2023年3月25日星期六

Is an AirTag dangerous to your dog?

The Apple AirTag is my #1 pick for keeping track of your dog. Although, the device can present more dangers than rewards if it's not attached correctly to your pet. You also have to be careful with them as your pup might confuse an AirTag for a snack, and that's one vet bill you do not want to pay.

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That may be why Apple has consistently said that AirTag was not invented for use on pets. That is not stopping tens of thousands of pet owners from attaching the popular tracker to their furry friends.

In real life application, when using a safe approach and common sense AirTag scores the highest in its ability to pinpoint a lost dog or cat better than any other technology we have tested.

FACIAL RECOGNITION APP CAN IDENTIFY YOUR PET’S FACE WITH 99% ACCURACY

An AirTag is only dangerous for your dog if they end up swallowing it, and unfortunately, there have been multiple incidents of this occurring that people have talked about on social media. An AirTag can pass safely through a dog's body if it remains intact in most cases.

However, if the AirTag breaks apart while in your dog's body, it could complicate things and potentially require surgery. This is because the AirTag has a lithium battery inside it, and if that gets damaged, it could leak caustic substances that can damage your dog's mouth and stomach or lead to poisoning.

MORE: IS YOUR AIRTAG ABOUT TO DIE?

MORE: 5 BEST PET TRACKERS TO KEEP YOUR DOG OR CAT SAFE

The best way to ensure that your dog never eats an AirTag you put on them is to put it in a collar that can hold AirTags. The collar should not have a hanging component that a dog can reach or chew through. I have 3 great recommendations below that you can purchase for your dog on Amazon right now.

Credit: Pup Culture

The Pup Culture AirTag Dog Collar Holder allows the AirTag to slide right onto the collar, so it’s not dangling around your pet’s neck. It is extremely durable, and you get to use all the great features of an AirTag while knowing it’s safely attached to your pet. It has silicone, water, and impact-resistant technology that makes it ideal for diggers, swimmers, and playful pups. At the time of publishing, the Pup Culture AirTag Dog Collar Holder had over 4,800 global reviews on Amazon with 83% giving it 5 stars.

Get the Pup Culture AirTag Dog Collar Holder 

The CAISATEQ AirTag Holder has a precise cut-out with a slim fit, which can secure and cover the AirTag and protect it from scratches, drops, and unnecessary drag. It fits a 0.8-1.2 inch pet collar or pet loop and is easy to put on and off. The material is made of quality silicon which is soft, non-toxic, stretchy, scratch-resistant, dust-proof, and waterproof. At the time of publishing, this product had over 500 global reviews on Amazon with 81% giving it 5 stars.

Get CAISATEQ AirTag Holder

This AirTag dog collar holder has a waterproof ring that keeps out water, dust, and anything else that might damage your AirTag. It has four screws that hold the tag side in place and two that go through the collar and hold the whole thing in place.

It fits the width of any collar or harness and can match your existing collar without changing anything. The case is fixed to the collar, and it is difficult for someone to quickly remove it so you won't have to worry about it falling off. At the time of publishing, this product had over 200 global reviews on Amazon with 75% giving it 5 stars.

Get CITYWAY IPX8 Waterproof AirTag Holder 

Have you tried one of these AirTag dog collar holders yet? Let us know how they work for you.

**For more of my best Pet Tech products, head over to CyberGuy.com and search "Best Pet Tech" by clicking the magnifying glass at the top of my website**

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2023年3月24日星期五

TikTokers Are Making Fan Edits Of The App's CEO After His Appearance In Front Of Congress

“Congress just turned this man into the main character.”

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Top identity theft scams to avoid

Identity theft has become so commonplace that it no longer shocks you to hear about the latest scam. As normalized as identity theft has become, identity thieves are getting savvier and more creative as consumers and entities they target become more aware and guarded against their attacks.

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When thinking of identity theft, most people think of having their personal information stolen during a data breach. However, there is, unfortunately, a slew of different types of identity theft that can impact you or your loved ones.

