Keep Your Parents’ Computer Secure: Remotely

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If you are like many, you are more technically inclined than your parents. So, they might want to rely on you when they have computer issues. But you can alleviate many of these issues by keeping their device running smoothly, and you can do this all remotely. Here’re some tips:

Teach Them to Fish

Digital literacy might be one of the single most underappreciated aspects of technology. And the more digital literate you and your parents are, the easier your digital life and even your physical life will be. As they say, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.

So whether you are working on their computer remotely or on site, require them to watch. But be patient, because you can’t expect him to embrace tech the way you do. Nobody is wired the same.

Install Tools Remotely

  • Use a program like Teamviewer, which allows you to connect to your parents’ computer remotely.
  • You can do the work yourself and stop having to give them direction over the phone.

Back Up the Data and Schedule Future Backups

  • It’s best to create more than one backup. In fact, create three.
  • Put these backups in different forms. Save one in a flash drive, one in DropBox or other cloud-based back up. PolarBackup is a very cost effective option. And one on an external hard drive. A Western Digital one terabyte drive is very inexpensive on Amazon
  • Set future backups to occur automatically once a day using a syncing software such as “Goodsync” google it.

Update Operating Systems

  • Set up an automatic update for the operating system. Set this for the middle of the night.
  • Do all updates, even if you think you won’t need them.

Ensure the Computer has Antivirus Software

  • Every device should have antivirus software.
  • Update this software regularly.
  • Run a system scan when you update the software.
  • Free software isn’t great. Pay a little to ensure absolute safety.

Uninstall Any Program They Don’t Need

  • What programs don’t your parents need or use? Uninstall them to speed up the computer.
  • You can download programs like Decrap for Windows, which will remove “crapware” that you don’t need.
  • You can also download Revo Uninstaller if they use Windows or AppCleaner if they use a Mac. They will get any residual things out that Decrap didn’t get. CCCleaner works pretty good, too.

Update All Extensions and Browsers

  • Modern browsers automatically update, so it’s better to make sure there is a good, updated browser on your parents’ computer. Chrome is a good option that automatically updates. Brave is good too, but it sometimes gets hung up on certain websites. Which can be frustrating.
  • Delete any plug-ins or extensions that are not necessary. Make sure that the ones you leave are legitimate. If they are old or outdated, update all of these extensions.

Automate Anything You Can

  • If you can automate something on your parents’ computer, you should.
  • You can automate backups, so do it.
  • You can automate a lot of things, so look into as much as you can.

Improve Speed

  • Run a bandwidth test online at SpeedTest.net
  • This will give you a good idea of what the baseline speed is, which is good to know in case Dad calls and says his computer is running slow.

The best thing to do is to do all of this on your own computer first. It’s even better when your parents devices are running the same operating system as yours. It just makes things more familiar to you and easier.  Have all your backup software on a thumb drive. This way, you have the software readily available, and you know how to do it when you go to do these things on your parents’ computer. You can also set up a Google doc with all of the software keys and passwords. All of this can help you, too, and by taking these steps, you can help to keep yourself and your parents safe from ID theft.

Written by Robert Siciliano, CEO of Credit Parent, Head of Training & Security Awareness Expert at Protect Now, #1 Best Selling Amazon author, Media Personality & Architect of CSI Protection Certification.

Monitoring Tracking or Spying on a Cell Phone

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Do you think of yourself as a spy and wonder how you can monitor another person’s cell phone? Well, we aren’t going to tell you that here, but we will give you some information about cell phone monitoring:

phone scamTracking Cell Phones: The Legal Stuff 

In most cases, it is not legal to monitor another person’s cell phone. However, and this is NOT legal advice, if the account is in your name, or if you have some type of written permission from the person owning the phone, you can track it.

Why Would a Person Monitor a Cell Phone?

There are certainly situations where it is perfectly legal, and maybe even useful, for someone to monitor a cell phone. One of these reasons is to monitor your family. This is generally the case if you have a teenager, for instance, who has some freedom.

