Half of all people in America report themselves as single. In 2015, 50% of the U.S. population consisted of single adults, which has increased from 48% in 2011.  This relationship status has created a boom in online dating sites. Tinder alone reported processing 1.6 billion swipes per day in 2018. 40% of Americans, both young and old now report using online dating services.

2018 was a year for some of the biggest data breaches of all time. The resulting identity theft, scams, phishing attacks, and ultimately fraud had a significant effect on consumers and businesses.

Thankfully there are organizations like the FTC and Identity Theft Resource Center that keep statistics on these events and the impact they have.  The statistics they gather and report allow us to see clearly how large the impact of these events really are.

According to a study by Merrill Lynch, 79% of parents continue to provide some form of financial support for their adult children 18 to 34 years old.  Not only are they paying for the traditional expenses of weddings and college tuition, but they are also paying their adult children's everyday living expenses,  such as rent, groceries, and cell phone bills. The U.S. Census Bureau reported 34.1 percent of people 18 to 34 still live at home with their parents.  And approximately 25% of those still living with their parents neither attend school or work.

On Friday, November 30, 2018, Marriott announced its Starwood guest reservation database was breached.  The database contains the personal information on over 500 million guests who made reservations at Starwood properties. Starwood properties include the posh W hotels, Sheraton, and Westin Hotels & Resorts.

The holiday online shopping season is upon us.  Cybercriminals are upping their game in anticipation of the opportunities the rampant online shopping will provide.  Often the cybercriminals will be sending you phishing emails.