Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Can a phone catch a virus from an infected email?

Posted on December 15, 2021

Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter

Question from Theresa: Rick, I was wondering if it’s possible for an infected email to load a virus onto a smartphone?

Last night I was using my iPhone to check my email and I accidentally opened an email that appeared to be from China while I was trying to delete it. When the email opened up it said it was downloading a file.

I haven’t noticed any problems with the phone so far. I’m cautiously optimistic because I’ve always been told that only Windows computers are subject to virus infections.

Do you think I have anything to worry about? [Read more…]

Scam alert: Beware this dangerous ‘Stimulus Payment’ scam

Posted on December 13, 2021

Well, the scammers of the world are really working overtime to take advantage of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

It seems that every week or so another scam pops up to try to separate innocent people from whatever little money they have left after being out of work for almost a month.

A very dangerous pandemic-related scam is making the rounds right this very moment and it’s targeting folks who are still expecting an economic stimulus payment to arrive.

[Read more…]

Is a picture still worth a thousand words?

Posted on December 11, 2021

There was a time when photographs were widely considered to be the ultimate “proof” in situations where there was a dispute or disagreement of some kind.

In fact, photos carried such weight that criminals often simply decided to confess to their crimes after being confronted with photographic evidence rather than try to plead their innocence.

But the days when we could confidently take at picture at face value are now long gone thanks to the wide use of Adobe Photoshop and other powerful image editing programs. [Read more…]

Scam alert: Beware the current flood of malicious pandemic-related apps

Posted on December 10, 2021

As you probably know, the scammers of the world aren’t letting the current Covid pandemic go to waste.

I’ve already written several posts about various Coronavirus related scams that are making the rounds, and now there’s a new threat on the loose…

Malicious apps posing as legitimate pandemic-related apps.

[Read more…]

4 common causes of iPhone hardware damage

Posted on December 9, 2021

Given how small the iPhone is, its internal components can be particularly vulnerable to damage. In the worst cases, hardware damage on iPhones can cause screen dysfunction, charging problems, unresponsive buttons, and battery failure.

To help you take care of your iPhone, I’ve listed four of the most common causes of hardware damage – and how to prevent them. [Read more…]