It seemed like a very simple request from a local brand I know and trust.

According to the email, a credit card on file for the business would expire soon. The message asked me to update the card so I could continue to support them.

I know the business owner. And the email appeared to come from Stripe, the online payment processor.

I clicked through, then stopped. What in the world was I doing?

At this time of year, it is easy to get caught up in checking things off a list. We sprint from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day like we’re being chased by candy cane wielding “Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons.”

So I paused, and I opened my password manager.

Another Reason Why You Need This Tool

Why did I open my password manager in the midst of this potential scam?

Password managers are good for storing a lot more than usernames and passwords. Anything you both want encrypted and accessible fast—all your parent’s logins, your passport, your drivers license number—can be saved there.

I have all my debit and credit cards stored in Bitwarden.

Three reasons.

Anytime I want to buy anything online, I have all the details ready.

If my wallet is ever stolen, I’d have all the information at hand for cancelling cards and ordering new ones.

And, if I ever get a suspicious email, like the one from the local business, I have the necessary information at my fingertips to prove or debunk the request.

Verification then Off-channel Check

Once I caught myself and realized I had a tool at hand to check if the email might be legitimate, I opened Bitwarden, and scanned the last four digits of my payment cards.

It took me 10 seconds to verify that none of them matched the digits in the email.

Whew.

Relieved, I also reached out to the business, but I did not click the email address in the potential scam message.

Instead, I opened the business’s website, navigated to their team page, and copied a person’s address. I sent them a note and heard back quickly. The person confirmed my account was in good standing, and asked to see the mysterious email. I forwarded it then sat back, relieved.

How To Protect Yourself Now

If I had clicked that link and entered my information, then what? Who would have my info? Somebody on the dark web? And what about my credit history? Years of diligence ruined because I didn’t heed my own advice from this prior post.

You can do the same thing with your password manager. Take a few minutes today to enter your credit cards. You’ll save time with every future online purchase and help strengthen yourself against possible scams.

If you don’t use a password manager now, I recommend you use Bitwarden. Almost every feature is free to use, and it works well across all devices. Download it today, then use my explainer to get going.

If that feels overwhelming, book me to help you get started. You’ll get one-on-one assistance followed by four weeks of follow-up help to make sure you build the muscles and use the skills to protect yourself and your online information.

Right now, I have three packages remaining at an introductory, beta price to help you give yourself and your loved ones the gift of online security and peace of mind. Reach out today. I’d love to help you.