SRT.COM

cyber safety

CUSTOMER ALERT

CUSTOMER ALERT

Stay Alert – How Criminals Try to Steal Life Savings

Watch Out For Charity Scams According to the FTC, people are losing big money to criminals running complicated scams. Here’s how it works: A scammer pretending to be from a company you know contacts you, saying they supposedly spotted fraud on one of your accounts and your money isn’t safe. They connect you with someone else to supposedly help you move your money to “protect” it. The “helper,” who often claims to work for the government, is really a scammer trying to steal your money.

If someone tells you to do any of these things, IT’S A SCAM:
  • Put your money in a secure account to protect it.
  • Transfer your money to a cryptocurrency account to protect it.
  • Get cash and I’ll send a driver to pick it up.
  • Deposit cash at a Bitcoin ATM to protect your money.
  • Buy gold and a driver will come get it.
No one from the government will tell you to do these things — only a scammer will. Never transfer or send money, cryptocurrency, cash, or gold to someone you don’t know in response to an unexpected call or message.

To learn more, visit this link.

TUTORIAL/FAQ

TUTORIAL/FAQ

Short Tutorial/FAQ – How Can I Find a Lost Smartphone?

Download Graphics to View Question: When I’ve called my lost smartphone but can’t hear it ring, what should I do next to find it?

Answer: Since we depend so much on our smartphones — and they contain lots of personal information — it’s easy to see why panic can set in when we lose them. This is especially true if we fear our smartphone could be miles away.

Fortunately, the tech industry offers easy and reliable ways to track down your lost smartphone. Both Apple and Google feature built-in phone retrieval technology as part of the native software package that works via your device account — iCloud for your iPhone and Google for your Android account. Both allow you to remotely lock and wipe your phone, make it ring, and set up special messages to alert whoever finds it.

Here’s where to learn more:

Apple Support

Google Support

Exercise caution when communicating with the person who has found your smartphone. Don’t reveal personal information, such as your home address. Stick with sending phone numbers or email addresses to communicate how a finder can safely return your phone.

CUSTOMER ALERT

CUSTOMER ALERT

Stay Alert – Watch Out for Fake Online Stores

Watch Out For Charity Scams Scammers create websites that look like popular online stores and may offer great deals on popular items in short supply. Once you pay, they’ll either never send you the item, or send you an inferior fake.

One red flag is if an online store does not provide adequate information about privacy, terms and conditions of use, dispute resolution, or contact details. Another red flag is if the seller does not allow payment through a secure payment service such as PayPal or a credit card transaction.

The FTC recommends you take these steps to protect yourself:
  • Check out the company before you buy. Search online for the company’s name along with words like “scam” or “fraud” to see what issues others might have had.

  • Pay by credit card. If you’re charged twice, billed for something you never got, or get a wrong or damaged item, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company.

  • Keep records. Keep track of the company’s name and website, any receipts or bank statements showing what you paid, and when they said they’d ship your item. (Sellers have to ship your order by the time they or their ads say they will — or give you the chance to get your money back.)
If an online seller hasn’t lived up to its promises, report it to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi

Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi

staysafewifi

Public Wi-Fi connections are super helpful, especially when you are in a building like a mall or sports stadium where your cell phone reception is lacking or even non-existent. However, there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to safely using a public network. Make sure to be aware of the following potential scenarios before you connect!

Be sure that you are connecting to the correct network.

Attackers can create networks that are similarly named, with slight differences. Be sure to check signs in your area, the building’s website, or contact a building manager for details on the proper network to connect to.

Do not access banking information or transfer money.

When you are on public Wi-Fi networks, it is much easier for hackers to access your phone than it is on a private network. That being said, it is important to steer clear of logging into your banking accounts or other financial transactions while connected. Try to keep these sensitive and important logins for your own personal, private Wi-Fi source.

Do not automatically connect to any public network.

If you have your phone set to actively search for networks to connect to, and connect automatically, it is much more likely that you will accidentally connect to a fraudulent network. In order to avoid this, after you are finished using any public network, select “Forget This Network” in your Wi-Fi settings. You will have to manually reconnect each time, but it will ensure that you are safe from attackers!

Try to limit the amount of time spent on public networks.

While public Wi-Fi is convenient, it is not always secure. Use the network for necessary tasks. Try to stay away from online shopping, social media scrolling, logging into any accounts, or working. They contain information that you do not want others to access, so do not use them on a public network.

Stay away from wandering eyes.

If you do need to log into an account or make some sort of transaction in public, be sure that you are aware of your surroundings. If possible, sit with your back against a wall and shield your screen while you are typing in important information. You could also purchase a privacy screen, which will make it impossible for someone next to you to read what you are typing on your phone.

Public Wi-Fi networks certainly do not have to be scary, there are just some minor precautions to take in order to avoid anything bad happening. Be safe, and happy public surfing!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more tips like this and stay up to date on all things SRT.