Another reason why you might want to consider monitoring a cell phone is if you have a person in your family who is elderly, and they use a cell phone. For instance, if your loved one has the onset of dementia, it can be a very good idea to track their phone.

It is possible, too, that a company could be tracking a phone. It is very legal, for instance, for a company to track cell phones that they own. The main reason this happens is not only to monitor employee communication, but to also locate a device if it is stolen or lost.

Sometimes Spying on a Phone is Malicious in Nature.

In a Good Morning America spot I did years back, victims speak out about how their mobile phone being bugged made them paranoid. The perpetrators acted like the puppeteers and the victims their puppets.  Check it out.

The Main Ways Cell Phones are Tracked

There are four main ways that people use to track a cell phone:

  • Via a Carrier – Most major phone carriers have a feature that allows an account owner to track a phone that is on their account. There is usually a fee for this service, and it is definitely legal. This is a good way to track a family member.
  • Via a Computer or Smartphone – You can also track a phone via an app like Find My or Find My Friends. Just remember that the phone must be connected to GPS in order for this to work.
  • Via a Third-Party App – There are also apps that allow you to trace a phone, but to make it legal, you must have access to the phone you want to track, and even own it and/or have written permission from the person who owns it. In general, both the devices used in this tracking must have the app installed for these to work. Some of these apps might have free limited features, but others only are available if you pay a fee for the service.
  • Via a Link – This is likely very illegal, and it can even get you put into jail. Hackers often put these links in emails, texts, or social media posts. To do this, the device has to be infected with spyware and malware, which is installed when the link is clicked. Hackers buy this software from the dark web.

Remember, it is not legal to track a cell phone unless you have permission from the device owner. However, every state has laws pertaining to this, so you may want to look into the laws in your state if you are considering doing any of this. That way, you know what the consequences might be.

Written by Robert Siciliano, CEO of Credit Parent, Head of Training & Security Awareness Expert at Protect Now, #1 Best Selling Amazon author, Media Personality & Architect of CSI Protection Certification.

This GUN Website is a Fraud. How to Determine if a Website is Fake or Real

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There are many scammers out there, and one of the things they like to do is to create fake sites that are meant to trick people into giving them personal information, commit identity theft or wire fraud or they’re designed to facilitate a P2P payment like Venmo or PayPal or they’re designed to siphon money via a wire transfer.

One such site is https://empiregunshop.com/ Empire Gun Shop is set up specifically to scam users via a wire transfer. I stumbled upon the site via a Google search looking for a specific part for an old firearm that was provided to me. Google index’s the site, which is scary, and people are being scammed every day. The site has been in operation since March 2020. They also have a Yelp and a Yellow Pages listing which furthers their “legitimate” presence. What also makes this site so effective, beyond the quality web development, is the fact that the URL has HTTPS meaning the “S” designates it is a “secure site” but that doesn’t mean it’s safe.

The site also has a “Live chat” feature that allows visitors to immediately connect with a live operator. And if you do, and feel free to try it, they will respond directly to you. And what is likely to occur is they will set up a wire transfer either via email or via chat. All communications with the scammers are done via a Google voice phone number. I’ve talked to them, engaged in email communications and text. Based on their thick heavy accents and they’re utter brazen attitudes, it’s likely they are from West Africa or Nigeria etc.

Their “Contact us” page provides both a phone number and an email address. And as soon as you contact them they will respond. They will convince you that they have your product in stock, and they will work with you to set up a wire transfer or a peer to peer payment. And once you do, that’s it it’s over Johnny, you lose that money.

When I engaged them to purchase a part, I became immediately suspicious when they were unable to answer a single question that I had asked. Firearms are a certain specialty, and there is a specific language that one needs to speak in order to understand the world of guns. These scammers have no idea what they’re talking about. And if you’re a new gun enthusiast and don’t understand the language of firearms you are likely to get scammed. And that is their edge. Newbies are their mark.