While most thefts of your personal information are done digitally, there are several types of identity thefts that are used in real life that really can impact you more than just financially. Below is a breakdown of how your stolen information can be used online or offline.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT THIS TAX SEASON

While all identity theft is a crime, criminal identity theft is specifically when a criminal uses your stolen information in dealing with law enforcement. With your stolen information from either online or by mail, these criminals provide your information when getting pulled over by law enforcement or when dealing with the legal system. They may even plead guilty to certain crimes using your identifying information. This way, they can not show up to court dates or pay fines, which leaves you with records, fines, or warrants.

Because your financials aren’t necessarily impacted immediately, most victims of this type of theft don’t find out until they run what they think is a simple background check for a job or purchase. Or worse, when you’re surprised by being served court documents or a simple pull-over by a cop for a minor traffic violation turns into an arrest.

It seems unlikely in this day and age when people seem so hyper-aware of identity theft crimes, yet criminals still have success using people, voicemail systems, or bots to call individuals posing as a representative of a company or organization (banks or hospitals) to get personal information or money.

Though different types of email identity theft tactics have been covered in The ‘Unsubscribe’ email scam is targeting Americans & Microsoft phishing scam & Don't click that email -- lately, the most common forms of email identity theft revolve around posing as people in your life such as friends, families, or colleagues to extract personal information or money.

Most recently, a hacker got ahold of a friend’s email account and replied to an email I had sent her. While they kept her name the same, the email was the hacker's. Because it was a reply to an old email, it would be easier to mistake it for something sent from my friend. The grammatical error struck me as off, and I checked to see what the email address (I right-clicked) was behind the name of the sender. It turned out to be from an email address I had never heard of.

Other tactics include emails from someone posing as a governmental institution, like the postal service requesting payment in exchange for the package they are holding on your behalf.

STAY ALERT: ‘SEXTORTION SCAMS ON THE RISE 8-FOLD ACCORDING TO FTC

BIDENCASH CRIMINAL MARKET RELEASES OVER 2M CREDIT CARD NUMBERS FREE FOR TAKING

Formjacking is when cybercriminals hack a website and embed malicious Javascript code, which hijacks the function of the forms on the site to collect user information. This type of theft is usually intended to steal payment information as well as personal information often used at checkout.

Scarily enough, you increase your risk of fraud by 30% if you are digitally connected (usually on 5 or more social media platforms). Generally, your information is readily available, as well as the people you are connected to. By piecing together information from a variety of platforms, cybercriminals can create similar profiles to impersonate you and get more information about you or from those who are connected to you.

With installment plan options online, it allows consumers to get items immediately with a plan to pay in installments later. Criminals can gain access to your account to make unauthorized purchases or use your information to create a new account.

BIDEN ADMIN ROLLS OUT CYBERSECURITY STRATEGY AIMED THWARTING ‘BORDERLESS’ CYBER THREATS, RANSOMWARE

When discussing identity theft, many people consider the immediate financial impact, yet there is a different type of identity theft that is becoming more and more popular.

According to AARP's coverage of an FTC report, there has been a jump in cases of medical identity theft reported from 6,800 in 2017 to 43,000 in 2021. As many medical institutions sometimes only require a date of birth to proceed with making appointments, it makes it easier to begin fraudulent activities.

The financial implications alone can be bad as medical debt collections which can impact your credit or keep you in debt for services you didn’t even render. Phony services, prescription purchases, or medical issues by criminals using your information means that their health history can become a part of your record. This can impact future medical care you can receive, as well as insurance benefits.

Sometimes criminals use some of your personal information and/or their own to open new credit cards or take out loans. For instance, they might use your social security number and birth date with a fake name.

If it isn’t enough to scam an adult, criminals are stooping to a new low by stealing the personal information of children to make unauthorized purchases or open accounts. Because children are not often actively monitoring their information as they aren’t filing taxes or opening accounts, most fraudulent activities go unnoticed for years.

Below are some next steps if you find you or your loved one is a victim of identity theft.

If you are a victim of identity theft, the most important thing to do is to take immediate action to mitigate the damage and prevent further harm.

Have you been the victim of identity theft? Let us know what happened and how you dealt with it. We want to hear from you.

For more of my tips, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by clicking the "Free newsletter" link at the top of my website.

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Find out why cellphone companies now must block obvious scam texts

We've all gotten those incredibly annoying robocalls on our phones. Although, over the last few years, scam text messages have grown into an out-of-control nuisance. I tend to get a lot claiming that I have an online order that has been canceled or that an account that I don't have has been hacked.

