Holiday Phishing Scams? Here are Four Ways to Protect Yourself

Posted on November 13, 2024January 16, 2025 by Gail Eddy in Hackers, Passwords, Technology Tips

The winter holidays are coming up fast. We’re stretched thin. We’re planning trips to relatives for holiday meals, planning a holiday party for our work buddies, checking out the kid’s plays and concerts at school, shopping for gifts, and on and on and on.

And the scammers know it. They’re planning Phishing Scams.

Screenshot of Phishing definition from NIST: A technique for attempting to acquire sensitive data, such as bank account numbers, through a fraudulent solicitation in email or on a website, in which the perpetrator masquerades as a legitimate business or reputable person. — *Definition of Phishing from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)*

Four Ways to Protect Yourself from Phishing Scams:

PASSWORDS:

Change your password for ALL your online financial accounts (banks, credit cards, investment, Paypal, etc.), social media accounts, shopping accounts (Amazon, LLBean, REI, etc.), and ANY account where you have saved your credit card info. Do this before Thanksgiving. There have been many data breaches recently, and millions of email/password combinations have been “harvested”. I know! Once you change your password, you must change it on your phone, tablet, computer, and anywhere else you use the app as well. It’s a hassle, but do it. (Here’s a recent blog on creating a secure password.)

PURCHASES:

When buying something from an individual online, double-check that they are who they say they are. If they are on Etsy or eBay, check their recent ratings. Do they have a 4.8 star rating overall, but are the recent ratings all ones or twos? Are you buying something from someone you know (or a good friend knows)? Ask them clarifying questions to make sure they haven’t recently been hacked. (Yes, that’s how I got scammed.)

EMAILS:

Read your emails very carefully. Scammers know we get a lot of emails this time of year, especially from online shopping accounts. They can guess that we might be ordering from Amazon or Costco and may email us saying there is a “problem” with our order. They want us to click on this handy link they’ve provided. The email has an excellent rendition of the Amazon logo, and they have “spoofed” the URLs to make them look like the link will direct you to Amazon. Don’t fall for it! Go to your account and verify any problems there.

One especially tricky email is from Norton and other anti-virus/security providers. They email that they will process your “subscription renewal” on a future date for big buck$. If you don’t want to renew, just call the number in the email. Then, they ask for permission to access your computer to make sure you don’t have any viruses. If you let them, they’ll have fun. You end up with stolen data and malware on your machine.

TEXTS:

Texts and emails are the most common way to get pulled into phishing scams. By now, we all know that text messages from “USPS” or “FedEx” about delayed deliveries are scams. Read the message carefully. Is it coming from a number you’ve already saved on your phone? Don’t click on that link! Go to the app or website you already have to confirm there is a problem and correct it there.

Conclusion:

Use secure passwords wherever you log in, AND change your passwords frequently. Be incredibly diligent with Social Media and Financial accounts!

Good luck and….

“Hey, let’s be careful out there.” (Hill Street Blues)

INFORMATION ABOUT GEEK FOR HIRE, INC.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free and fast shipping. With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. You can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

I got Scammed

Posted on November 6, 2024January 13, 2025 by Gail Eddy in Passwords, Technology Tips

I’m careful. Really, I am. But this week, I was scammed. There was a Facebook scam, and I fell for it.

Scammed by Facebook:

Here’s what happened. If you know me (Gail), you know I’m pretty much off of Facebook, except for the random Reels that Chris sends me. When my sister sent me a link from her friend, I had no reason not to trust it. The description in the link said that this friend of my sister’s was putting her dad into a long-term facility and needed to liquidate his stuff. There was a long list of household items with photos and very attractive prices.

The post said she was out of town and would return in a few days, but “first come, first serve”. If we wanted something, we should put a 50% deposit on it, and she would hold it for us until we could look at it and pick it up. If we changed our mind, we’d get the deposit back. There was one item we were interested in. We sent the deposit and contacted her the next day about pick up.

The next day, rather than seeing the item and deciding if we wanted it or not and THEN paying the rest of the amount due, she now wanted 100% of the money upfront before we could look at it. I declined and asked for my deposit back. And I was assured that she would send it.

