Tips & Tutorials – PSafe Blog

Avoid the Tinder Swindler: how to date online safely

Bianca Moura — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:18:16 +0000

Good con artists have a strange relationship with emotion: many of them demonstrate an almost uncanny ability to manipulate and elicit emotions in others, yet they’re often detached from their own emotions. This frightening combination is in evidence throughout the recent independent film sensation The Tinder Swindler.

The film tells the story of a conman who uses the Tinder app to insinuate himself into the lives of three female victims. In the film, Simon Leviev sets up elaborate romantic cons to appear as a wealthy diamond heir, then uses the trust he has gained to steal information, then money – only to use that money to fund the con for his next victim.

It’s a taut and dramatically told story, but without a clear moral or ending. (The New York Post has reported that Leviev has signed with a Hollywood agent, and “wants his own dating show.”)

How To Stay Safe: Five Scammer Prevention Keys

But the moral for users of Tinder — and social media in general — are still the same: proceed with caution! Below are a Five Keys to help you stay safe as you navigate dating apps like Tinder — they’re also useful guidelines for people you might meet on any other social app like Facebook:

Do some research — and take your time. Before meeting in real life with anyone you’ve met online, take the time to do a little background research and find out if the person you’re speaking to is who they say they are.

Consider bringing a friend for the first date(s), and meet in public. Yes, this will keep you safer, and it might also help provide a more casual atmosphere where you can learn a little bit more about your new friend.

Be sensitive about peculiar information requests. Spoiler alert: The Tinder Swindler orchestrated reasons to get Passport information, and then quickly put it to nefarious use. Whatever the reason given, a quick pivot to requests for detailed personal data is always a sure warning sign, especially in a new relationship.

Keep your purse, phone, and ID’s close. Don’t overlook simple physical sources of data like these. Don’t leave them unattended.
If you have any suspicions, check in to things. If anything seems odd in terms of your interactions, don’t bury your head in the sand. A good security solution like dfndr security can help you track where your data is going and also protect your physical phone from theft. Stay on top of your bank and credit card accounts.

Remember: Most Scammers Don’t Do A Lot of Romancing

The Tinder Swindler is also a healthy reminder that most scams are not quite as elaborate as those cooked up by Simon Leviev. But most scams operate on the same human emotions of romance and self-interest.

Set some clear rules for yourself in the dating world – and also for when you’re answering emails and text messages — or when you’re looking for work on a job site. If it looks too good to be true – it probably is!

Always Update Your Android Apps: Start With dfndr security

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 27 May 2020 17:34:29 +0000

One of the drawbacks people perceive for having a great phone and lots of wonderful apps is the need to keep all them updated. The more apps you have, the more often you’ll receive reminders about them. Even though truth be told, most apps update pretty fast these days, it can seem like a bit of a bother.

However, there’s one great reason to always stay on top of things and update your Android apps whenever they offer one. And it may just be the best reason of all: SECURITY.

“Most apps will update for a variety of different reasons, but one of the most common reasons is security,” says Emilio Simoni, Research Director at dfndr lab. “Engineers are always testing and discovering vulnerabilities in their apps, so even if an update has no new features, for your own good, you should make it a habit to update. Or, set your device to update apps automatically.”

Why You Should ALWAYS Update dfndr security

dfndr security’s main objective is to keep you safe. That is the reason why you should always do updates with dfndr security immediately when you receive notice of them. Our antivirus database is constantly being updated, often with the defense against the latest, most widespread threats – so if there’s ONE app you want to keep up to date, make it dfndr security.

Why not take a moment and check now to see if your drndr security is up to date?

Follow the instructions from Google below to make sure your dfndr security app always updates automatically:

Open the Google Play Store app.
Tap Menu > and then > My apps & games.
Select dfndr security as the app you want to update.
Tap More.
Tap Enable auto update.

dfndr security will then update automatically when updates are available. To turn off automatic updates, just uncheck the box. This is what the Enable Auto Update looks like when selected:

Set Your Android Apps To Update Automatically

Android lets you control automatic updating so that it always occurs only when you’re connected to WiFi. Setting to Auto Update with WiFi is a great way to make sure all your apps are always up to the second. Here’s how to make that happen:

Open the Google Play Store app.
Tap Menu, Menu and then Settings.
Tap Auto-update apps.
Select the Over Wi-Fi only option to automatically update apps only when connected to Wi-Fi.

If you need to do an emergency update and you have no WiFi you can override this setting.

Viruses, Hackers, and Malware Are Out There. Keep them OUT!