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According to the Federal Trade Commission, the complaints that they have received about scam text messages have gone up from 3,300 complaints in 2015 to 18,900 in the last year. Now, the FCC is making phone companies crack down on these scammers.

The FCC has officially come up with new rules for cell phone service providers that will make them have to block any robotext messages the agency says are highly likely to be illegal.

These messages include texts from numbers like unused and invalid numbers, as well as those that government agencies identify as not for texting. This will specifically target spam text messages which have been a growing concern.

MORE: SPAM TEXTS ARE OUT OF CONTROL, SAY ALL 51 ATTORNEYS GENERAL

The new rules will also require cell phone companies to establish a point of contact for people who believe their text message was incorrectly blocked. The FCC is still searching for other ways to block these spam messages.

The regulatory agency says they want to use authentication measures and expand the list of illegal texters to include numbers tied to entities that the FCC has previously cited as illegal robotexters.

They reportedly want to close the "lead generator loophole," which allows multiple marketers to take advantage of a single consent from a consumer to receive text messages and robocalls on their device.

MORE: HOW TO SEND SPAM CALLS DIRECTLY TO VOICEMAIL ON YOUR PHONE

Here are some things you can do if you ever receive a call or a text from a number you don't recognize:

Don't pick up or answer the message: if there is a number you don't recognize, it's best for you not to answer the call or text in case it is spam

Block the number: you can find instructions for how to block unknown callers for iPhones and Androids here

Use your carrier's spam and robocall blocking service: big companies like Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile all have free spam and robocall blocking services for their users. Contact your provider to learn more

Use third-party spam-blocking apps: iPhones and Androids have apps available for users to download to detect spam calls before they reach you. Because, after all, an annoying text or call is just annoying. Some of the best ones are:

iPhone: 4.5 stars (at the time of publishing)

Android 4.2 stars (at the time of publishing)

RoboKiller is a mobile app designed to block unwanted and spam calls on your smartphone. It uses advanced algorithms and machine learning technology to detect and block robocalls, telemarketers, and other unwanted calls in real time.

HOW TO RECORD CALLS ON YOUR PHONE

The app also includes features such as caller ID, custom call blocking, and integration with your phone's contact list to personalize your call-blocking experience.

Additionally, the app offers a spam text blocker and a feature that allows you to answer spam calls with pre-recorded audio messages designed to waste the time of telemarketers and scammers. It is available on both iPhone and Android devices.

iPhone: 4.5 stars (at the time of publishing)

Android: 4.2 stars (at time of publishing)

The Call Control app is a mobile application that helps users manage and block unwanted calls and text messages on their smartphones. It uses a comprehensive database of known spam numbers to automatically block calls and texts from those numbers.

You can also create your own personal block list and whitelist for specific contacts. The app also provides real-time caller ID and number lookup, so you can identify incoming calls and decide whether to answer or block them.

Additionally, the app can help you avoid phone scams by alerting you to known fraudulent numbers. The app is available on both iPhone and Android devices.

INVASIVE CELLPHONE SURVEILLANCE MONITORS CALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES

iPhone: 4.5 stars (at time of publishing)

Android: 4.5 stars (at time of publishing)

Truecaller is a mobile app that helps you identify and block spam calls and messages. The app works by collecting information from your contact lists, including phone numbers and email addresses, and using that information to create a database of phone numbers.

This database is then used to identify incoming calls and messages, even if the number is not saved in your contacts. In addition to identifying incoming calls and messages, Truecaller allows you to block calls and messages from unwanted numbers, as well as mark numbers as spam.

You can also search for phone numbers and see who they belong to, as well as view profiles of other people using Truecaller. There’s a premium subscription service, which provides you with additional features such as the ability to see who has viewed your profile, the ability to record phone calls, and an ad-free experience. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.

I hope all this helps you to combat those nasty scammers, and hopefully, we can all enjoy a little less annoyance and a lot more peace of mind when our phones ring or buzz.

Have you been receiving a lot of spam text messages lately? Which methods have you found to be most useful for blocking them?

For more of my tips, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by clicking the "Free newsletter" link at the top of my website.

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Twitter to Revoke Legacy Verification System on April 1, Leaving Blue Checkmarks Only for Paid Users

Twitter announced that it will begin winding down its current verification system that gives blue check marks to notable accounts starting April 1.

