Category: Scam

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Stolen Device Protection

Highly recommended: All iPhone users should turn on Stolen Device Protection. This will help against someone “shoulder surfing“ you and then stealing your phone and taking all your money.

As explained by Apple, you can turn on Stolen Device Protection in Settings:

  1. Go to Settings, then tap Face ID & Passcode.
  2. Enter your device passcode.
  3. Tap to turn Stolen Device Protection on or off. 
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Preparing for Theft

Unfortunately, I’ve had several clients who have been robbed. The most recent was when a laptop was stolen from a car. There are some actions that you can take to avoid the worst outcomes if a theft does happen.

  1. Set Up Passwords:
    • Use strong, unique passwords or passcodes for both your device and your accounts.
    • Enable biometric authentication methods like fingerprint or facial recognition if available.
  2. Enable Remote Tracking and Wiping:
    • For smartphones, enable features like Find My iPhone (iOS) or Find My Device (Android). For laptops, use tracking software like Find My Mac (Apple) or Find My Device (Windows).
    • Set up remote wipe options to erase your data if the device is lost or stolen.
  3. Backup Your Data:
    • Regularly back up your device’s data to an external drive or a cloud service. This ensures you can recover your important files even if the device is stolen. Both Apple and Microsoft offer cloud backup services.
  4. Protect your Passwords
    • Especially important today, don’t let people see you type your phone or laptop login password. This “shoulder surfing” is now common before a theft. Once people can log in, they can change your password and actually lock you out of your accounts.

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Uninstalling Apps in Windows 10

Windows often fills with malware and junk when kids are trying to install games. These are often “browser helpers,” alternative browsers, or other search tools. To fix these junked up computers, many users install more malware that is pretending to be helpful software.

Much of the software can not be removed using the standard “Add or remove programs” tool built into Windows. That’s when I turn to Geek Uninstaller, a lightweight tool that can force the removal of pernicious software and related traces left in the operating system registry.

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Fake Websites

There are lots of fake websites out there designed to fool you into thinking they’re real. Sometimes they’re sites that you’re sent to because your system has been compromised, such as through DNS Malware. Other times they’re just mistyped URL’s. I recently typed “yourube” instead of “youtube” and got this:

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Bogus PCI emails

Anyone who owns websites will get bogus emails about domain name expiration. New to the scam list are these emails about PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance. This is an email to a website that does not collect any credit card or other user information. So there is no merchant processor to be non-compliant with.

They start by claiming to be your PCI service provider, which they are not. Then they threaten fines, which they guess at.

We appreciate providing your PCI services.

Unfortunately your PCI service has expired, and you are now eligible to receive non-compliant fees from your merchant processor. These fees are between $19.95 and $39.95 per month; potentially from $240 to $480 per year.

This non-compliance fee may show on your merchant statement as “NON-RECEIPT OF PCI-DSS VALIDATION FEE” or “PCI NON-COMPLIANCE FEE”.

We can help you stop paying PCI non-compliance fees by successfully reporting your compliance to your merchant processor.

Call immediately at (800) 557-4684 to continue your PCI compliance program and we will:
– review your PCI compliance requirements
– provide options to simplify your PCI process
– answer any questions or concerns
– help you save on PCI related costs

If you have questions, please call us at (800) 557-4684.

Thank you,
SecurityMetrics
compliance@securitymetrics.com