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Our promise
Sources & last-checked dates
Every fact in this guide traces to an official, authoritative source — and we re-check them regularly, posting any updates here with dates.
How we check our facts
Every figure and recommendation in *Not Born Yesterday* comes from a government agency, a recognized standards body, or a respected security source — never from a company paying to be included. We re-verify them on a regular schedule and update the date below when we do.
The main sources we rely on
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) — fraud-loss figures and the Elder Fraud Report.
- FBI — public guidance on AI voice-cloning and family "safe words."
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — scam and payment guidance, reporting channels, and the free credit freeze.
- Microsoft — research on how two-factor blocks automated account attacks.
- NIST — current password guidance (length and passphrases over forced complexity).
- IRS, Social Security Administration, and Medicare — how these agencies really contact you.
- U.S. SEC / Investor.gov — checking whether a broker or adviser is registered.
- CISA — consumer guidance on updates, home networks, and backups.
- Have I Been Pwned — the free data-breach lookup.
When we last checked
All sources on this page were last verified June 2026. If something important changes — a menu moves, a phone number changes, a new scam appears — we note it here and on the affected how-to page.