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Page 18 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, SEpTEmbER 15, 2023 Say nr Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller How Seniors Can Protect H Si C P Themselves from Cybercrimes Dear Savvy Senior, I spend a lot of time online and love the convenience of paying bills, shopping, and keeping up with my grandkids on Facebook and Instagram. But a few months ago, my computer was infected with malware, and I just found out some cyber crook opened up a credit card using my identity and went on a shopping spree. Do you have some simple tips to help me stay safe while online? Paranoid Patty Dear Patty, Unfortunately, cybercrimes against seniors continue to be a big problem in the U.S. According to the FBI 2022 Elder Fraud Report, cybercrime cost Americans over age 60 more than $3 billion last year, a whopping 84 percent increase from 2021. While anyone can be subject to cybercrimes, seniors are frequent targets because they tend to be more trusting and have more money than their younger counterparts. But there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from online fraud, hacking and scams. Here are a few tips to get you started. Strengthen your passwords: A strong password should contain at least 12 characters and include numbers and a special character, like an exclamation point or asterisk. Be sure to change up your password across diff erent sites to ensure a hacker would not gain access to all accounts through one password. And keep a written list of all your passwords stored in a safe secure place. On your smartphone or tablet, be sure to set up a four or six-digit PIN to protect your device. Opt out of pop-ups: To protect yourself from computer viruses and other forms of malware, make it a habit to avoid any pop-up style message when you’re on the web. Sometimes hackers disguise their malware as pop-up advertisements or “special off ers” when you’re shopping or reading online. Clicking on these popups can lead to viruses or data breaches. If you encounter a suspicious pop-up message, don’t click on anything in the window. Simply leave the site or close out of your web browser. When in doubt, throw it out: Sometimes online hackers will send you an email or text message and pretend to be someone they’re not in order to convince you to share valuable information with them, such as your Social Security Number, address or credit card information. This is called phishing. If you receive a message from an unknown sender, do not respond or click on any links or attachments. Instead, either ignore the message or delete it. Share with care: There is such a thing as oversharing, and it defi nitely applies to online profiles. On social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, online hackers can easily gather information about you from what you post – like where you live. Ensure that your privacy settings are up to date so that only people who follow you or are your Facebook friend can see your posts. Verify websites: Before you shop or access your bank online, double check the validity of the website you’re using. Reputable sites use technologies such as SSL (Secure Socket Layer) that encrypt data during transmission. You will see a little padlock icon in your browser and usually “https” at the front of your address bar to confi rm it’s a secure connection. If you don’t see it in the web address that you’re on, you should not trust that website with your passwords, payment or banking information. Have some back-up: Practicing safe habits will protect you and your information, but you don’t have to rely on just yourself to stay safe. Anti-virus software works in the background to protect your computer from a variety of malware and helps to make it easier for you to avoid threats while surfi ng the web. For more information on how to safeguard your personal technology devices and information, visit Consumer.ftc. gov and search “Protect Your Personal Information and Data.” And to report fraud and identity theft go to ReportFraud.ftc. gov and IdentityTheft.gov. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. nior ior BEACON | FROM PAGE 17 for just one year. (A “Yes” vote is for maintaining the current 90/5/5 formula. A “No” vote is for the 60/20/20 formula.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico No ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL ATTORNEY GENERAL CERTIFIES POSSIBLE BALLOT QUESTIONS ELIGIBLE FOR THE 2024 BALLOT – Attorney General Andrea Campbell has determined that 34 out of the 38 possible 2024 ballot question that propose new laws have met the requirements outlined in the Massachusetts constitution and are authorized to proceed to the next step in the process to get their proposed law on the ballot in November 2024. Petitioners often file multiple versions of a question for review in hopes of getting at least one certifi ed by the attorney general’s offi ce. The actual number of subjects addressed is only 25. Proposals include ones to change the rights and benefi ts for on-demand drivers like Uber and Lyft; require voters to show an ID in order to vote; allow cities and towns the right to impose rent control, a practice which voters banned nearly 30 years ago on a 1994 ballot question; permit the auditor’s offi ce to audit the Legislature; remove the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam as a high school graduation requirement and instead require students to complete coursework certifi ed by the student’s district as demonstrating mastery of the competencies contained in the state academic standards in mathematics, science and technology and English; and exempt from the state’s 24-cents-per-gallon gas tax any sale of gas for drivers at any time when the retail price for regular gas in Massachusetts is $3 or more per gallon; Othere certified proposals include ones to provide tax credits and point-of sale rebates on the purchase of electric vehicles, conversion of gas powered vehicles to electric vehicles and purchase and installation of eligible home improvement systems including high effi ciency heat pumps, solar power systems and energy storage systems; permit eligible citizens to register to vote at a polling place on Election Day in person, at a local registrar’s offi ce before noon on the Friday before the election or by mail postmarked on or before the Friday before the election; increase over fi ve years the minimum wage for tipped workers to the same as the general minimum wage; legalize some psychedelic substances includingpsilocybin and psilocyn found in mushrooms; replace “Columbus Day” as a state holiday by establishing in its place a new holiday -- Indigenous Peoples Day; require that public school students in grades K-12 receive instruction in public health and epidemiology including the causes and origins of diseases and strategies aimed at preventing the spread of diseases, including vaccination and hygiene practices. The new educational standards would replace the current requirement that K-12 students receive instruction on the issues of nutrition and exercise. The next step is for supporters to gather 74,574 signatures and fi le them with local offi - cials by Nov. 22 and then with the secretary of state’s offi ce by Dec. 6. The proposal would then be sent to the Legislature and if not approved by the Legislature by May 1, 2024, proponents must gather another 12,429 signatures and fi le them with local offi cials by June 19, 2024, and then the secretary of state’s offi ce by July 3, 2024, in order for the question to appear on the November 2024 ballot. Proposed laws that were not certifi ed include creating a new voting system under which candidates on the ballot are ranked by voters in order of their preference. If no candidate receives a majority of fi rstchoice votes, the candidate that received the least number of fi rst-choice votes is eliminated. The second choice of the voters who supported the eliminated candidate now becomes their fi rst choice and is added to the totals of the remaining candidates. The same process is repeated, if necessary, until a candidate is the fi rst choice of a majority of voters. Other petitions that were not certifi ed include limiting BEACON | SEE PAGE 20 ~ Home of the Week ~ SAUGUS....Fabulous corner lot and close to schools. This home is meticulously kept. Perfect for a large or extended family. Featuring 10 Rooms 5 Bedrooms 3 Full baths, inground pool, newer roof (2014) and 1 car attached garage with door opener. Eat in Kitchen with cherry cabinets, walks out to huge 3 season porch with sliders out to the back yard. Open floor plan living room, dining room combo, with gleaming hardwood floors, and brick fireplace. Two bedrooms, an office and a full bath finishes on the first floor. 2nd floor consists of 3 large bedrooms, a full bath and plenty of storage. The LL has a finished family room, bathroom and a summer kitchen that walks out to the fenced back yard with pool, shed, patio and gazebo. Great for entertaining. A pleasure to show. You won’t be disappointed. Offered at $799,000. 335 Central Street, Saugus, MA 01906 (781) 233-7300 View the interior of this home right on your smartphone. View all our listings at: CarpenitoRealEstate.com

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