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2023年3月23日星期四

TikTok’s Dark Side: Why it’s more than just a fun app and you need to remove it

The U.S. is inching closer and closer to a nationwide ban on TikTok. Those short, shareable videos make it the largest social app out there. Get this: 150 million Americans use TikTok, including about two-thirds of teens.

What’s the big deal? TikTok is a national security threat. The Chinese-owned social media platform’s parent company ByteDance is based in Beijing and is required by Chinese law to give the government access to collected data. (By the way, if you'd like to stay updated on tech topics the easy way, join over 400,000 people who get my free daily newsletter and sign up here.)

TikTok collects data that includes search and browsing history, facial ID, voice prints, texts, location, and photos. Here’s a wrinkle: You can watch the videos without creating an account. Is that safe to do? The answer below will shock you.

Talk to your kids

It's not up for debate: TikTok gathers all sorts of user data. It also is built from the ground up to be addictive, making it so easy to share quick videos catered to the interests of each user.

Then there are the viral "challenges" that can lead to injury or death—ever heard of the choking or blackout challenge? It’s terrifying.

All these things are dangerous enough, and young people are especially vulnerable. As a parent, you can have controls to restrict your kids from visiting certain websites or downloading certain apps. That’s all well and good, but it’s not enough.

The Wall Street Journal reports that children with TikTok accounts are sending screen recordings of videos to their friends who can’t access the app themselves. Kids are filling their phones with these video clips to the point where they can’t even update them.

You don’t need a TikTok account to watch the content. People with accounts can simply send you links. You still share some information with TikTok, such as in your browser, when you watch it elsewhere. According to Caitlin Fennessy, vice president and chief knowledge officer at the International Association of Privacy Professionals, your browser type, phone information, and IP address are up for grabs.

TikTok videos are popular enough to be found on virtually every social media and video hosting platform, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. This is where it gets tricky.

Someone can upload a video to another platform that isn’t connected to TikTok. It’s just a clip that exists on their Facebook profile. You’ll be able to interact with it as a Facebook user but not use the TikTok functions ordinarily present in a video.

A video could be uploaded to another platform and linked to the original source at TikTok. You’ll see some indication of that, and if you click the video, you’ll be taken to TikTok. In this case, some of your information will likely be collected.

TIKTOK CEO FACES QUESTION ON CHINA'S HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES

Beyond the danger of the app itself, the platform is a hotbed of scams. Here’s how some grieving families lost something more irreplaceable than money.

Let’s say you don’t have the TikTok app installed or click on links to watch the videos. You’re all good, right? That’s where pixels come in.

Big Tech companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Google use bite-sized pieces of code called pixels to track users. TikTok is no exception, with pixels installed across retail, e-commerce, travel, tech, and government sites. Data such as your IP address, shopping cart contents, and searches are collected when you visit these sites.

Speaking to Consumer Reports, a TikTok spokesperson admitted that the company receives data from people who don’t have a TikTok account and uses it for "aggregated reports that they send to advertisers about their websites."

There’s really no way to know which websites are using pixels. This is another reason to be careful with any information you share and what links and ads you click.

Get your personal info off the web. Start with this list of people-search sites.

You can’t completely control what pops up when browsing the web or social media — but you can control your clicks. Don’t open anything suspicious or tempting with some crazy headline.

The 10 seconds of silliness is not worth the risk of giving up your data.

If you or a loved one has TikTok installed, remove it now. It’s never too late! Here’s how:

Some tracking info can stay on your phone even after you delete it.

One more important step

To completely remove TikTok, go nuclear. Your best bet is do a complete factory reset on your phone. Here’s how to do that. Pro tip: Back up your data first!

ByteDance operates at least two other widely downloaded programs.

CapCut is popular video editing software, and Lark is a team collaboration app. Both spy and report back to ByteDance, which then turns over data to the Communist Chinese. It’s not just TikTok. If you ask me, every ByteDance product should be banned in America.

TOP TIKTOK LOBBYIST PREVIOUSLY ADVISED TECH EQUITY FORM WITH CLOSE TIES TO HUNTER BIDEN

Keep your tech-know going

My popular podcast is called "Kim Komando Today." It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.

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