“We’re seeing lots of aggressive activity among hackers since the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic,” Emilio reminds us, “If you keep your dfndr security always app up-to-date it’s going to give you the best protection we have to make sure you can use the web safely.” Simoni concludes: “And right now, with social distancing still in effect in so many places, you want to make sure your access to the web is safe and secure.”

5 Tips to Determine if an Email is Actually a Phishing Scam

PSafe Newsroom — Thu, 24 May 2018 12:00:08 +0000

At times, opening your inbox and browsing your emails can feel like you’re navigating a minefield – how can you know what’s legitimate or what might be a malicious scam? While email providers are fighting hard against phishing attacks, they are barely scratching the surface. You may be wondering, “How to know if my email was hacked?”. To stay protected you need to keep your eyes open and alert for anything suspicious. To assist you, here are 5 easy ways to take security into your own hands.

Double Check That ‘Familiar’ Email Address
Just because you see an email from your friend ‘John Smith’, don’t assume this means it came from him. When a hacker sends fake emails, they opt to obscure the sent address with a name that might be familiar. To see the true address, simply tap the name in the ‘From’ field of your smartphone. On a computer, hover over or click the same information with your mouse. You should now be able to see the originating email address and determine if it’s genuine.

It’s Unlikely That Your Bank Forgot Your Name
Typically, when receiving an email from a secure source, such as a government entity or your financial institution, they will always address you by first and last name. If you receive a generic, unpersonalized email from your bank, there’s a good chance that something fishy is at play. To orchestrate mass phishing scams, hackers will commonly greet you with a readily applicable ‘Dear Sir or Madam.’

Gift Cards Aren’t Legitimate Payment Methods
A recent scam that’s been exploding across the web is the ‘IRS prepaid cards scam.’ A hacker will pose as an IRS agent demanding that you pay your outstanding taxes by purchasing an iTunes card or other gift cards from major retailers. No legitimate institution will request payment of debt with a gift card. Worse, if you fall for this scam, there is little credit card companies can do to protect because you fully authorized the purchase of such cards. If you spot an email asking for gift cards as payment, be sure to delete it right away.

You Probably Don’t Need to ‘Act Right Away!’
Another common phishing scam is when an email urges you to act immediately, causing you to make fast decisions. Reacting out of panic to these kinds of emails can quickly cloud your judgment. If you receive an email alerting you that your device has malware or you’re running out of storage, be sure to drop that ‘alert’ into the trash folder. If you’re genuinely concerned, utilize an antiphishng solution for your smartphone such as dfndr security, which has an anti-hacking feature that not only keeps your phone free from malware but also monitors possible incoming threats that arrive over SMS, email services, messaging apps, and web browsing.

Think Before Downloading an Email Attachment
Does that email you just received contain an email attachment that you weren’t expecting? Unless you were fully prepared to receive an email containing a file, don’t click it! Including malicious pieces of software with false emails are a standard way for hackers to gain access to your machine or phone. In doubt? Always have a third-party antivirus app installed on your devices remains a sensible way to double check email attachments. Remember the security mantra: Don’t know what it is? Don’t click it!

What to Do if You’re the Victim of Hacking

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 23 May 2018 12:00:08 +0000

More and more victims are falling prey to hacking nowadays due to the sophisticated level of online scams — plaguing both computer and smartphone users. Hackers have developed ways of sending emails that look legit leading you to believe they are coming from your employer, a friend, or your bank. A good way to protect your smartphone is with dfndr security, a highly rated antivirus app that offers a slew of cybersecurity features such as a full virus scan and advanced anti-hacking.

Being the victim of an online attack is shocking, not to mention embarrassing, but with knowledge and resources to turn to, you can gain some closure and move forward.

Types of Scams
There are 3 main ways that hackers try to trick you. One is to offer a reward such as a free vacation or gift card. The second comes in the form of a threat, demanding payment due to unpaid taxes or missed jury duty. The last method is a generic email that could appear to be from your employer, but it’s really not.

All of these fake emails are designed to extort payment or have you unknowingly click on a link filled with malicious code, which can then be used to steal your personal or financial information.

How to Avoid Getting Hacked
If an email seems suspicious, call the company the email appears to be from to ensure it’s not a scam, or type the real URL directly in your browser. If you weren’t expecting an email from a particular sender yet receive one full of links, don’t click on any of them — they could be malware designed to take over your phone. Same goes for generic emails, they are usually a bigger sign of potential danger.

Never share personal information like your full name, banking details, credit card number, or anything else to the sender of an unsolicited email.

