Things That Actually Scare Adults

 

Things that make adults scared

With Halloween just around the corner, parents are making plans to pull some lighthearted pranks on their children. From ghosts and zombies to ghouls and goblins, kids are scared of the typical scary things – the unknown and the monstrous.

Adults may not seem like they’re scared of much, but the truth is that we have more to fear than young kids. From losing a job to identity theft, adults face a lot of really frightening ordeals.

Thankfully, all of these problems can be dealt with if you’re aware of them and take active measures against them. Let’s take a look at some of the scariest things adults face and what you can do to protect yourself against them.

Fraud

Tons of different types of fraud exist, but one of the most common involves financial fraud. One scam that’s growing in popularity is what’s called a “Money Mule.”

A Money Mule is the name given to someone who fraudulently transfers stolen money to criminals. Scam posts on social media – such as people pretending to be your bank or financial institution – are the most common ways to lure people into this trap.

Identity Theft

Having your identity stolen puts your entire life at risk. From new lines of credit opened in your name to extravagant purchases you’re never aware of, an identity thief can quickly ruin your life.

Taxes

There’s no way to protect yourself against taxes, but they’re still scary. Getting your first big paycheck as an adult is a disheartening experience when you look at your net versus gross pay. You can, however, learn more about the tax system, write-offs, and other tax incentives to use in order to keep the most of the money you rightfully earned.

How do I Stay Safe?

This is the logical question anyone would ask in this situation – how can you protect yourself against all of these scary things?

Well, with fraud and identity theft it’s not as complicated as you may think. Fraud is easy to avoid getting into if you remember these simple rules:

  • Banks rarely, if ever, use private individuals to promote their products on social media. If a post promising huge returns on a small investment from your bank isn’t posted by your bank’s official page, ignore it. Better yet, report it.
  • Get some credit monitoring and identity theft protection. Credit monitoring is free at Capital One and most every other major banking institution. Identity theft protection isn’t an expensive investment, either.

Being an adult has a lot of perks, but it brings with it real-world fears. If you’re nervous about any of these, or other, issues, don’t get too worked up. It’s entirely possible to protect yourself from fraud and identity theft, and to make sure you’re paying the lowest legal amount of taxes possible.

For more information, contact your financial institution today.