This is where my spider sense started tingling. It couldn’t tell me I was being scammed before I handed over the $200 deposit?

I contacted my sister at this point and told her that her friend was rude, but I was chalking that up to the stress of putting her dad into a home. I also mentioned that we decided against buying the item from her friend because the terms were changed, and I thought it sounded fishy.

My sister had sent this link to several people who she knew needed things. She contacted them and asked them to be careful. One of her friends texted back and said:

He “was sure it was a scam.” What did I miss? I fell for it. I got scammed, and I feel pretty stupid!

Lessons Learned (Don’t Get Scammed):

Just because a link comes from someone you trust does not mean they have thoroughly vetted the information. Because it came from my sister, and because she said this was a friend, I trusted the referral more than I should have. (I found out later that my sister hadn’t been in contact with her friend for several years.) So, first, do your own due diligence.

Chris says: “Trust is death in security.” Anytime you’re online, you must be extra vigilant about your security. You don’t have an actual person sitting in front of you, proving that they are who they say they are. If you know the person, ask questions to get them to prove themselves.

Ask multiple questions about the transaction before plunking down your cash. Are the answers you’re getting consistent? Are they getting impatient about your questions? Be doubly cautious when buying a digital product, like an event ticket.

Make sure you know everywhere you have provided your financial information.

Recommendations:

Know who you are dealing with.

Change your password on social media accounts frequently, at least once a quarter. Here’s my blog about creating a good, secure password.

Change your password on ALL accounts with access to your financial info monthly. This includes social media, like Facebook, if you’ve ever purchased something through Marketplace.

INFORMATION ABOUT GEEK FOR HIRE, INC.

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Paypal Changes Legal Terms – What Should You Do?

Posted on October 10, 2024January 13, 2025 by Gail Eddy in Passwords, Technology Tips

Did you get this seemingly innocuous, totally ignorable email from PayPal changing their legal terms?

This is the kind of thing that actively annoys me. I try to lock down all the apps I use so they don’t share information I don’t want them to. When a company changes its legal terms by sending me an email and then changes my settings without my permission … well … I get mad!

One of the reasons we use PayPal is because it provides us with a bit of a wall between our financial info and the store or person we’re sending money to. I don’t want to say I don’t trust all the Etsy or eBay sellers out there, but when it comes to my bank accounts, I want to keep things private. I’m guessing you do, too.

Did you receive this email from PayPal? I noticed that Gmail helpfully put it in my “Promotions” tab, making it harder to find.

Here’s how to turn PayPal marketing sharing off:

Log into Paypal
Click on Settings (it’s probably the gear icon near the top)
Click on “Data & Privacy”
Click on “Manage Shared Info”
Click on “Personalized Shopping”
Toggle the button to “off”
While you’re on the Settings page, change your password too.
If you have multiple PayPal accounts, follow these steps for each.

Conclusion:

Just because you went through all the privacy settings when you downloaded a new app doesn’t mean your info will stay private. Companies change their legal terms often. Double-check the settings for your apps at least once a year.

I’ve created a Free Report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

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Secure Passwords

Posted on September 16, 2024January 13, 2025 by Gail Eddy in Hackers, Passwords, Technology Tips

How to create Secure Passwords

Creating secure passwords is something of an art now. The days of easy-to-remember passwords are long gone. You can’t use your birthday, your kid’s names, “password,” or even “passw0rd” (with a zero) anymore. In many cases, you can’t use ANY of the passwords you have used before. As Chris says: “Complexity is your friend.” Here’s how long it takes to hack a password today:

Table showing how long it takes to hack a password depending on complexity and why you should use secure passwords — If the info is too small, open the image in a separate window. Thanks to Hive Systems for this resource (www.hivesystems.com/password)

Creativity is required! Here are some ideas to help you develop your own secure passwords. And, remember to change your passwords frequently, especially on Financial and Social Media sites.

Basic Rules for Secure Passwords:

No less than 12 characters
A mix of both small and capital letters, plus numbers
If the app allows it, add special characters too, like !@#$%^&*()+:’

Password Hack: Substitute Characters

You can use random words and change out some of the letters for numbers or special characters.

