Welcome to September! I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. I certainly did, as I gave myself the summer off from newsletter writing, but with back to school comes back to work!

The SOTM for September is the wrong number text, a very clever way for scammers to try to gain your trust. Next, make sure your computers and home network are in good shape for the school year. And finally, please stop by my booth at Medfield Day!

Enjoy the crisp fall days, and stay well.

Regards,

Julie Marto

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

P.S. Slow computer slowing down your student? Drop it off with me for a diagnosis and repair!
SOTM: "Wrong Number" Texts
The scam of the month for September is the "wrong number text" scam. I probably get one or two of these a week - innocent looking text messages that are clearly not meant for me. "I'm waiting for you at the Blue Bottle Café, when will you get here?" "It's Chloe, didn't you get my message?"
How it works - With people more wary of spam email messages, and not answering phone calls from unknown callers, scammers are now trying to trick you with text messaging. Wrong number texts are a very clever way to get you to engage with a scammer, giving them the opportunity to slowly build up a relationship before they move in with their scam. These messages are not obvious scams, and seem like simple cases of mistaken identity. Your first impulse is to let the texter know they are talking to the wrong person - and that is what they are counting on.

What they are trying to do - if they get you to engage, they will try to keep the conversation going and build a relationship with you, until they feel confident they can move forward with their scam. Currently the most common scam initiated with text messages are cryptocurrency scams, where the victim is lured into investing in fake cryptocurrency accounts. However, once a scammer gains your trust, they might try a variety of other ways to part you with your money.

What else can happen - Once they find a receptive target, scammers will target that person again and again, using different personas or accounts, to try to extract more money. They can also try to trick you into revealing personal information they can use for identity theft, or sell your contact information to other scammers.

How to avoid the scam - if you get a text message from someone you don't know, no matter how innocuous it might appear, your best bet is to just ignore it. If you feel like you cannot just ignore it, politely tell the texter that they sent the message to the wrong number, and then block the incoming number. That way you can fix any honest mistakes, but not leave yourself vulnerable to a potential scammer. Whatever you do, don't continue the conversation or make "friends" with the wrong number texter!

Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to stop texts from unknown senders from appearing on your phone. The most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to be aware that the scam exists, and be very cautious if you get a text that appears to be meant for someone else.
Back to School Tech Check
Is your tech in good shape for back to school? Outdated operating systems and slow or spotty internet are two of the most common problems I see. Here's what to look for to make sure you are in good shape for the 2022/2023 school year.
Operating System Version - If your OS is out of date, your system is less secure and more vulnerable to malware and other malicious software. The more out of date it is, the less secure you are, until you reach "out of support", at which point your system is no longer getting security patches from Apple or Microsoft, and thus no longer safe to use on the internet. Here's what you should look for on PCs and Macs:

  • PC - in the search bar, type "winver" and hit the enter key. That will bring up a window that shows your Windows version. If you are on any version of Windows 11, you are fine. If you are on Windows 10, you need to be at version 21H2 or higher (the first two digits are the year, so 21 means that version was released in 2021). If the first two numbers in your OS version are lower than 21, you should check for updates and do the "feature update" to 21H2. If you are still on Windows 7, it is time to replace your computer.


Internet Issues - Slow, unreliable and spotty home networks are a major problem in today's tech-centric world. ISPs like Xfinity and Verizon advertise extremely high speed service, but truthfully 200MBPS should be plenty for most households. The two factors that will ensure smooth home internet are the speed of the service coming into the house, and how well it is distributed throughout your home.

  • Test your internet speed - If you don't know already, look at your bill to see what speed service you are actually paying for. Both Verizon and Comcast have dedicated websites to run a speed check on your network. If your computer is hard wired to your router, you should expect the results to be close to the speed you are paying for. If you are connected via WiFi, you should expect the result to be approximately half the wired speed. Regardless, if you are not getting the speeds you should be, your first step is to restart your router and test again. If your speeds are still too slow, contact your ISP and have them troubleshoot from their end. It's possible you have an equipment failure, or something wrong with the line coming into your house.

  • Check the WiFi coverage in your house - When I troubleshoot home WiFi issues, I use an app on my phone called WiFi Analyzer to check the signal strength in remote corners of a home. WiFi signals are transmitted spherically, with your router in the middle. If your router, like many, is located in a lower corner of your house, half of the signal is being broadcast to the outdoors and underground. If possible, try to relocate the router more centrally. If not possible, I don't generally recommend WiFi range extenders or repeaters, as they rarely solve the problem. My recommendation is to install a mesh WiFi system, which creates a seamless network through the use of overlapping wireless access points.

Up-to-date computers and a robust home network will ensure tech problems don't sideline your student. If you need help with any of this, please feel free to give me a call!

Medfield Day
After a two year absence, I am once again hosting a booth at Medfield Day, on Saturday, September 25th, from 9AM to 4PM. You can find me at Booth 49, on Frairy Street, alongside Meetinghouse Pond.

I'll be handing out a bunch of goodies, including my much loved electronics cleaning cloths, and raffling off some free ComputerMom services! Can't wait to see you there!