Senior Cyber Safety Briefing – September 22, 2025

🚨 ALERT – Stellantis confirms third‑party breach exposing customer contact info
👉 Why it matters – Automakers hold more personal data than you might think. Even when financial or medical info isn’t exposed, contact info (emails, phone numbers) can be used to launch phishing and impersonation scams targeting you. 
📣 Call to Action – If you’re a customer of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, or any brand under Stellantis, watch your email and phone for any unusual messages. Don’t click links unless you’re sure who sent them. If in doubt, call using a number directly from the company’s official site.

📈 ECONOMY & SECURITY – FinWise/AFF breach from insider attack hits ~700,000
👉 Why it matters – A lot of people’s data (names, possibly more) may have been exposed via a former employee. Insider threats are scary because they often bypass outside defenses. Seniors are targets when data is reused or stolen. 
📣 Call to Action – Check whether you’re affected via any notice or state Attorney General’s office. Consider enrolling in credit monitoring or identity theft protection. Be especially careful with loan and finance offers if someone has your personal info.

🧠 MUST‑READ – Medicare scam surge with spoofed calls and AI voice cloning
👉 Why it matters – It’s that season again: open enrollment, plan changes. Scammers take advantage by spoofing official Medicare numbers, even cloning voices to sound like legit representatives—and they want your Medicare or Social Security numbers. One wrong move = big exposure. 
📣 Call to Action – Do not provide any personal info during unsolicited calls. If they claim to be Medicare, hang up and call back using a number from your official documentation or Medicare.gov. Report suspicious calls to the Senior Medicare Patrol or your state’s consumer protection agency.

🔥 PRIVACY & BIG TECH – New York Blood Center breach of nearly 200,000 people
👉 Why it matters – Names, Social Security numbers, bank account data, test results—these are serious. Medical data is sensitive. Once it's out, it can be used for identity theft, insurance fraud, or medical identity theft (someone getting treatment in your name) which is hard to untangle. 
📣 Call to Action – If you think you may be part of the exposed group, see if NYBCe has contacted you (or reach out to them). Sign up for credit monitoring, freeze or lock your credit if possible, and regularly check your health insurance / explanation of benefits for anything you didn’t request.

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✅ Quick Safety Tip of the Day
If you receive an unsolicited call about Medicare, Social Security, or insurance, hang up first—look up the official number and call back. Always verify before handing over personal details.

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(AI was used to create this article.)

🙋 Closing Note

Stay safe, stay secure, stay curious, and remember my friends—you’re never too old to outsmart a scammer👋