An “A” can become “@”
An “E” can become the number “3”
An “L” or “I” can become the number “1” or “!”
An “O” becomes the number “0”
An “S” becomes “$”

Password Hack: Random Words

Look around your office or whatever room you’re in. Pick a few things you see. Don’t forget items in art on the wall or fridge! Remember to substitute characters as mentioned in the first section.

Do you see a tree outside, a rainbow on a drawing on your fridge, a pelican on the postcard from your brother in Florida? Use it!

“Tree”, “Rainbow”, “Pelican” becomes “Tr3eR@1nb0wPe1ican”

Random Characters create Secure Passwords:

You can also tap random keys on your keyboard. Once you get to 30 characters, you can stop. Make sure it is sufficiently randomized. We don’t want to see “asdfghjkl;”! For example:

3k5c9dl#8sx0e;4*fHeI3)%E c94

Hobby Hack:

Select several words related to your favorite hobby and create a password from that. I like using three words, but you can use more if you like. For example:

Sai!bo@tLifejacketTil11er
P@intingP1einAirLand$cape
W1neVintageC0rk$crew
H1kingTr@ilMapBoot$

Entertainment Hack:

Let’s say your favorite TV series is “House”. Now, House is only five letters; the minimum number of characters most apps require is eight. Hackers are more innovative and use better equipment these days. Today, the minimum number of characters we’d recommend is 15, but I think 25 is better. So, how do you stretch out your favorite TV series to at least 15 characters? Here’s how:

Name: House
Studio: Universal
Favorite Actor: Hugh Laurie

This brings us to “HouseHughLaurie” (15 Characters – fair) or “HouseUniversalHughLaurie” (24 Characters – better!) But, without numbers or special characters, it’s still not a good password.

You can try: “H0useHughL@urie” or “H0useUn!versalHughL@urie”. With either of these, you’ve got upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters!

Trekkies have it easier. They just need the name of the show:

TOS becomes “StarTrekThe0riginal$eries”
TNG becomes “St@rTrekTheN3xtGeneration”

Get the idea? You can do this with favorite books, movies, famous people, etc.

Conclusion:

Remember to use Secure Passwords wherever you log in AND to change your passwords frequently. Be incredibly diligent with Social Media and Financial accounts!

Good luck and “Hey, let’s be careful out there.” (Hill Street Blues)

I’ve created a Free Report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

INFORMATION ABOUT GEEK FOR HIRE, INC.

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How To Change Password on iPhone

Posted on September 22, 2021May 2, 2024 by Gail Eddy in iPhone, Passwords, Security, Tips

If you’re in the service industry you already know how to change password on iPhone. Having a secure passcode on your SmartPhone keeps your co-workers from posting silly things on your Facebook page.

All kidding aside, if your iPhone isn’t with you 24/7/365 there is a chance it could fall into someone else’s hands. Did you ever leave your phone on the desk in the library while you went to pick up the document you just printed, or leave it on the table in a restaurant while you use the restroom? Your phone isn’t as secure as you like to think.

Of course, we advise that you log out of all apps on your phone as soon as you’re done using them. And we also advise that you never store your credit card information in an app that you use on your iPhone. But who are we kidding? Even I don’t do that all the time, so I’m pretty sure you don’t either. And that’s why you need to make sure your iPhone is securely locked down when you’re not using it.

Should you Use a Passcode or Biometric Authentication?

We prefer using a very secure passcode over biometric authentication. Biometric Authentication is just a fancy way of saying they’ll use your fingerprint or Face ID to say that you are you. We think a passcode or password is more secure.

iPhone Passcode Requirement:

Many people use a simple four or six-digit numeric code to log onto their iPhone. This is simply not secure enough.

Geek For Hire recommends that you use a secure passcode with twelve or more characters, using a good mix of letters, numbers, special characters/punctuation, and capital letters. (The time it takes to crack a six-digit, all number passcode is measured in milliseconds. To crack a 12-digit passcode with mixed characters would take about 2000 years. Check out this article for more info.

