SRT.COM

Featured Articles

TUTORIAL/FAQ

TUTORIAL/FAQ

Short Tutorial/FAQ – What Are the Downsides of 5G Home Internet?

Download Graphics to View Question: I’m hearing big promises from 5G home internet. What are the downsides?

Answer: As the saying goes, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” Some customers who switched to 5G home internet are feeling buyer’s remorse for these reasons:
  1. Service is less stable. Signals for 5G travel through the air rather than in cables underground, and speeds tend to fluctuate more often.

  2. Actual speeds are often slower than advertised ones. Factors such as network congestion, buildings and other obstructions, and inclement weather can slow down speeds.

  3. During peak usage times, your connection may be deprioritized. This is because 5G home internet is a connection shared by many users.

  4. The farther you are from the radio towers, the weaker your internet signal will be. Since 5G home internet uses radio frequencies, the travel distances of the signals are limited.

  5. 5G home internet isn’t as good as fiber internet. Fiber is the fastest, most reliable internet available.

CUSTOMER ALERT

CUSTOMER ALERT

Stay Alert – “Accidental” Texts May Be First Step in a Scam

Watch Out For Charity Scams People accidentally text the wrong number all the time, and you’ve no doubt received texts that were meant for someone else. Unfortunately, wrong-number texts aren’t always innocent mistakes. Scammers send “accidental” texts to catch you off guard and exploit your friendliness and kindness for financial gain.

These types of texts might say something like, “Sorry I’m running late, I’ll be there in 15 minutes.” Or they may reference a medical appointment or business meeting. Not wanting to be rude, you respond to tell the sender they’ve got the wrong number. The scammer then tries to engage you in an ongoing conversation to gain your trust — often the first step in a romance or employment scam. By using AI messaging bots, some scammers are able to target thousands of people at a time.

Here’s what to do if you receive a wrong-number text:
  1. Don’t respond. If you receive a text from an unknown number, ignore it. Responding, even to correct the mistake, can confirm your number is active.
  2. Block and report. Use your phone’s features to block the number and report the message as spam. This helps prevent others from falling victim.
  3. Be skeptical of investment opportunities. Be cautious if someone you don’t know starts discussing investments or money-making opportunities. Scammers are skilled at making their offers seem legitimate.
If you’ve been scammed, contact your financial institution immediately to try to recover your money, and report the scam to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

TUTORIAL/FAQ

TUTORIAL/FAQ

Short Tutorial/FAQ – What Are the Most Common Passwords?


Download Graphics to View
Question: What passwords do people use most?

Answer: Nordpass, an online password manager, released its list of 2024’s most used passwords. Here are the top 10:

  1. 123456
  2. 123456789
  3. 12345678
  4. password
  5. qwerty123
  6. qwerty1
  7. 111111
  8. 12345
  9. secret
  10. 123123
It will come as no surprise that these passwords are also the worst ones to use, since they’re extremely easy for hackers to guess and for automated software to quickly “crack.” People choose simple passwords because they’re easy to remember, but that convenience comes at too high of a price in terms of security.

If you’re using any of the passwords on this list (or similar ones), it’s time to do better. Create longer passwords that are a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols such as “%,” “!” and “@.” Don’t include easily guessable information like names, birthdays, and common words, and never use the same password for multiple accounts.

Consider using a password manager, a software application that securely stores all your online account passwords in one place. This allows you to generate strong, unique passwords for each site and access them with only one “master password” you need to remember.

CUSTOMER ALERT

CUSTOMER ALERT

Stay Alert – Fake PayPal Invoice Scams are on the Rise

Watch Out For Charity Scams The AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline has recently seen a rise in reports of PayPal scams. Cybercriminals use the payment system’s invoicing tool to send victims fake invoices for large purchases. When the invoices are sent, PayPal sends an official notification email to the recipient, which makes the otherwise fake invoices appear legitimate. The scammers include an official-looking message in the “seller note to customer” section of the fake invoice, encouraging the victim to call a fake customer service line to prevent the charges from being processed.

If the victim calls this line, the scammers attempt to fool them into paying the invoice or giving them credit card or bank information. In some cases, victims are asked to install software they claim will help with the recovery process. Instead, this software records the victim’s keystrokes or gives the cybercriminals remote access to the victim’s computer.

How to avoid PayPal scams:
  • If you receive a suspicious invoice or money request, don’t pay it.
  • Don’t call any phone numbers in the invoice note or open suspicious URLs.
  • Never send money to a cryptocurrency wallet mentioned in an invoice or money request.
If you receive a suspicious invoice, you’re encouraged to report it by logging into your PayPal account at paypal.com or by using the PayPal app.

TUTORIAL/FAQ

TUTORIAL/FAQ

Short Tutorial/FAQ – What Can I Do With My Old Tablet?

Download Graphics to View
Question: What can I do with my old tablet?

Answer: If you don’t want to sell your old tablet, you can always find a new purpose for it around your home. Take a look at these ideas:

  • Cookbook. Place your old tablet on a stand in your kitchen. Then load it up with all your favorite recipes. Scan paper recipes and place in convenient file locations or create bookmarks for those that are online. This way, there won’t be messy cooking hands on your new tablet!

  • Jukebox. In conjunction with a dock and speakers, you can use your old tablet to play all your favorite tunes, either stored on your device or through online streaming services such as Spotify (spotify.com). It’s even better if you have a smart speaker system such as Sonos (sonos.com), which allows you to play different tracks in different rooms.

  • Baby monitor. With your old tablet in your baby’s room acting as a microphone and an app like Dormi (dormi.sleekbit.com), you can monitor activity and noise.

  • Digital photo frame. Display your old tablet with a stand and set it up with LiveFrame (iOS) or Dayframe (Android) to create a slideshow of your favorite photos.

  • A child’s tablet. An old tablet can be a great idea for a child, since they don’t need all the latest bells and whistles. Just load your old tablet with age-appropriate movies and game apps and you’re good to go.

  • E-reader. Create a book library on your old tablet using Kindle, your local public library, or the many resources for free e-books online.
Should your old tablet be “on its last legs,” research the options for electronics recycling in your community.