You already know to watch out for IRS scams—but do you know how to lock down your Social Security number before someone uses it? In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Clouded Coffee on 7th St. in St. Paul, MN, sipping a bright caramel salty dog latte, to unpack a quiet but powerful identity protection tool most people have never heard of: E-Verify Self Lock.

The connection between tax season scams and this free SSN protection tool is closer than you think. Scammers don't need to break in—they just need you to move too fast. Jen walks through exactly how that gap gets exploited, and what a simple 10-minute setup can do to close it.

Key Topics Covered:

• What E-Verify Self Lock is and how it works
• Why your Social Security number is the #1 target in identity theft
• How urgency and polished design are weaponized to earn digital trust
• The difference between trust in the physical world vs. the digital world
• Step-by-step: how to set up SSN protection directly and safely

Trust builds slowly in real life—but online, it shows up instantly. A clean graphic, a confident voice, a sense of urgency. Scammers know this. Now you do too.

☕ Featured Coffee Shop: Claddagh Coffee, 7th St., St. Paul, MN

🥤 Jen's Order: Caramel Salty Dog Latte

Ten minutes is all it takes. Subscribe for weekly cybersecurity tips delivered from coffee shops across the country—and share this with someone who thinks identity theft won't happen to them.

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