Do’s And Don’ts
- Simple passwords are the easiest to hack so create a strong password. This can be as simple as adding symbols to a password. Example: “ExampleName1970” becomes harder to hack with symbols “@#ExampleName1970$%.”
- Always make sure phones have the latest versions installed.
- Also be very careful using wi-fi in public spaces. Hackers will use like worded wi-fi names to lure people in.
- Never use charging stations in public spaces, have your own charger! Airport, entertainment venues, and train station charging ports are notorious for having fake charging ports installed by hackers.
IPhone Blocking Unwanted Messages And Callers with “Block This Caller” feature
- Click on the offending message.
- At the top the message will be the sender identifier, click on it to go to the “info” screen of the sender.
- Below the sender name will be 4 buttons, “call” “video” “mail” “info”. Click on “info.”
- Scroll to the bottom of this screen to the button called “Block This Caller.”
- Block all offending messages. This blocks calls or messages
Android Blocking Unwanted Messages And Callers Option
Android users have several options to block text messages. The easiest way to stop unwanted texts is with the default phone app. Blocking a phone number with your Android phone’s default dialer app restricts all incoming communication, like spam texts and robocalls. It’s an easy, quick way to stop spam texts with your handset’s preinstalled apps. Here’s how to block text messages with the Android phone app:
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- Open your phone’s dialer app.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the right-hand top corner.
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- Hit Blocked numbers.
- Select Add a number.
- Enter the phone number you wish to restrict and tap Block.
- To unblock a restricted number, tap the X by the digits you want to allow.
To unblock a restricted number, tap the X by the digits you want to allow.
Block text messages on Android using the messaging app
Alternatively, the Android messages app offers a convenient way to block and report phone numbers. Here’s how to stop robotexts and other undesired texts with the default Android messaging app:
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- Open the messaging app and select a message from a sender you wish to block.
- Long press (tap and hold) on the unwanted message until you see a Block & report spam message.
- Select the No icon (circle with a line through it).
- Tap OK to confirm and select or deselect the Report spam option if necessary.
Example: Fake Text Message from Hacker
Recent fake, FCP Live-In text message example.
Example: Fake Text Email from Hacker
Recent fake, FCP Live-In email example.
Email Messages Asking for something, Money, Gift Cards, Information
If you receive an Email from someone purportedly to be from FCP Live-In asking for something; Money, Gift Cards, Verification, Information etc. this is always a red flag of a hacker so always double check the email address of the sender. Hackers have taken the step of investigating the company they are targeting and will use the names of officers and employees to make their email message believeable. When in doubt, take steps to correctly identify the persons identity.
“Smishing” Scams
Federal Trade Commission website top text scams.
In a “smishing” scam ― a term that combines “SMS” and “phishing” ― bad actors try to get your personal and banking information through unsolicited text messages on mobile devices. They do it by pretending to be government agencies, your bank, companies that you might have done business with, or a package delivery service. They’ll say something to get your urgent attention like a text about “strange” purchases on your credit card, suspicious activity on a banking account, a free gift that you have to pay a small “shipping fee” to receive or they will send a warning about suspicious activity on an account.
Scams can seem real with messages like “This is Chase Bank, there is a hold on your account due to a security breach, click here to verify your information.”
Or suspicious message can seem innocuous and read: “USPS: Since your package address does not have a house number, we are unable to arrange home delivery for you. Please update online.” Once you click, you’ll be asked to pay a “redelivery fee” to trick you into giving up your credit card information.
What to do?
Scammers know that you are busy with a lot of different things so they expect you to click on the link in the text message without thinking due to the messages “urgency.”
- First thing to do is take a deep breath.
- Next analyze the message. Does it ask you for personal or account information? Is it “urgent?” Is there a “severe penalty” if you don’t act quickly?
- Call the source directly instead of relying on the text messages links or contact info. It is better to contact the company from their original website or phone number than to provide account information and login and password information from a compromised link.
- Block the message once you are sure its a scam by using the blocking info at the top of this page for cell phones.