Criss Cross Computers

01/26/2026

Wow! I just watched the movie called Beekeeper. It starts out with a computer call center scamming a little old lady. She kills herself because they took all of her money and 2 million dollars from a non-profit she managed.

When you watch the beginning, you'll see what looks like a flashing computer screen showing a warning saying "you have problems with your computer, call this number for help." This truly happens. The lady made the mistake of calling the number and letting them on her computer. They took all of her money. When I advise you to not click on links, answer texts, call the numbers in any of these cases, or give ANY information to any of these people, I'm serious. They want your information and your money. Watch the beginning of this movie, and you'll see how it can happen. They are smooth talkers who can make you believe what they say.

Warning: the Beekeeper is a very rough, tough, blow 'em up movie. The Beekeeper is an undercover operative that is determined to get to the top of the chain of the hackers. If you like action movies, you'll like this one.

The Beekeeper

A retired teacher commits su***de when she becomes a victim of a phishing scam. Soon, her tenant is framed as a murderer, who then contacts a mysterious group to catch the real culprits.

01/23/2026

FYI - if you find you are missing texts that people send you, your phone might not have the notification ring turned on. (My old phone had it on automatically for everyone. My new phone has it shut off and you have to set them for each text individually!) Here's how to turn it on.

*Go to the text and click on the three little dots (upper right corner)

*Click on Notification sounds

*Choose a sound.

You should now get notified when you receive a text from that person. It's very aggravating that you have to set it for each person. In the past, I've had phones that have had the notification sound set to on automatically when I got them. On my newest phone though, I have missed calls until I figured out I had to set each notification. 😊

01/22/2026

FYI I received an email that said It was from Netflix, and that I owe $17.99 and that my payment was declined. Definitely a scam. There are so many fake emails out there asking you for money or asking you to click on something to give them your credit card information! Do not EVER click on any links in them, and do not call any numbers in them. I've had clients that have had fake emails from Microsoft, Geek Squad, McAfee, Norton, and more. Sometimes they even say they are from your bank. Those scammers are smooth talkers, so don't call 'em because they'll convince you you're wrong! You can ask google how to report a scam or spam mail. For this fake Netflix one I forwarded the email with the full text to [email protected].

You can always call your bank to ask them questions. Just don't call the numbers in those emails or don't call back anybody that would text you or call and leave a message. They want all your information and your money. Don't let him have any of it!

08/11/2025

I thought you might find this article interesting.

Microsoft is here to help (finally)

03/13/2025

A friend was asking about Facebook scammers or hackers. Here's my reply.

Lately, you are more likely to have your account cloned (copied) more than hacked (getting into your account.) If your friends are getting another (fake) friend request from you, have them report the fake account as impersonating a friend (you). When someone reports that someone is impersonating a friend, Facebook will shut down the other account.

If you suspect anything unusual, another thing you can do is go into your settings and find where it says you are logged in. I was having some weird "fat burning" posts. I found someone had logged into my account from Michigan one time and Pennsylvania another time. You have a choice to log them out and change your password. Log them out first, so they can't see your new password. Then change the password.

Messenger is one of the biggest culprits. You might get a "hi" or "how are you doing" from someone that you supposedly know. It's NOT them. Don't even answer it. And especially don't open things that say, "guess who died." Or asking "is this you?" or saying "I found you on this video." Or anything odd like that. Do not open videos. Those are scammers or hackers.

Also, I've had customers who received what looked like emails from Geek Squad, Microsoft, Norton, McAfee, and others saying they owe money or they have a virus. DO NOT believe them.

There are so many scammers out there. Ignore texts, messages, and emails that say you owe money. NEVER call any numbers they give you and especially NEVER let them remotely access your computer!!! If you need to call, go to your monthly statement to get the number. Only use numbers you know are right. (Even looking up numbers on the internet might not be right.) Be very careful.

I just asked google if you can prevent being cloned, and here's what it says:

To prevent your Facebook account from being cloned or impersonated, prioritize account security by using a strong, unique password, enabling two-factor authentication, and being cautious about accepting friend requests from unknown sources.

Be careful!

04/28/2024

FYI - occasionally, when someone is surfing the internet, they will accidentally click on a picture or a link that will cause their computer screen to start flashing and start announcing in a computerized voice something like, "WARNING. You have a virus. Do not shut down your computer. Call this number." It will keep repeating over and over and over... It might say you have a virus or po*******hy. It could say it was Microsoft, Geek Squad, or one of the anti-virus companies. THIS IS REALLY A HACKER! DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER!!!

If you call the number, they will want you to allow them to remotely access your computer. Do not call and never allow ANYONE except someone you know to access your computer. The hackers sometimes even pretend to be from the Geek Squad.

The first thing to do is shut down your computer even though they say not to. They will have it blocked so you can't shut it down normally. Press and hold down the button you usually use to turn it on with, until it shuts down. It is an easy fix, but you need to break their link to your computer by shutting it down first. Then you can turn on your computer and clear the browsing history and cookies. If you can't do it, you can take it to the tech people at Best Buy, Staples, any reputable computer tech in your town, or I can come to your house to do it.

They scare you with the all the flashing and the computer voice. It'll be ok. Just shut it down first.

This is one of the easy hacks to fix. There are worse ones, but the MOST IMPORTANT THING for any of them is to NEVER called the numbers and NEVER let them on your computer!!! Their goal is to steal your information and/or your money. Don't fall for it! Even if they call you and say they are from Microsoft, Geek Squad, IRS, or anything. They can be very persuasive, and will tell you they are not a hacker. Don't believe them no matter how nice they seem. Their whole goal is to get you to trust them. Do not give any information. Just hang up!

Hope this helps!
Chris

02/01/2024

I have been saying for years that it's kind of fishy that some items we use (like cell phones and computers) seem to have problems suddenly after updates. In particular, I say that it seems weird that my phone battery seems to suddenly not hold a charge as long. It gets soooo frustrating that you go buy a new phone. Aha! They got their desired results! We are being manipulated! Look up planned obsolescence. I see that it is actually illegal in France!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence

12/18/2023

Just a quick note about your Facebook account.

Every once in while it wouldn't hurt to go into your Facebook settings to check to see where you are logged in. Sometimes hackers can get in, so it's good to check occasionally!

Depending on your version of Facebook, it might be in a different location, but I found mine under password and security. Don't be afraid to look around in your settings. You can't hurt anything by looking!

If you find someone logged in, and it isn't from one of your devices, log them out first. Then change your password.

Good luck!