What Cybercriminals Don’t Want You to Know

Thieves are working extra hard this tax season to steal your information and gain access to your money. These cybercriminals use email and phone scams to trick taxpayers into revealing valuable information.

In a tax tip article, “Don’t take the bait”, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says, “The most common way for cybercriminals to steal money, bank account information, passwords, credit cards, and Social Security numbers is to simply ask for them.”

The scams seek to fool people into sharing sensitive information under the guise of being a legitimate company, such as a bank, tax service, or even the IRS. They often involve counterfeit email addresses and phone numbers, copycat webpages, or corrupt hyperlinks that contain viruses.

Protect yourself by reading emails carefully:

• Do not open attachments or click on links unless you are able to verify the sender.
• Check email addresses for spelling and accuracy. If possible, use a reliable search engine and go to the source’s main web page to verify contact information.
• Use security software. Some anti-virus software can detect suspicious websites, malware, and viruses found in phishing emails.

Take your time and don’t let aggressive or urgent-sounding emails rattle you. Cybercriminals may use threatening language or pressing deadlines to make their messages seem more authentic. This is just a tactic to push you into making a careless mistake.

The IRS does not contact taxpayers with aggressive threats of lawsuits or arrests. Their tax tip article also says, “Remember that no legitimate business or organization will ask for sensitive financial information by email.”

Keep your personal information safe:

• Never give out personal information unless you are sure about who you are talking to. If you are unsure, investigate further by contacting the IRS.
• Use strong passwords or passphrases for emails and sites containing your personal information.
• Give personal information over encrypted websites only, and only if required.
• Look for sites that have “HTTPS” at the beginning of the URL and a lock symbol that you can click on to get more information.
• Use multi-factor authentication if it is available. Typically, this requires your name, password, and a separate security code that is sent to your mobile phone to log in.

You already protect things like your family, home, car, and pets. Maybe you even own a business and have cyber insurance coverage, because you know about the many risks posed by cybercriminals.

Now is the time to protect your data, so you don’t become the next victim of phishing or identity theft. Stay aware of how you share your information, especially while filing your taxes, and don’t be afraid to investigate who you are dealing with.

Protect your tax information like you would your money:

• Keep tax returns locked in a safe place, or encrypted if they are electronically stored.
• Shred tax documents before throwing them away.
• Report phishing scams to the IRS by forwarding suspicious emails to phishing@irs.gov.

Cybercriminals are good at gaining trust and don’t want you to protect your data. But with a few simple precautions, you can safeguard your personal information and your money. For more information about phishing attacks and how to stay safe, visit https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dont-take-the-bait-heres-how-taxpayers-can-avoid-getting-caught-by-a-phishing-scam

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles will soon change how it handles late vehicle inspection stickers.

The change means that beginning November 1, 2022, vehicles that pass inspection will get a new sticker with the month the last sticker expired, according to the RMV. The sticker will be valid for one year.

Prior to the change, vehicles would get a sticker for the current month when their most recent inspection took place.

The change, officials said, will ensure that vehicles are inspected on time each year while maintaining emission standards.

“Safety of the Commonwealth’s roadways is the most important reason for motor vehicle inspections. Vehicle inspections check tire treads, ensure all light signals are working and even check the front ball joints,” said Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie. “Light-duty cars and trucks are equipped with emission control systems that reduce pollution to protect public health and the environment. It is important that these systems are tested annually to ensure proper emissions controls.”

It is state law that all vehicles are inspected annually. Owners who operate a vehicle with an expired sticker or who drive an uninspected vehicle can be fined and have their license suspended. These types of violations can lead to increases in auto insurance premiums.

Another change announced by the RMV will be that owners will no longer receive a printed inspection report when their vehicle passes inspection. This change, beginning October 1, 2022, is in an effort to reduce paper waste.  If an owner wants a printed report, they will be able to access one online by going to Mass Vehicle Check or by scanning the QR code they see displayed at the inspection station they go to.

Do you need to get your vehicle inspected? Make sure you do so on time at one of 1,800 licensed stations in Massachusetts. If you need car insurance in Massachusetts, you can get a fast, free car insurance quote in Massachusetts today to see if you could save money while getting outstanding coverage!

