApp from a woman who eventually convinced him to start investing in a fake crypto scheme. That was tens of thousands of dollars he’ll never see again.

‘OK, Kim. What do I do?’

The good news: Cybersecurity basics I’ve been telling you about for years still work. I’ll get to those. The bad news: Most of us don’t have the time and energy to take every step we know we should. Here’s what I do that you should consider, too.

Strong passwords matter: I’m a broken record, but you need a strong, unique password for every account. A password manager can handle this for you, generating and securely storing them so you don’t have to. It’s the most important step here, so more on that below.
Add extra security: Two-factor or multifactor authentication (MFA) adds enough friction to stop lazy hackers and might alert you if the good ones are going after you. Turn it on for any financial account, your email account and your cellphone provider. Make sure you put a PIN on your cell account to prevent SIM swapping.
Set up alerts: Turn on notifications for your bank and credit accounts so you know instantly if there are big charges or withdrawals. Train yourself not to ignore these. It could save your butt.
Freeze your credit: I did this proactively, and I recommend you do, too. Steps here for all four (yes, four) credit agencies.
Once a month doesn’t cut it: Set a calendar reminder if you have to and scan your accounts once a week. Catching suspicious activity early can save you a lot of trouble.

A few simple habits can make a world of difference in keeping your personal information safe. So do the right tools.

Passwords are a pain – Lock yours down and never worry again

I’ve tried everything to keep my logins secure: Writing them down in a notebook (what if it gets stolen?), relying on my memory (that only works for so long) and saving them in my browser (not great if someone gets access to your computer).

The only thing that really works? A password manager that keeps everything secure, organized and accessible without the hassle. I use NordPass to do all the heavy lifting.

1. Save passwords with a click

The moment you log into a new website or create an account, NordPass steps in and asks, “Want me to remember that for you?” With one click, it saves your login credentials securely. The next time you visit that site, NordPass will autofill your info and log you in automatically.

It can do the same with your credit card and personal info, filling in annoying forms for you. You can store confidential notes like Wi‑Fi passwords or alarm codes, too.

2. Easy setup

NordPass helps you import all your passwords — no manual entry needed. You’ll have everything neatly organized in one secure place. It feels so good!

3. Access anywhere, anytime, any device

NordPass works on practically every platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. It syncs seamlessly across all your devices. Add the browser extension for easy autofill and autosave in Chrome, Safari, Brave or whatever else you use.

4. Spot weak links

NordPass’ Password Health tool analyzes your vault to identify weak, old or reused passwords. With the built-in Password Generator, you can create complex, unique passwords every time.

5. Add extra layers of protection

From biometric login to multifactor authentication, NordPass goes beyond basic password management. Everything is encrypted with XChaCha20, a cutting-edge algorithm that ensures no one, not even NordPass, can see your data.

Need to share a password with a family member or coworker? NordPass lets you do it safely through encrypted channels. You can set up emergency access so your loved ones can step in if something unexpected happens.

Your security, simplified

NordPass isn’t just about managing passwords; it’s about taking the stress out of online security. So many of you have asked me for help here that I went on a mission to negotiate the best possible deal for you.

👉 I did it! You get everything above and more for $1.43 a month.

✅ Right now, hit this link and get 52% off NordPass, plus an extra month free.

Tags: cybersecurity, security