If you want to know how to change iPhone passcode so that it is longer, follow these seven steps:

Open “Settings” and click on “Face ID & Passcode.
Then click on “Change Passcode.”
After you’ve entered your old passcode, click on “Passcode Options”, and then click on “Custom Alphanumeric Code”. This allows you to use more than just numbers for your code.
Enter your new passcode using a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters. It’s still important to use a passcode that will be easy for you to remember. For example, if you’re an avid reader:
- I Love My Library could become…
- I<3MyLibrary!
Write it down so you’ll remember it in an hour. After you’ve entered it a few times, your muscle memory should kick in and you can shred and toss that scrap of paper.
Don’t make it so hard that you get frustrated every time you enter it and decide you’re better off without a passcode.
While you’re on this screen, change the requirement for entering your passcode to five minutes or less.

What You Should NOT Do:

Don’t ignore the passcode altogether.
If you do use a four-digit passcode don’t use any series of numbers that form a pattern. For example, “1234”, or “1111”, “2580”, and “7139” are all really bad. But seriously, don’t use a four-digit code!
If you do use a six-digit passcode, don’t use “136974”, or any other pattern on the keypad.
Generally, don’t use an easily recognizable pattern or series of numbers.
And, of course, don’t use your birthday, your phone number, your name, etc.

How to Remove Passcode from iPhone:

Seriously? After reading all of that you want to know how to remove iPhone password? Here you go:

Open “Settings” and click on “Face ID & Passcode.
Click “Turn Passcode Off”
Confirm that you don’t want to use your Apple Pay cards and that your Apple Watch will lock.
It’s not too late! Please reconsider! Don’t do it! Click on cancel!

Conclusion:

You should have a passcode on all your portable devices, especially any devices that have credit card information or other private data. This includes your SmartPhone, SmartWatch, tablet, etc.

Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a Free Report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

Here’s a link to our Covid19 Policy.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free and fast shipping. With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More Tips Here:

Are VPNs worth it? More here.
Are you interested in learning more about Extreme Privacy?
We have seen a lot of Facebook hacking lately. Here’s what you should do ahead of time to keep your account safe.
And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

10 Password Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make

Posted on October 29, 2019January 13, 2025 by Gail Eddy in Passwords, Security, Tips

As a Mac and PC repair company, when it comes to password mistakes, we’ve seen it all! From people using “password” to log into their investment account, to people giving their email password to a hacker who calls them on the phone. (“But he sounded like a such a nice guy!”)

Here are 10 password mistakes you don’t want to make when logging into an account on the internet.

Don’t share your password with anyone. If someone needs to log into one of your accounts to fix something, make sure you trust them. And when they’re done, change your password on that account right away!
Don’t save your passwords in the “cloud”. There have been a lot of hacking attempts, and corporations are not always as careful with your data as they should be. In fact, we’ve had two customers who have lost access to their password account. One of them needed to log into ALL of her accounts and change the password on each one! I keep all of my passwords in an Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is on my computer, which has a pretty secure password, and the file itself is password protected with a 12 character phrase.
Don’t keep a written list of your passwords next to your computer. (…or under your keyboard, or taped to your wall…)
Don’t keep a written list in your planner (aka calendar) or phone book.
Don’t auto-save passwords on your browser. This is the same logic as saving passwords in the cloud. Yes, it’s a pain to have to type it in each time, but corporations like Google and even Firefox don’t always follow great processes to keep your information secure.
Don’t use sequential numbers or letters, like “111111” or “12345678” or “qwertyuiop” or “abcdefgh”. Click to receive our Guide on creating a secure AND easy-to-remember Password.
Don’t use something easy to guess like “password”. Every year top security companies look to see which are the most commonly used passwords. (“Password” has always been in the top 5.) Wikipedia published this list in 2018. Make sure your password isn’t on this list!
Don’t use a password that’s under six characters. The longer your password is, the better. In 2017, it took four hours to crack a simple eight-character password and 200 years to crack a simple 12 character password. In 2019, with computer speeds ever-improving, those times will be shorter. Take a look at this infographic for more details.
Don’t use your name or your birthday, or any personal information.
Don’t use your mother’s maiden name. In the last century, most women were married and took their husband’s name. In 2019, that’s all changed. Along with other personal information, figuring out your mom’s last name is pretty easy. Just take a look at one of your Facebook acquaintances for a few minutes. You’ll be able to figure out their mom’s name as well as other personal information in no time at all.