Please Note: This content is not intended to describe any specific coverage offered by MAPFRE Insurance. No coverage is provided, bound or guaranteed by this article. Available coverages, credits and discounts vary from state to state and are subject to eligibility criteria and policy terms/conditions, which will control in the event of conflict between this article and your insurance policy. For information about your policy, please review your individual policy contract and speak with your insurance representative.

MAPFRE Insurance® is a brand and service mark of MAPFRE U.S.A. Corp. and its affiliates, including American Commerce Insurance Company^SM (Cal. COA 4928-8), Citation Insurance Company^SM, The Commerce Insurance Company^SM, Commerce West Insurance Company^SM (Cal. COA 1372-2), MAPFRE Insurance Company^SM (Cal. COA 3039-5), and MAPFRE Insurance Company of Florida^SM.

Trouble happens. You left your lights on and now you’re stuck with a dead car battery. While learning how to jump start a car can be easy, there are risks in it if done so incorrectly. As your insurance agent, we care about your safety so we put together the following guide on how to properly get you and your car charged and back on the road.

What do you need to jump start a car?

Before you can recharge and get going, you need a few basics: jumper cables and a power source – either a portable jump battery (a jump box) or another vehicle.

Jumper cables are long, thickly insulated cables with toothy clips on one or both ends. These clips are called alligator clips. The clips are distinguished by color, usually red and black, to indicate positive and negative polarity. The red clip is positive. The black clip is negative. 

Jump boxes are portable batteries used to jump start a vehicle without connecting to another vehicle and come with special jump cables. These cables connect the jump battery directly to the dead car battery. Road side assistance usually uses a jump box when helping stalled vehicles. 

What do you need to know about car batteries to jump start a car?

Car batteries have two larger nubs, called terminals. There is a positive terminal and a negative terminal. Each should be clearly marked. Connecting cables to the right terminal is important to completing the circuit and gives power to the dead battery. 

• Positive terminal – The positive terminal is usually the bigger of the two terminals. It is marked with “POS” or “+”. It will connect to the positive clip on the jumper cable, which is usually red. 
• Negative terminal – The negative terminal on the battery is usually marked with “NEG” or “-“. This will attach to the other clip, which is usually black. 

CAUTIONS WHEN JUMP STARTING A CAR: 

• READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL. Some cars are not recommended for jump starting because they have sensitive circuitry
• DO NOT JUMP corroded, cracked, leaking, or visibly damaged batteries
• DO NOT JUMP frozen batteries
• DO NOT JUMP dry batteries
• DO NOT TOUCH CLIPS together. This is true when connected, but get in the habit by never touching the clips together.

Protect the donor battery

A quick test that there is enough voltage for the donor, be sure that the car giving the jump start headlights are steady and bright when the car is started. If the headlights dim, that can signal that the battery is low.

How do you use jumper cables to jump start a car from another vehicle?

1. CHECK BATTERIES: Make sure that the battery giving the jump has enough voltage and is a matching voltage system type (12V, 6V, etc.) 
2. READY CARS: Put both cars in park or neutral, turn the ignitions off, and put on the parking brake.
3. OPEN THE HOOD of each car. 
4. ATTACH ALLIGATOR CLIPS to the terminals in the following order: 
   • Red to Dead – Connect red, or positive, clip to the positive terminal on the battery of the dead car. 
   • Red to Donor – Connect the red, positive, clip to the positive terminal on the donor battery on the other car. 
   • Black to Donor – Connect the black clip to the negative terminal of the donor car. 
   • Black to Metal – Connect the black clip to an unpainted metal part of the dead car that is not directly next to the battery. One of the metal struts that hold the hood open is a good place to clip the second black, or negative, clip. 
5. START THE DONOR CAR so that the battery can supply power to the dead battery. 
6. IDLE the donor car, allowing it to run for a few minutes. 
7. TEST the interior light of the car being jump started. If it goes on, there may be enough power.
8. START the dead car.

After the car is jump started: 

Unclip the clips in the reverse order you connected them:

1. The black clip on the unpainted metal
2. The black clip from the negative terminal
3. Red clip from the donor car 
4. Red clip from the dead car’s battery

If the jump works and your car starts, don’t shut off your engine! Drive around for at least 15 minutes to recharge your battery. If the car won’t start the next time you use it, the battery isn’t holding a charge and needs to be replaced.

