How is it possible the year is half over already! I hope you all had a lovely Memorial Day weekend, and are enjoying the long days!

This month I tackle romance scams, a truly heartbreaking type of scam. Next, if you use Outlook software and have frequent problems with disconnects, I have a solution for you. And lastly, with supply chain issues continuing, some advice about purchasing a refurbished computer.

Enjoy the beautiful weather, and stay well!

Regards,

Julie Marto

508-359-8176
508-333-8176 (cell)

P.S. Going away for the summer? Drop your laptop off with me for a checkup before you hit the road!
SOTM - Romance Scams
I see so many scam and hack attempts that I have added a feature to my newsletter - Scam of the Month. In these articles, I hope to explain common scams, how to avoid them, and what to do if you fall for one.

The SOTM for June is the romance scam, an increasingly common scam that victimizes lonely people over the internet.
Romance scams have boomed in the pandemic. The federal government estimates that US citizens lost $547 million to romance scammers in 2021, and the actual number is probably much higher, as many people are too embarrassed to admit that they fell for a romance scammer.

How it works: Romance scammers find their victims by impersonating friendly, loving people on various dating, social media, or gaming sites. They will attempt to initiate a conversation with their intended victims, and if they find someone who is responsive, they will take the time to groom that person for their scam, creating an intimate relationship to manipulate their victim into sending them money. They will try to move the conversation off the platform where they met, preferring personal texts or emails. They will profess their love, and find reasons to keep the relationship a secret, to try to keep you from getting an outside opinion about the relationship.

What they are trying to do: Once they have gained your trust, they will ask for money, gifts, or banking/credit card details. They will pretend to need money for some sort of a personal emergency, like a sick child, an accident, or a legal issue. They may also claim they want to come and visit, but cannot afford it unless you loan them the money to cover their flight. There are many other approaches they might use to steal your money, like phony investment schemes or fake business opportunities. Unfortunately, these people are professionals, are patient once they have found a victim, and are very good at convincing their victims to send them money.

What to look out for: Unsolicited Facebook or Instagram friend requests from attractive members of the opposite sex are 100% from scammers - just ignore and report every one of those. If you play Words with Friends or other games with a chat feature, ignore chats from random players. If you are actively looking for someone on a dating site, be very cautious about anybody who is not local, who quickly "falls in love" with you, or claims you are exactly the person they are looking for.

Romance Scam Red Flags checklist:

  • Unsolicited conversation attempts
  • Someone quickly professing their love for you
  • Wants to move the conversation off the platform
  • Insists you keep this relationship a secret
  • Claims to be American but lives overseas

What if you fall for it: If you are lured into a conversation with someone you don't know, start by doing a reverse Google image search of their profile picture. Often, their profile photo is a stock photo, or one stolen from someone else's profile. If that's the case, it's clearly a scam account, and should be an easy decision to shut down the conversation.

If you can't find their profile photo in a web search, but there is the smallest possibility you are in a relationship with a romance scammer, please discuss your concerns with someone you know in real life - a close friend or a family member. No matter what the person says about keeping the relationship a secret, there is NO REASON to trust a stranger you met online more than your family or friends, who will have your best interests at heart.

If you have been victimized by a romance scammer, or think you are in the process of being victimized, contact the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center to file a report. You might not get your own money back, but you could potentially stop a criminal from victimizing others.
Outlook Send/Receive Fix
I use Microsoft's Outlook software to collect my email from multiple accounts, and I have many clients who do the same. However, recently I started to have frequent problems with Outlook send/receive errors, requiring me to either restart Outlook, or restart my computer, in order to sync my mailbox. It got so bad I spent a week troubleshooting all the various fixes I could find on the internet. Fortunately, I found the solution.
The problem occurs because power saving options on your computer turn off the network adapter during sleep, and then Outlook doesn't recognize the connection has been restored once the computer wakes up. Because every PC has a slightly different configuration, each system will have a slightly different fix, but here are some ways to fix the issue if you are having this problem:

Tweak your Power and Sleep settings - Type "power and sleep" in the search box to find the correct settings page. Change "when plugged in, computer goes to sleep" to "never". You can continue to allow the screen to turn off, to save power - that shouldn't affect the network adapter.

Change your WiFi or Ethernet Adapter power settings - This one is a little bit more involved, and will be different depending on your computer. Start by right clicking on the Windows button and choosing "device manager". Look for "network adapters" and click on the caret to expand it. You might have both a Wifi and a Ethernet adapter, or just one or the other. Either way, right click on the adapter and choose properties. Look for a "Power Management" tab - if you find one, click on it and uncheck "allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". If there is no "Power Management" tab, click on the "Advanced" tab. Look for MIMO Power Save Mode and choose "No SMPS". There are potentially other power save options in Advanced - there is no harm in disabling any of them.

Since I made these changes for myself, I have eliminated all of my Outlook send/receive errors. For existing clients using Outlook, I have been automatically checking and changing these settings whenever I pay a visit. If you are having an issue with Outlook disconnects and want my assistance, I can easily change the settings in a remote appointment. Just give me a call to get on the schedule!
Buying a Refurbished Computer
With all the supply chain issues in tech these days, it can be difficult to find an appropriate new computer that can be delivered in a reasonable time frame. One solution is to look at refurbished devices, which, by definition, are in stock. However, there are a lot of interpretations of "refurbished", and you don't want to get stuck with an out-of-date, or worse, non-working computer. Here is how I approach buying a refurbished device for myself or one of my clients.
  • Your safest bet is to buy factory refurbished computers directly from the manufacturer. Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo all have on-line stores where they sell overstocks and returns, at a good discount from retail, with the same warranty as a new computer. This is where I shop for almost all of my own systems.

  • When shopping refurbished, it's best to decide what specs you are looking for before you start shopping, and know where you are willing to compromise and what's non-negotiable. Because inventory is limited and can sell quickly, you should be prepared to buy immediately when you see what you are looking for

  • If you can, make your purchase with a credit card that doubles the manufacturer's warranty. I often buy an extended warranty, but only if it comes directly from the manufacturer.

  • If don't wish to wait for a mail order product, check out open box sales at BestBuy, Staples, and Microcenter

  • Third party "refurbished" machines from online retailers like Amazon, NewEgg, and Ebay are my last choice, as you really don't know who you are buying from, and might not have much recourse if the machine is not as expected.

  • If you are buying a PC with Windows 10, make sure it has the specs to run Windows 11. Windows 10 support will end in 2025, and you will want your system to last longer than that

  • If you are buying an Apple product, don't get one older than 2-3 generations back, as you will want it to be supported with OS upgrades for as long as possible. You are safest buying an M1 or M2 Mac - stay away from Intel based systems.

If you are concerned about the pitfalls of purchasing a refurbished computer, consider hiring me for a remote shopping session - we can discuss what specs are most important to you, look over the inventory, and make a purchase online together.