What to Do if You’re Targeted
To address the feeling of helplessness that comes with being victimized, consider reaching out to any of these resources:

The BBB’s Scam Tracker allows you to enter details of a scam you were the victim of. Your entry is added to a large database of known scams. This can help others in similar situations.
Report a scam on the Department of Justice’s website in the case of an intellectual property crime (they do happen).
If your social profile is hacked, use the Facebook Help Community to report the incident. The compromised account will be shut down as they investigate the matter.
The FBI’s IC3 is another avenue to file a complaint of a serious hack or other online crime.
Along with federal sources, always utilize the local authorities at the same time to help gain your device or information back.

How to Be a Good Employee and Reduce Security Risks to Your Company

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 22 May 2018 12:00:20 +0000

As more and more companies operate in a digital world, it’s imperative that employees understand how to handle sensitive corporate information appropriately. Recently, hackers were able to obtain five million credit and debit card numbers by breaching the security at both Saks, Inc. and Lord & Taylor. The result is a devastating hit for both organizations, but more tragic is how easily the situation could have been avoided.

The hackers were able to access the system of both retailers through an online phishing attempt in which an employee likely opened a malicious email or web link. With access to sensitive information, employees are one accidental click away from causing a detrimental disaster. Here are some tips on being the best employee at your organization and keeping company secrets safe.

Follow Best Practices to Avoid Phishing
Let’s begin by tackling the misstep that led to Saks, Inc. and Lord & Taylor taking such a hard hit. Phishing attempts happen when a malicious individual attempts to gain your trust to obtain sensitive information. Two conventional methods of phishing can include having you actively respond to what you believe is a safe email or merely manipulating you into clicking on a dangerous link.

When receiving an email, be sure to note where the message originated from. On a computer, use your mouse to hover over the email’s ‘From’ field to view the full email address of the sender. You can accomplish the same on your smartphone by tapping on the ‘From’ field with your finger. Carefully gauge if the name of the sender matches a known email address. Hackers will try to create fake, but eerily similar email addresses of your colleagues to fool you. If the name and known email address don’t match up, there’s a chance you could be the target of a phishing attack. Be sure to contact your company’s IT department for further instructions.

Securely Lock Your Mobile Device
The amount of information we carry around on our smartphones can be surprising. In addition to your personal information, there’s a good chance that you might have a corporate email account on your device. Or perhaps, you may have direct access to critical systems. For those reasons alone, it’s vital to protect your smartphone with a password or pin code. Avoid using memorable dates, repetitive patterns or other easily guessable information when securing your device.

Increase Your Device’s Security
It can be challenging to ensure your device remains wholly secure and unaffected by malicious malware – after all, we’re only human. Your best defense is using a third-party solution to keep an eye on your device at all times. An app such as dfndr security has an anti-hacking feature, which alerts you to malicious websites before you even click on a link. Helping yourself with some personal security can aid your professional life, and hopefully, your proactive steps will win you an “employee of the year” award.

How to Use WhatsApp Effectively

PSafe Newsroom — Thu, 17 May 2018 12:00:57 +0000

Many people get overwhelmed by the plethora of messages received on WhatsApp, causing them to lose interest in using it. While the messaging platform can be difficult to navigate at times if you have too many unread messages, following a certain set of rules can make your WhatsApp experience more enjoyable.

Using dfndr performance’s WhatsApp cleaner is one way to streamline your connections. The app can help you get rid old files such as videos, audio messages, GIFs, and images that no longer serve you. Besides considering a good cleaner app, there are many ways to use WhatsApp more effectively.

Focus On Why You’re Using the App
If your WhatsApp has plenty of messages that you haven’t touched, try to decide what’s priority and why you’re using the app. If you have business obligations and you’ve got personal messages, focus on your business needs before turning your mind to home-mode. Likewise, if you’re out with friends, don’t use WhatsApp to discuss business.

Get Rid of Automatic Downloads
While it may be tempting to check out every funny image, video, or GIF that comes your way, change your settings so you can filter them. With WhatsApp, you can choose to turn off automatic downloads, which helps block random messages that contain images from people you don’t know very well. Beware: a message that only has an image and no text could be malware.

Response Time On Replies
You don’t need to open every message that comes your way, but when you do open one, answer it right away because you might forget to later on. Plus, if the person on the other side sees the ‘read’ receipt, they may think you’re ignoring them rather than saving the conversation for later. Be proactive, but also be picky about what messages you open.

