PSA | Getting Robbed (!!!) & Safe Online Shopping

Rewind to about two weeks ago. I am sitting on my laptop while watching the Bachelor (p.s. is any one else heartbroken that Amanda went home?! She was my fave!!) when I get an email from my bank asking if I could verify a purchase of $500 to Victoria Secret.

Umm… HUH?! I clicked no, & immediately went to my wallet to see where I could have possibly left my card. Weirdest thing ever- it was right where it was supposed to be. Little did I know, thieves have gotten quite tech-savvy & supposedly can get your card information just by standing next to you.

I called the bank the next day only to find out they must have put my swipe strip on a different card because they were shopping in the store.

SO CREEPY, so annoying, & so incredibly invasive.

Oddly, I got really sad/angry. Getting robbed like that just felt like such an invasion of privacy & I felt violated. It’s not a good feeling knowing that there are people out there in the world who would actually go to such extremes to steal from another person. I mean, how badly did that person need new underwear?!

So, after going through the nightmare that is replacing it (2 weeks w/o my credit card!) & changing your cards everywhere online, I got paranoid.

I decided that I needed to do more to protect myself from this type of theft, especially since I do 99% of my shopping online. I always knew how much information I was putting out on the web, but I guess I never really thought it could happen to me. Clearly, it could & it did. Maybe not online, but still, I had to take more precautions.

Enter, The Sudo App (& a total PSA to help keep you guys fully protected!).

Okay, so the harsh truth is, our personal data is actually being gathered & then sold off to the highest bidder. No need to ask us if it’s okay, it’s a big business that will go on whether you like it or not. Scary, right? I think so…

What Sudo does is completely protect & hide you from these rude data stealers. It provides you with private personas including a fake email (no junk filling your inbox), alternate credit cards, a working phone, & my personal favorite- a secure browser.

It’s second nature to hop on Safari on your phone to buy those rad new shoes your fave blogger was rocking, but with Sudo you can do all your shopping through their fully protected browser that doesn’t track your behavior or collect personal data.

PRAISE.

I have a very strict Sunday ritual which typically involves sleeping in later than usual, eating breakfast in bed (seriously, I have a thing with this on Sunday’s), watching Lifetime movies (so shoot me, it’s my guilty pleasure), & doing a little online shopping.

All rules go out the window on Sunday’s.

I work nonstop during the week, so this is literally my only day to scope the new arrivals on my favorite shopping sites (H&M, TopShop, Zara, Nasty Gal, & Forever 21… to name a few). Sunday is MY day, & if I want to spend the start of it shopping, so be it.

Now, I have switched from my computer to strictly phone shopping. It’s quick, easy, & with the help of Sudo, I know I am shopping safe.

Don’t dilly dally on this one & download the app ASAP, trust me, you don’t want to be “too little, too late” when it comes to identity theft/credit card theft/etc. x, E

** update: I literally JUST lost my entire wallet, so this post just got way more serious!! Cheers to Sudo for helping me protect my identity, because someone possibly has their hands on my ID & checkbook. Ughhh!! **

& in case you’re wondering what I ended up buying this past Sunday (all black, per usual…)::

1. Lace-Up Jeans: obsessed w/ these ankle details, actually- any denim with fun details is my thing right now.

2. Cold Shoulder T-Shirt Dress: having a major moment with t-shirt dresses for Spring!

3. Strappy Body Suit: 100% wearing this with some vintage high waisted Levi’s & a flannel tied around the waist.

4. Satin Maxi Skirt: I am in love with all things silky, & this maxi skirt would pair perfect with a loose black tank, tucked in.

5. Jazz Pants: you can never have too many black trousers w/ the perfect flair!

6. Peep-Toe Booties: the perfect boot to transition from Fall to Spring & would look rad with the above lace-up skinny jeans.

[ photos by: Arielle Levy ]