SafeBoomers.com operates in the New Orleans, LA, area (USA) and is available to chat whenever you can. Drop us a message!
Meet Our Founder
My name is Lea. After spending almost 20 years in the media and marketing industry, I returned to college for computer science education at the age of forty (40). Believe me, I am NO GENIUS! I just wanted to learn how to develop web sites. But, “back then” I had to attend all the technical classes, to get to the part I loved. And, wouldn’t you know, once I finished the program, the technology had changed! So, Google and YouTube tutorials were my buddy.
We all remember when Mark Zuckerberg started The Face Book to meet girls. Do you remember when Twitter first started? I really didn’t understand the concept of “Tweets” and the 100-character limitation. I mean, really, who can make an impact with only 100 characters? But, I have known a “Twit” or two! But, I realized that wasn’t the concept (originally) they wanted, so, I asked myself…”Self, who in Hollywood, the NBA, or at Zappo’s is going to give two flutten’ flips what I have to say?” So, I did not initially embrace this platform. Now that it is full of “twits,” it might be more interesting! However, to the complete and utter devastation of my children, I did join Facebook and was probably the only “adult” to join at this time. My, how times have progressed!
Let’s explain our mission
FAST-FORWARD…
So, I learned over time all this great technology that was connecting us all together, was also capturing and saving our data! I remember when hearing that Twitter’s repository of Tweets during the first year was being saved in the Smithsonian Institute! But, that is not the only place it is stored. EVERYTHING you enter into the digital realm is stored in a database, forever to be searched, filtered, and used. “By whom” you ask? Well, in some cases it is stored as “meta data” and usually only “shared” or sold in aggregate form by tech-related companies to ANYONE with a buck or twenty. We all actually give them our consent to store our data when we check the box that we have read their Privacy Policy (which most don’t). And, a Privacy Policy can change over time!
WHY THIS IS A BIG DEAL!
BAD actors, on the other hand, have a whole different Wild West attitude! In this case, YOU ARE FOR SALE, whether you agree to it, or NOT! Working in the financial and medical industry, I have seen how this practice has grown by orders of magnitude on a global scale! And, now, with more advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the bad guys have a lot more tools at their disposal to make our lives a living HELL!
OK, so let’s get to THE MISSION of SafeBoomers.com. Most of my friends and people who I have interacted with over the years, did not realize this was happening behind the scenes, and the kids (like mine) who grew up with this technology had a nonchalant attitude when they were young. Now, they just live in denial, knowing that it is too late to fix it!
A “COINCIDENCE”? So, let’s look at a few scenarios. After searching for new cars online, you seem to get bombarded by ads or messages for new cars. Coincidence? Or purposeful? Ok, but that’s not life threatening, right? Then, you share with your best friend that you are shopping for some cute, new shoes? Google, Facebook, and even YouTube may serve you ads from local and online shoe stores (whichever one pays the highest bid). So, Ok, honestly, I can accept that any day of the week! BUT, discussing a medical condition, buying a house, a challenging teenager, retirement financial decisions, or a private text message between you and your best friend, or spouse?….. WELL, THAT IS A BIG DEAL! We all grew up in a time when “Privacy Matters,” so, if you are like us, you don’t want your medical, personal or financial decisions sold to the highest bidder and used against us!
Now, there may be some who just do not care, and that’s ok (until they are hacked). However, for those of us who DO care, take a look at the Safety Tips and Guides to help you understand what is really going on behind the scenes. That way, we can all make better informed decisions on how to protect our personal details from getting into the wrong hands, and our children and grandchildren from being targeted by those bad actors with ill intentions.
MORTGAGE FRAUD
Let me give you an current TRUE example…
A sweet lady lost her husband of 45 years and wanted to downsize her big house into something that was more manageable. So, she sold the larger house and found a new, smaller home. Then, the big Closing day was approaching.
The Wednesday before she was scheduled to Close on her new home, she received an email from her mortgage lender that read “…in order for the closing to happen Monday, you need to send a cashier’s check of $75,000 TODAY!” to the address provided in this email. So, unknowingly, she went to the bank and tried to withdraw the money.
Thankfully, the teller was trained to spot “red flags” and together they called the mortgage lender only to learn this was Email fraud! The hackers “learned” through her emails that she was in the process of buying a house and duplicated the lender’s logo, address, and their email format, so the lady did not realize it was a fake email! Hackers are sneaky, little, blood-sucking vampires!
Unfortunately, there are THOUSANDS of stories like this (and worse) of normal people, living their normal lives, and are viciously taken advantage of by BAD GUYS. Don’t let this be you!
We can help Guide and Educate you.
>DON’T SHARE WHEN YOU ARE ON VACATION. Wait until you return!
>CHANGE YOUR COMPUTER SETTINGS for more private browsing!
>SAFELY STORE PASSWORDS and change them ALL every 90 days!
>TURN OFF YOUR BLUETOOTH SETTINGS to minimize exposure.
>TURN OFF YOUR LOCATION SETTINGS until you need them.
>DELETE STORED COOKIES after heavy browsing, or on a regular basis.
If you have questions or specific concerns, reach out! We are passionate about helping Boomers, just like us, survive the digital revolution intact. Please fill out the chat form on the contact us page of our site and we will get in touch as soon as possible, usually within a day!
We thank you for visiting and for caring. Please share our information with everyone you know!
And please know… We do not sell or share your information. Not now, not ever!