Watch these steps for jump starting a car from Safe2Drive. 

At Lydon & Murphy Insurance Agency, your road safety is very important to us. Call us at 781.762.4280 or visit our website at https://www.lydonmurphyinsurance.com/ to discuss your auto insurance needs. We can provide coverage from many insurance carriers so you receive the insurance for your budget and needs!

Source: https://www.idrivesafely.com/defensive-driving/trending/how-jump-car-simple-steps-bring-your-car-battery-back-life and https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/car-repair/how-to-jump-start-a-car/

Strands of sparkling holiday lighting make your home feel merry and bright, especially on a gloomy December day. However, if installed incorrectly, they have the potential to damage your home or electrical system. Before you grab your ladder and boxes of lights, review our list of do’s and don’ts for hanging holiday lighting strands safely.

DO’s:

EXAMINE LIGHTS BEFORE HANGING – Return or throw away any holiday lighting sets with cracked or broken sockets, loose connections or frayed or bare wires. Replace burned-out bulbs promptly with bulbs of the same wattage. Hanging lights with damaged electrical wiring leads to a potentially flammable short.

USE VERIFIED LIGHTING AND APPROPRIATE OUTDOOR OUTLETS TO SUPPORT ELECTRICAL WIRING – Only use lights tested, rated, and approved by Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or Intertek (ETL Semko) for outside use. These safety ratings should be clearly marked, both on the packaging and with labels attached to the electrical cords. Plug in all outdoor electrical decorations into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). This safety outlet is designed to cut the power if electricity comes into contact with water, which is common outside.

CONSIDER USING LEDS OVER INCANDESCENT BULBS – LED lights are about 75 percent more efficient than conventional incandescent lights. This makes your electrical load more than seven times smaller. If you don’t have LED lights, consider the cooler-burning “mini” holiday lights instead of the traditional larger bulbs, which burn much hotter.

ASK FOR HELP – If installed incorrectly, holiday lighting can damage your home. Additionally, outdoor lights are often dangerous to install, especially if your roof has steep pitches or multiple levels. If you don’t feel comfortable, it is important to seek assistance. Find a friend to help you install your lights.

DON’Ts:

POWER TOO MANY LIGHTS WITH THE SAME OUTLET OR EXTENSION CORD – Each standard circuit breaker is able to handle about 15 amps of current. Light strings only draw a few milliamps individually. However, when you add too many strings together, it is easy to overdraw power. This has the potential to cause some serious damage to your electrical wiring. Plus, the more lights you connect end to end, the further the power must travel, leading to not-so-bright lights.

NEVER USE STAPLES, TACKS OR NAILS – THEY CAN DAMAGE YOUR ELECTRICAL WIRING – It’s fairly common for a string of holiday lights to have exposed electrical wiring in some areas. Unfortunately, if you use metal fasteners like staples, tacks, or nails, it creates a circuit and generates heat that could set your home on fire. Additionally, if metal components come in contact with a live string of holiday lighting and then the current touches the metal components of your home, such as your gutters or downspouts, it creates an electrocution hazard. Always use insulated holders or plastic roof clips designed especially for hanging outside lights

CONNECT LEDS AND INCANDESCENT LIGHTS TOGETHER – Because incandescent light strings require a larger power current than LEDs, connecting them together one after the other causes the power drawn by the incandescent lights to overload — and then fry — the LED strings. It’s better to keep holiday lighting strands completely separate, running each out of a different outlet to avoid frying your electrical wiring.

Every year 150 home fires start with holiday lights and other decorative lighting. And another 260 home fires begin with Christmas trees. Follow these do’s and don’ts to cut down on your chances of a home insurance claim. At Lydon & Murphy Insurance Agency, we want you to stay safe this holiday season. Call us at 781.762.4280 or visit our website at https://www.lydonmurphyinsurance.com/ to discuss your home insurance needs. We can provide coverage from many insurance carriers so you receive the insurance for your budget and needs! Source: https://apollohome.com/blog/christmas-light-safety/ and https://www.eversource.com/content/general/residential/safety/electric-safety/holiday-light-safety

We are located in Norwood, Massachusetts at:

520 Providence Highway  Norwood, MA 02062