One thing that is costing Americans billions each year...

One thing that is costing Americans billions each year…

March 21, 2023

There’s a good chance you spend a considerable amount of time each day checking, reading, and responding to emails. It’s obvious why email is so popular because of the convenience to communicate in a very quick and timely manner, plus the ease of sharing information across the world with each other. With any type of high-demand product or service, criminals exploit and target these services. In 2019, it was estimated 3.4 Billion fake emails, such as phishing or malicious emails, were sent each day, and that number continues to rise. These fake and malicious emails cost Americans $Billions each year, so it is important to educate yourself and understand what to look for so you are not the next victim. Below are some of the most common scam emails to look out for.

Emails that ask you to reset a password or confirm personal or payment Information.

Even if the email seems legit or from a person or company that you do business with, you should not click on links to reset passwords or update portal information unless you’ve initiated the request. If you think it might be legit, go to the official website to reset the password or update your information, or try to call the official phone number of the organization requesting the information.

If you are not expecting the email, you should never open any attachments or click on any links.

Malicious emails embed ransomware or viruses into links and attachments within the email. Typically opening an email will not harm your device, but once you click the link or attachment, that’s when it’s possible for your device and data to be exposed or locked until you pay a ransom. Do not click on links or open attachments if you are not expecting them or did not request them.

The email message creates a sense of urgency or curiosity.

A notification that a charge was made on your credit or bank account or a purchase didn’t go through, a special offering if you click on the link within 30 minutes, or news about a change in a work policy or the latest video of what the President said, are all typical ways criminals try to get us to click on the links that are malicious. Criminals know the manufactured sense of urgency is effective in getting humans to forget what we know we shouldn’t do and do it anyway. Stop and think before reacting to an email!

Pop-ups from Microsoft or other vendors on your computer to call for assistance.

Although not email-related, we still experience numerous people who fall for this trap and believe they are calling a Microsoft or Apple vendor because their computer has been hacked, only to find out they’ve given device access to criminals or even given payment information to them. Do not give anyone access to your computer unless you know who it is!

These are just a few of the ways we see people fall victim to hackers on a daily basis, along with numerous other ways. Also be aware many of these same tactics are used by sending text messages to cell phones or people calling your home or cell phones. Be alert and stay safe!

Understanding CPNI and Your Account Security

Cyber Security

Have you heard of the term CPNI? What exactly is it, and what does it mean? When you call or visit a GBT store location, you are asked, “What is your CPNI password?” Many customers have no idea what this is or why it’s required. So, we’re here to provide you with all the details. Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) includes information such as subscribed optional services, current charges, directory assistance fees, usage data, and calling patterns. Generally, anything that appears on a phone bill is protected as CPNI. Companies like GBT are obligated to safeguard CPNI using a verbal password. Hence, a password or PIN is necessary to access calling and billing data over the phone and the internet. Given that most of us have numerous passwords to remember, we often forget the specific passwords set up for each account. Your personal information holds immense importance to our GBT team, and we are dedicated to ensuring its security at all times. Despite being familiar with most of our customers by name, and even considering some as neighbors or family, GBT is still bound to guarantee the safety of your information. This is why you’re requested to provide a verbal password before GBT staff can share any account-related information. Please understand that our team’s intention is not to cause frustration. If you don’t currently have a verbal password on record, rest assured that our Customer Service team will assist in updating your account.

Phone Backups – How important are they really?

Cell Phones, Tech Tips

Imagine coming home from a long day in the field and reaching in your pocket for your phone and realizing it’s not there. As you reflect on your day, you recall setting it on top of the swather while working on the equipment. Now your phone is lost! You go to your local GBT store to get a new phone, and you are told because your phone was not backed up, they are unable to recover any of your information, including contacts, pictures, notes and apps. You are now officially starting over on your new phone. How can this be prevented? Backing up your phone protects your data if you lose your phone, it’s stolen, or it no longer functions. And when the time comes to replace your phone, a backup allows you to easily restore your data to the new device. Plus, backing up your phone helps you organize your data so it’s easier to access. You can lose your phone data accidentally and unexpectedly due to many reasons. It is always better to be cautious in such situations, rather than regretting it later. Backing up your Android, iPhone, or any other phone regularly in more than one place is very important! It will keep you relaxed, knowing all your photos, important files, and contacts are safe, and you can quickly and easily restore them anytime. The price you pay for losing all your valuable data will be much higher than the cost of the option you select to back them up. If you need help ensuring your data is being backed up, stop by any GBT store location, and we can check your settings and make sure your data is protected!

2 Important things you can do right now to prep your home for holiday house guests

Tech Tips

Is your house going to be busting at the seams with family coming home for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Doing these 2 things before guests come will save you headaches so you can focus on food, fun, and family! 1. Make your Wifi network and password info easy to find. Don’t be left fumbling around for that tiny slip of paper where you wrote down your home’s Wifi information. Have the network name and wifi password displayed where guests (and you) they can find them easily. You can so something as simple as putting it on the fridge, or have a little fun with it by printing it out and putting it in a picture frame. If you don’t want to display this info, you can write it in a note in your phone or tape it to the back of your router. 2. Make sure you have the speed and router to support your increased Internet usage. Many people plan and have extra mashed potatoes and Turkey for the additional people, but they forget about the extra Internet bandwidth needed when they have all those extra phones, tablets, and much more connecting to their home Internet. If you are still on a slow Internet speed or don’t know what Internet speed you are on but would like to learn more, use this time now to call our GBT experts to ask them about the Internet you need. Also, make sure you have GBT’s Managed Protection which includes our router and Wifi. Did you know that 75% of the Internet troubles GBT responds to aren’t Internet troubles but are Wifi-related troubles. With pretty much every device we use to get on the Internet, wireless these days, it's important to have an updated router that can handle the Internet speeds and a number of devices in your home. Don’t deal with Wifi issues preventing you from getting a good deal on Cyber Monday. Upgrade to GBT’s Managed Protection today and get your first 6 months FREE! Show off this holiday season to all your grandkids - Grandma & Grandpa have better Internet than what they have at...

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