So for laughs, I engaged them via text. I asked if I could buy a “Bazooka” which if you didn’t already know, a Bazooka is a common name for a man-portable recoilless anti-tank rocket launcher weapon, widely deployed by the United States Army. It’s a grenade launcher.

And I told them that my intent was “I am declaring jihad against the infidels.”  Which for any normal company would set off red flags. But not these guys. They’re all about the jihad! And they asked for the FFL which is the Federal Firearms License. And I provided  “Youra Sheethed” Get it? You’re a Shithead. He He.

And I gave them the physical address of the ATF and Boston. And they responded with their PayPal identification number. Feel free to send them some money. Or report them to Paypal. Whatever you wanna do.

Once I started to see this was a scam, I quickly researched the name of the company and found numerous online forums that enforced my belief that it was fraud. Here are those links below:

https://www.bbb.org/us/pa/danville/profile/gun-shop/empire-gun-shop-0241-236059607/complaints

https://www.scam-detector.com/validator/empiregunshop-com-review/

https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/empire-gun-shop-anyone.1883574/

https://www.ar15.com/forums/hometown/Is-Empire-Gun-Shop-in-Danville-legitimate-/14-652483/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/empire-gun-shop-danville

https://www.yellowpages.com/danville-pa/mip/empire-gun-shop-6086596

Here are some of the ways that you can determine if a site is real or fake:

You Aren’t Sure How You Got to the Site

 Have you found yourself on a site and you don’t know how you got there? Did you click on an email link? This is one of the most effective methods that a scammer uses to get a victim to go to a fake site. This is also the case with links on social media sites. Whatever you do, do not click these links. Instead, if you know you want to go to a site, either use a bookmark or type it directly into your browser.

Do You See Spelling or Grammar issues?

 Another sign that a site might be fake is a lot of grammar and/or spelling issues. Many of these fake sites are created by non-native English speakers, and they often make mistakes with spelling and grammar. Some also use translation software, which is notorious for making mistakes like using “there” instead of “their.”

Is the Site Endorsed?

If you see that a site is endorsed, you might believe that it’s totally safe, but just because you see an icon that looks like an endorsement, it doesn’t mean it’s real. A person creating a fake website can add information saying, for instance, that it is endorsed by a news outlet, but that doesn’t mean it actually was. The same can be said for authenticating badges. You should be able to click on these badges and be directed to a site explaining what it means. If you can’t click it, it’s probably a fake.

Look at the Address

Another sign that a site is a scam is if the website address is incorrect. For example, let’s say you want to do some online shopping, and you get an email coupon from Kohl’s. You click on the link, but instead of going to Kohls.com, it takes you to K0hls.com. This is a fake site. You also want to pay attention to the beginning of the address, too. You should only be doing shopping or entering information at a site beginning with HTTPS, not HTTP.

How to Make a Purchase

Almost every website out there takes credit cards. This is a good thing, because a credit card gives you protection. If a site doesn’t take cards, and it only wants a check or wire transfer, you should be suspicious. Empire Gun Shop doesn’t take credit cards.

Are the Prices Too Good to Be True?

Are the prices on a site too good to be true? If the prices are much lower than other prices, this could be a sign of a scam. For example, if you want to buy a new designer purse, and every other site has them for $400, but this one has it for $100, this is a red flag.

Read Reviews

Finally, you can determine if a site is real or not by looking at reviews. You can do this by searching on Google, or you can look at the Better Business Bureau listing. There is also a scam tracker on the BBB website, too. And as I did above, seek out the name of the company and its domain on various forums that specialize in that product or service. Keep in mind, however, that some of these reviews might still be fake, so spend a little time on this and don’t always give these landing pages or splash pages too much credibility.

And hey, feel free to mess with those scumbags at Empire Gun Shop and make their life hell.

Written by Robert Siciliano, CEO of Credit Parent, Head of Training & Security Awareness Expert at Protect Now, #1 Best Selling Amazon author, Media Personality & Architect of CSI Protection Certification.