Last Tips and Tricks
Sending a message to multiple people is easy, all you have to do is click the ellipsis and choose to broadcast a message, and then decide who to broadcast to. You can also reduce data usage if you’re in another country or in a low-data zone by clicking ‘low data usage’ in your WhatsApp settings. Plus, you can mute chats and groups that are too noisy at any given point.

Heed these practical tips and you’ll be on the right path to communicating effectively with your friends and family on WhatsApp.

Avoid Overcharging That Precious Phone

PSafe Newsroom — Fri, 11 May 2018 12:00:57 +0000

One of the biggest mistakes many people make with their phone is overcharging it, which can have dire consequences on battery life. While modern mobile devices are equipped with the ability to not overcharge or overheat, there is a downside to leaving your phone connected to your charger for too long. A good way to protect your phone from losing battery capacity is with dfndr performance’s total charge feature, which helps protect your battery life with one tap.

Here’s why overcharging your phone is a no-no and could have lasting negative effects.

Avoid ‘Trickle Charges’
Most modern phones are equipped with lithium-ion batteries and charging capabilities that are more efficient than regular rechargeable batteries. This means that once they reach 100%, your charger will stop fueling your device. However, if you leave your phone charged overnight, it will lose bits of battery here and there, resulting in “trickle charges” that ensures your device stays at 100%.

Constantly charging your phone over the course of hours slowly reduces battery life capacity, so it’s wise to avoid this practice. Having a high voltage will stress the battery unnecessarily.

Other Smart Charging Practices
You also shouldn’t wait until your device reaches 0% to charge because that can harm the battery. To optimize battery life, wait until the battery is down to around 35% to 40% before charging. Also, consider replacing your phone every few years to avoid dealing with these issues. if you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford to buy a phone that frequently, the right charging practices can add mileage to your current phone.

Choose the Right Adapter and Charger
When shopping for a charger, you can learn a lot about how it will affect your phone based on the amp rating. The ideal rating is 5.0V->1A, which refers to how quickly your phone will charge; higher amp ratings charge faster, while lower ones charge slower. With a 1A charger, your phone will charge at the optimal speed to help keep your battery life strong in the long term.

Get Performance-Enhancing Software
Finally, the right app can ensure that your phone fires on all cylinders. With dfndr performance’s total charge feature, you’ll be notified when the charging process is complete and can unplug your phone. The feature also has a charger monitor screen that activates once you connect to a charger, letting you know how long a full charge will take.

The 5 Most Awesome Tech Gifts to Buy Your Mom

PSafe Newsroom — Thu, 10 May 2018 12:00:14 +0000

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and your mom deserves only the best – after all, she did raise you! There are some great gift ideas out there that can help improve your mom’s life, while others will add a touch of entertainment to her daily routine. We’ve compiled 5 of the most awesome tech gifts to buy your mom this year – check em’ out.

Amazon Echo Spot – Black
Amazon has come a long way since the days of being an e-commerce retailer. The company has succeeded in other ventures such as music and video streaming, as well as smart home devices. The latest Echo product is Echo Spot, which is an upgraded version of the Echo Show.

The Echo Spot is smaller, sleeker and it has more features than its predecessor. Besides the standard screen, functionalities include a camera for video calling, Bluetooth connectivity to play music, and the ability to link up with other smart home devices.

Netatmo Weather Station
Make sure your mom is comfortable this Mother’s Day with the Netatmo Weather Station, which has a nice look, consisting of two aluminum monitors. The features include a CO2 sensor to measure air quality, temperature, humidity, sound, and barometric pressure.

Netatmo also has a companion app that your mom can download, which displays weather data in a graph. Plus, she can use Amazon Alexa support anytime she needs to.

Canon EOS M100 Mirrorless Camera
Canon has a long-running reputation for being one of the best digital cameras around. The EOS M100 is ideal for a mom who likes to take photos.

It comes equipped with a large 24 MP APS-C sensor, a fast image processor, several lenses, and a tilting display. Also, it can link up to her mobile device through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. With a point and shoot like this, your mom will be sharing more pics on your wall, so watch out!

Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch
One of the most wearable fitness devices on the market right now is the Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch, which is perfect for health-conscious mothers. It includes an accurate heart-rate tracker, a GPS, and guided workouts.

The Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch is entirely waterproof whether it’s used in a pool or the ocean. The secondary functions are kind of neat too. Your mom can download apps, make e-payments to her accounts, and receive phone notifications.

iRobot Braava jet 240 Robot Mop
Help your mom clean up with some cool, but easy to use tech. The iRobot Braava jet 240 is a mopping robot, designed to clean dirt and stains in places that are hard to reach, such as hardwood or stone floors.