Which of these password mistakes have you made? Are there others I should have included? Let me know in the comments below!

Please share this with your brother-in-law, who is making these password mistakes!

Information about Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a Free Report on what to look for to protect yourself from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

pwned? 1 PAINLESS step To Find Out If Your Email Info Has Been Compromised

Posted on January 22, 2019January 13, 2025 by Gail Eddy in Hackers, Passwords, Technology Tips, Tips

Have you heard of the term “pwned”? Last week Chris shared a news item with me about a recently discovered list of email addresses and passwords. These are for sale on hacker websites. If you are on this list or any of the other lists of stolen emails, you have been pwned. This list, “Collection 1”, consists of 772.9 million unique emails along with 21.2 million passwords. You might wonder why there are so many more email addresses than passwords. That is because so many people with multiple email addresses use the same password for everything.

Don’t do that!

A little history about the word “Pwned”:

The Urban Dictionary postulates that Pwned came into use after one of the designers for the game World of Warcraft typed “has been pwned” instead of “has been owned”. Another Urban Dictionary contributor says it is actually a commonly used chess term, where you use your pawn to check your opponent. Regardless of the various definitions, this term means “you are dominated”.

Have You Been Pwned? 1 Painless Step to Find Out:

Head over to Have I Been Pwned to find out if your email address is compromised. Many people use different email addresses for work and home. If you have multiple emails, be sure to check each of them.

This site will also tell you on which websites or apps the data breach has occurred. (My email is compromised.) I immediately changed the password for both accounts. It also told me that the breach came from my Dropbox account. I then changed my login information on Dropbox as well. Another breach occurred on my LinkedIn account so I changed my info there too.

5 Quick Steps to keep your information safe:

Change your password on each account frequently. I change my passwords every 3-6 weeks.
Change your password on financial accounts even more frequently – at least every two weeks.
Never use the same password again!
MOST IMPORTANT: Use a password that is hard to guess. Make sure you use at least 10 characters. You should use at least one of each of the following: an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, and a special character. I always end with punctuation too. Swap out letters for numbers or special characters. Lately, I’ve been using book titles to craft secure passwords. So “The New Relationship Marketing” would become “th3NewRel@t1onshipMarket1ng;” (Check it out. It’s a great book by Mari Smith.)
Next, always keep track of your passwords using a secure system. I use a password-protected spreadsheet. (Why don’t I recommend a cloud-based password manager? I’ve recently heard of two people who lost access to their online password tracking system. They had to go to each of their emails and apps to change their passwords. Each One!)

Let me know if you have an effective tip for setting up great, secure passwords.

Please forward this to your colleagues who never change their passwords.

Information about Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a Free Report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

Been Pwned? How Do I Find Out If This Impacts Me?

Posted on October 17, 2018January 13, 2025 by Gail Eddy in Hackers, Passwords, Tips

2019 January 22 UPDATE: Based on recent news stories, the “been pwned” information has been updated here:

https://geekforhireinc.com/pwned-has-your-email-been-compromised/

Although this website has been around for a few years, I’ve only just found out about it. It’s called Have I Been Pwned and it lets you know if your email address has been compromised in any way.

A little history about the word Pwned:

The Urban Dictionary postulates that Pwned came into use after one of the designers for the game Warcraft typo’d “has been pwned” instead of “has been owned”. Another Urban Dictionary contributor says it is actually a commonly used chess term, where you use your pawn to check your opponent. Regardless of the various definitions, the word essentially means that you have been owned or dominated.

Have I Been Pwned?

Head over to Have I Been Pwned to find out if your email and other personal information has been hacked by bad operators. They will also tell you on which websites or apps the data breach has occurred. For example, I found out that my both my personal and business emails have been pwned. I immediately changed the password for both accounts. It also told me that the breach came from my Dropbox account. I then changed my login information on Dropbox as well. Another breach occurred on my LinkedIn account so I changed my info there too.

What can you do to keep your information safe?

