Scam or real?

Do you pride yourself on being able to identify a scam email?  Yep, I do, too.  However, a recent email I received caused me to feel a slight bit of concern until I checked it out more thoroughly.

Check out this quick screencast to see how I did that:  https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c3fqlVVYQw6  (Select the little icon in the lower right-hand corner of the video to watch full screen for better viewing).

As always, I hope you have a GREAT Tech Tip Tuesday!

Jeline

Cookies, the inedible kind

Are you tired of seeing "Accept Cookie Settings" pop up on your browsers when viewing various websites?  Changes in regulations in the last couple of years requires websites to alert you about the cookies (little bits of text) they are using to gather information about your viewing habits.  The pop-up may be annoying, but it is a good thing, and you should take a few seconds when presented with that message to "Learn more" and de-select some of the cookies that are being placed on your computer.

I made a quick 3-minute screencast to show you what to do:  http://somup.com/c3fqX0OtvQ  (Select the little icon in the lower right-hand corner of the video to watch full screen for better viewing).

As always, I have you have a GREAT Tech Tip Tuesday!
Jeline

I can't help myself!

In January, I wrote in my tech tip that I had become addicted to Wordle.  I should have known the addiction would not stop there.  Have any of you succumbed to other Wordle-like games? 

The good thing is that each one of the games offers only one game per day, so it doesn't have to become a drain on your time......unless you want to expand the number of games.  :-)  I'd love to hear about your favorites; presently mine are:
Wordle
Quordle
Waffle
Squareword
Octordle
Sedecordle
Hurdle - this website is supported by lots of ads, unfortunately, so I "x out" as many of the ads as I can to de-clutter the game area.

If you are a newbie, I would recommend doing only Wordle for a few days; you will get better with practice.  The list above is the order in which I added the games to my daily list with Hurdle being the most recent and challenging for me. 

One word of caution:  It seems the internet is exploding with Wordle-like games. As always be cautious before clicking on an unfamiliar website. I would caution you to not create an account to play these games; giving out personal information is not required and certainly not recommended.

However, today is too nice of a day to stay inside playing games on your computer or phone.  Get outside and enjoy the warmth and sunshine!

Have a great Tech Tip Tuesday!

Look at what I found!

 Have you ever received a private message on Facebook from a friend that says, "Is this you?"  Or possibly, "Look what I found"?  Unfortunately, it is another technique that scammers use to either gain access to your login information or to install malware on your device.

When/if you click on the link, one of two things usually occur:
1) You are taken to a fake login page for Facebook and if you login the scammers then have access to your login information and can hijack your account to try and solicit money from your friends.
2) Clicking on the link may allow malware to be installed on your device; that malware may then allow the scammers access to your personal information.

This technique continues to be lucrative for scammers or we wouldn't be seeing it.

What should you do if you see this type of message? 
1) Same recommendation as last week's tip:  Don't click. Ignore. If you really think your "friend" may have sent something for you to look at, call them and ask.  I have friends that do send links via Facebook, but I NEVER click on those links.  I'm sure I've missed some good "stuff", but I've never been hacked (famous last words).

2) If you haven't turned on two-factor authentication for Facebook, before today ends make sure you take a few minutes to do that.  This prevents hackers and scammers from being able to access your account and send out malicious messages.  Note:  It doesn't prevent cloning of your account, but it does prevent someone from accessing your actual account. If you are unsure how to turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for Facebook, you may find one of the links below to be helpful:
https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/guidance/turning-two-factor-authentication-facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/help/148233965247823 

Next week, I'll try to move on to something other than "security tips". Unless there is something else that occurs that I feel the need to share with you.  :-)

Have a terrific Tech Tip Tuesday!  I love, love, love spring and today promises to delight with wonderful spring temperatures.  Enjoy!