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Ellie Farrier

Staff Editor

Ellie Farrier is a staff writer and editor at Gen, who specializes in topics related to how technology and society overlap, especially ways to protect your personal data online. Previously, she worked as a technical writer, diving into product troubleshooting, how-to guides, and tech usability. When she’s not at her desk, Ellie usually reads, watches horror movies, or hikes with her dog.

She earned a BA from the University of Iowa and an MA from Charles University in Prague, with a specialization in modern applications of historical media and technology theory. Additionally, she holds certificates in Introduction to Cyber Attacks, Cyber Attack Countermeasures, and AI for Everyone from Coursera. In 2019, she gave a talk at the Write the Docs conference, entitled Wild Geeks: Poetry in the Digital Age.

Areas of interest and expertise

Identity Theft Scams & Fraud Credit & Finance Internet Security

Latest articles by Ellie Farrier

A woman on the phone seeing if her bank will refund scammed money.

Do banks refund scammed money? How to recover your funds

A paper form containing data fields for personally identifiable information (PII).

Personally identifiable information: What is PII and why does it matter?

A man checking for a credit card skimmer while using an ATM.

What is credit card skimming and how can you avoid it?

An image of a person receiving a text message that’s likely a UPS scam.

UPS text scams: 3 examples and how they work

Light reflects off the face of a man wearing a black shirt.

How to check if someone is using my identity: 7 places to look

Someone writing a new check to be sent in the mail, hoping they don’t become a victim of check washing.

What is check washing, how it works, and how to protect yourself

Someone packing for a trip, wondering if the hotel they booked on booking.com is legit.

Is Booking.com legitimate, safe, and reliable?

A smiling person interacts with their phone safely, avoiding WhatsApp scams.

15 WhatsApp scams happening right now and how to avoid them

A still from the "Generation Money" podcast, where they discuss both factual and fictional identity theft stories and offer tips to protect yourself.

Fraud or fiction? Identity theft stories and tips to protect yourself

Person taking a check out of an envelope.

Check fraud: How it works and tips to protect yourself

A snow-covered credit card symbolizing a credit freeze.

How to freeze your credit at all three credit bureaus

An image of a cybercriminal trying to gain access to a phone using credential stuffing.

Credential stuffing: How it works + prevention tips

Image of a woman disputing a credit card charge.

How to dispute a credit card charge in 4 steps

An image of a woman reviewing her credit card statement on her phone.

When to pay your credit card to protect your score

Image of a man reviewing his credit report on his laptop and seeing an unauthorized hard inquiry.

How to remove hard inquiries: 4 simple steps

A person looking at how many credit cards they have in their wallet.

How many credit cards should you have?

Articles reviewed by Ellie Farrier

A man sits on a taupe sofa checking his phone for signs of hacking.

Is my phone hacked? 11 ways to tell

A man contacting the relevant authorities after losing his Social Security card.

What happens if you lose your Social Security card ?

Woman stopping another of the unknown scam call numbers on her cell phone.

Scam call numbers to block in 2026

Person using a smartphone to photograph a paper check.

What can someone do with your bank account number?

A woman holding a credit card and analyzing her credit mix on a desktop computer.

Credit mix: What is it, why it matters, and how to improve it

Someone reviewing their tax documents after experiencing identity theft.

What is tax identity theft and how does it occur?

Image of someone working on a handmade item, possibly concerned with Etsy scams.

8 Etsy scams to watch for and tips for safer shopping

A person checks their Social Security number before they leave the house.

How to check if someone is using your Social Security number

A woman takes a picture for Snapchat, safely sending it to her friends.

13 Snapchat scams: How to spot and avoid them fast

An Image of a man reading a Geek Squad scam email on his laptop.

3 Geek Squad scams and how to recognize them

A woman reviewing the steps to take following the exposure of her SSN.

What to do if someone has your Social Security number

A fishing hook picking up a key off a keyboard, symbolizing a phishing attack.

What happens if you click on a phishing link?

If you notice suspicious activity on your credit card, you may want to place a fraud alert on your credit.

How to place a fraud alert on your credit report in 3 steps

A woman looking at a sheet of paper while checking if her credit score has updated on her smartphone.

How often do credit scores update?

Freelancer viewing Fiverr’s website on their laptop.

Is Fiverr legit? A safety guide for buyers and sellers

Two senior citizens sitting on a bench checking their identity theft protection service on a tablet.

The best identity theft protection for seniors

Oliver Buxton

Staff Editor

Crissy Joshua

Staff Editor

Jeremy Coppock

Staff Editor

Mark Birchall

Staff Editor

Ian Bednowitz

General Manager, LifeLock

Benjamin Gorman

Contributing cybersecurity writer

Anthony Freda

Contributing Writer

Danielle Bodnar

Contributing Writer

Anna Wratislav

Contributing Writer

Deepan Ghimiray

Contributing Writer

Brenna Cleary

Staff Social Media Marketing Manager

Michelle Robins

Contributing editor

Clare Stouffer

Staff Social Media Marketing Manager

Domenic Molinaro

Contributing Writer

Emily Nemchick

Contributing Writer

Emily Lockwood

Staff Content Marketing Manager

Olga Drnek

Contributing Writer

Shashwat Pradhan

Director of Product Management, LifeLock

Maie Crumpton

Contributing Editor

John Csiszar

Contributing Writer

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Ellie Farrier

Areas of interest and expertise

Latest articles by Ellie Farrier

Articles reviewed by Ellie Farrier

Meet our other writers

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