Change your password frequently. I change my passwords every 3-6 weeks.
Never use the same password again!
MOST IMPORTANT: Use a password that is hard to guess. Make sure you use at least 10 characters. You should use at least one of each of the following: an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, and a special character. I always end with punctuation too. Lately, I’ve been using book titles to craft secure passwords. So “The New Relationship Marketing” would become “th3NewRel@t1onshipMarket1ng;” (Check it out. It’s a great book by Mari Smith.)
Next, always keep track of your passwords using a secure system. I use a password protected spreadsheet. (I’ve recently heard of two people who lost access to their online password tracking system. They had to go to each of their apps and change their passwords!)

Let me know if you have a great tip for setting up great, secure passwords.

Here’s some more reading on the whole pwned subject:

Please forward this to your colleagues who never change their passwords.

Information about Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a Free Report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free 2-3 day shipping and online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet. I’ll try that next! Prime is normally $119/year, but you can try it for 30 days for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Yes, we’ll get a small commission when you sign up.)

Phishing Expedition’s – Keeping Safe During the Holidays

Posted on November 28, 2017May 9, 2024 by Gail Eddy in Malware, Passwords, Phishing, Tips

Several of our customers received a disturbing email over the past few days. Once customer received one that said her email was being discontinued. Another received one that said his bank account was being closed. I even got one that said my SIM card was being deactivated so I would effectively be without cell service! These are all “phishing expedition’s”.

Luckily I know the signs to look for to determine if an email is a phishing expedition or for real.

Make sure the email is really from a trusted source. If the email is from a friend, read it through before you click on any links. Does the email sound like it was written by your friend? Are you expecting an attachment or other link from them? Always check when you receive an email with a link or other attachment before clicking. Did your friend really send it?
Before I click on a link in an email, I hover my mouse over the link to see where the click will take me. When I hovered over the “Know More” link on the email I received, it goes to the website t.goddypuddy.IN/withLotsMoreTextFollowing. The “in” at the end of the website is a country code. In the US, we are used to seeing .com, .biz, .net, or .gov. In this case the .IN refers to India. So I know that the email originated in India. (Note that you can only do this on your computer, so don’t click on any links from your phone or tablet unless you know they are 100% safe!)
Does the body of the website match the Subject line? In this case, the Subject is that my mobile number is being deactivated. But the body of the email is completely unrelated talking about banks and the Supreme Court.
If your friend or colleague says they didn’t send the message, tell them to change their password and run their virus scanner ASAP!

What else can you do to stay safe?

Put a note on your calendar to change your email passwords at least once a month. Here are some tips to creating a strong password.
Be extra careful when surfing the web or viewing posts on Social Media. Malware is increasingly being spread that way.

Looking for more info on phishing expedition’s? Here are some past blogs:

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free 2-3 day shipping and the online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet. I’ll try that next! Prime is normally $99/year, but you can try it for 30 day for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Yes, we’ll get a small commission when you sign up.)

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Phishing Expeditions (Stay Safe Online!)

Posted on March 7, 2017May 9, 2024 by Gail Eddy in Malware, Passwords, Phishing, Tips

There’s another threat out there. It’s a Phishing Expedition. Several of our clients have already fallen for it. It comes by way of an email which appears to be from a trusted friend or business associate. They want you to take a look at a document on DropBox. It looks legit, plus, you’ve gotten documents from this email contact before.

So, you click on the link to look at the DropBox document. Except it’s not from your friend. And in that brief moment, you’ve given access of your entire email contact list to the Phishers.

As soon as you figure out what has happened, it is important to change the passwords for all of your email accounts

"Phishing" by Edwind Richzendy — “Phishing” by Edwind Richzendy

immediately. Here are some ideas for creating a really strong password. You should also run your virus scanner.

How do you make sure this doesn’t happen to you?

Before opening any attachments, make sure the email is actually from your contact. Are you expecting a document or other attachment from them? Does the text of the email message and subject “sound” like what your contact would write? If not, give them a call to see if it’s really from them. (If it’s not, tell them to change their password and run their virus scanner ASAP.)
Put a note on your calendar to change your email passwords at least once a month.
Be extra careful when surfing the web or viewing posts on Social Media. Malware is being spread that way as well.

Looking for more info on phishing? Here are two past blogs:

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