Your mom attaches a cleaning pad, turns it on, and the robot chooses between mopping wet, damp sweeping, or dry sweeping. Similar to a Roomba, the iRobot has a sensor to detect the immediate surroundings, so it won’t bump into furniture or the family dog. Meanwhile, with all that time saved from cleaning, your mom can recline in her favorite chair and relax.

Remove Old Files That Are Deadweight for Your Smartphone

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 08 May 2018 12:00:30 +0000

We all enjoy the speed of a brand new smartphone, but over time that responsiveness could disappear into thin air. You may not know this — the speed of your device is still there, but merely buried under collections of old files and photos. If you’re a shutterbug or can’t bring yourself to part with old files, you might have to get used to a slower device.

But if you’ve had enough, whipping your smartphone back into shape is simple and that’s where dfndr performance can help. With a quick cleanup feature, your junk files can be removed with ease by scanning your SD card, trash, cache, and temporary files to free up space on your device.

Let us show you why those files are slowing your Android device down and how to take care of it quickly.

Why Your Phone Seems So Dang Slow
A vital question to first address is wasn’t your smartphone designed to store a high number of files and photos? In short, yes, your smartphone is indeed equipped to handle a specific number of files. Smartphone manufacturers release different models that vary in capacity, so it’s always important to make a selection based on how much data you plan to store. However, a bit of extra room should still be available for the phone system itself.

When you choose a function on your phone, such as opening an app or shooting an HD video, your device needs extra space to process temporary information.The system needs to search for somewhere it can save data as it works, so if space is limited, the system might be fighting other apps that also need storage on your device.

When your smartphone saves a photograph or video, it must first be split up into different pieces. Your phone’s internal memory does not always have free areas right next to one another on the disc. As a result, your device may cut up data into smaller pieces and spread it around as it sees fit. This process can cause what is called “fragmentation”, which slows down your device as it attempts to find all the various pieces it needs.

Be Proactive About That Deadweight
If you’re worried about the state of your smartphone, start cleaning out any old, duplicate photos that you might have. Old applications that you no longer use might also be taking up quite a bit of space. Take the time to take care of your smartphone, and in return, it will provide a speedy and quick experience when you most need it.

If Your Smartphone Could Fry an Egg, Learn How to Cool it Down

PSafe Newsroom — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 22:00:00 +0000

You wake up in the morning and pull your smartphone off the night table, immediately checking the news, weather, and all your social media platforms. Throughout the day, you use your phone so much it barely retains a charge by the evening. Sounding familiar? Smartphones have become our daily workhorses, but if you feel like dropping it because the heat is too much, it’s time to look at how to cool down your device.

Not only can a hot device be miserable day to day, but the extreme heat produced could shorten the life of the battery, processor, and other internal components. Let’s look at a few ways your phone might be overheating and how you can improve the situation, so both you and your smartphone can get on with life.

Fancy Ginormous Cases
While some of us love to adorn our phones in leather for its prestige or solid cases for ultimate protection, your choice of a case could actually be stressing out your phone. Materials like leather don’t breath and allow in airflow, while a lighter silicone or rubber case does.

Reconsider the case for your phone and make a switch. We all want a beautiful and protective case, but if your phone is suffocating, it’s likely overheating in the process.

Intense Chatting, Playing or Watching
The advent of the wireless internet is probably one of the best inventions since avocado toast, but it has been and continues to be a power-magnet. If you find yourself engaging in heavy online activity such as streaming video content or scrolling through Instagram for a few hours, there’s a good chance your device will heat up from the work of the chip.

Are you an intense gamer? While our devices have become experts at reproducing previous generation console quality, their form factors were never designed with maximum ventilation in mind. When gaming, you’re challenging both your CPU and GPU to work to their fullest extent.

Similar to when using your Wi0Fi card like there’s no tomorrow, you may find yourself with little battery life and a hot phone in your hand. Take it as a sign to get up, stretch your legs, and have a break from the screen.

Running Endless Applications
In the end, everything comes back to basics. Your phone could just be overheating because it has too many processes running in the background. Android phones have the ability to switch between multiple apps, well before other mobile options on the market did. However, with great power comes responsibility, and your overheating phone might mean closing what’s happening in the background.

Apps hogging up memory and sucking up power is an ongoing problem. Luckily, you can download an app like dfndr security, which includes a cpu cooler feature to cool down your Android by closing background apps with a single tap. If you are a gamer, the function can do double duty to reduce lag time and free up more resources for your epic gaming battles.