Computer/ Internet News & Tips
October 2022

  • Holiday technology buying guide
  • Fake invoice scams are on the rise
  • Update your recovery information now before you get locked out
  • We've been helping people with more than just fixing computers...
  • ICYMI: Previous articles you may have missed or want to read again are available on our website and newsletter archives
Reno's PC & Technology Help Experts since 2003 

Affordable PC Repair - Experienced IT Consultants 
In-Home Service & Remote Support

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a language you can understand
Support for Windows - macOS - iOS - Android
Holiday technology buying guide

It's that time of year again. You're probably starting to get the Costco holiday catalogs or emails from Best Buy or Amazon advertising new computers, tablets or other technology items that you've been putting off buying.

Should you buy an item on sale on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Probably not. Most often you get what you pay for. So if you think a $300 computer is going to last 10 years - think again. But there are some good deals to be had this time of year.

See our latest Computer & Technology Buying Advice newsletter for expert advice and detailed recommendations on what to look for this holiday season.

Fake invoice scams are on the rise
If you received the emailed invoice pictured above and you didn't recall ordering the service, you may be thinking you should call and cancel or dispute the charge. But hold on, that's exactly what the scammer who sent the email wants you to do. If you call, the scammer would coerce you into giving payment info, gain remote access your computer, and/or ask for other private information.

Fake invoice scams have been the most frequent email scam this year. People that call the number and ultimately fall for the scam typically lose hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Names associated with the scams are legitimate businesses - including Geek Squad, McAfee, Norton, PayPal, Quick Books, Amazon and Microsoft. But in all cases the invoices do not really come from the business identified in the email.

Fake invoices typically have bad grammar and/or spelling, and don't come from an email address associated with the service they claim you have/will purchase. Click here to read more tips on how to identify fake emails.
Update your recovery information now -
before you get locked out
Years ago when you signed up for an online account you typically were only asked to provide your email address and a password. But over the years data breaches on thousands of corporate computer systems have exposed many email addresses and associated passwords to hackers and scammers. Those same miscreants are using the breached login credentials to take over accounts, change passwords, and often locking people out of their accounts permanently.

Now is the time to update your online accounts with recovery information and/or 2-Step Verification, so that only you can access or regain access to your accounts even if someone has your password.


Have more than 3 minutes?
Check out these informational videos on our YouTube channel.
Click the video above to view our Computer Techs YouTube playlist featuring helpful tips and information about your devices and the internet.
You can also view the playlist by typing youtube.CTreno.com in your browser address bar.
We've been helping people with more than just fixing computers...
Did you know that Computer Techs can help with more than just computers? Check out some of our services that you may have not known about:

  • New computer or mobile device (smartphone/tablet) buying advice
  • New computer or mobile device set-up & transfer settings and apps from an old device
  • Help with recovery of forgotten passwords or hacked accounts
  • Printer troubleshooting or setup
  • TV streaming media device setup
  • Smart speaker / voice assistant device setup
  • Wireless camera and security device setup
  • Software installation
  • Microsoft Office help
  • Email setup/customization
  • Wireless router & Internet set-up
  • Wi-Fi optimization and troubleshooting
  • Computer data back-up solutions
  • Diagnose misc. software or hardware problems
  • Telecom bill audit/review to help you save money on your phone/internet/TV services
  • Computer security analysis following access by a tech support scammer
  • & much more

ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
You can easily access tips and news from previous newsletters on our newsletter archives webpage. Articles you may have missed or wish to read again include:

  • Why you should probably wait to upgrade your existing computer to Windows 11
  • What to do is your computer is "blocked" by a scare screen
  • When NOT to unsubscribe to an email
  • Should you drop your cable/satellite service? 
  • Why you probably don’t need a VPN
  • Search Gmail like a pro
  • Understanding 3G vs 5G vs 5 GHz
  • Change these Facebook settings now
  • How to save money on your internet service
  • How to recognize fraudulent emails
  • Google isn’t evil, why we like Google
  • Protect your mobile number from hackers
  • Two new iPhone features you should turn on now
  • Google requiring 2-Step Verification to sign-in
  • Chip shortage likely to cause lower supply, higher prices
  • Top 5 password tips that you need to know
  • Reveal the passwords stored in your browser - and check for the logins exposed in a data breach
  • Verizon sells off Yahoo and AOL
  • How to make it easier to read articles in your web browser - use Reader Mode
  • FTC Identity Theft website guides victims through the recovery process
  • How to spot emails, texts and pop-ups that "phish" for your private information
  • Your old cellphone may stop working soon
  • We can help with more than just computers and smartphones
  • How to fix most printer problems
  • Watch the world from home
  • How to send a message or email from your phone correctly
  • Ad blockers becoming less effective
  • Why you don't need to buy AntiVirus for your device
  • Is it time to replace or optimize your Wi-Fi?
  • Be proactive about computer maintenance
  • Why you should keep your computer ON when you're not using it
  • How ads follow you around the internet
  • Are you prepared if you lost your data?
  • Check to see if your email address was exposed in a data breach
  • Are you fed up with your internet provider's email "service"?
  • The one spec your next computer must have

Please consider recommending us on Nextdoor
If you use the neighborhood social network Nextdoor, please consider recommending Mark Cobb @ Computer Techs Reno to your neighbors. We get lots of referrals from neighbors looking for a good "computer tech".


For more information about benefiting from our referral program click more...
Get regular computing device maintenance and priority support
It's time to be proactive about maintaining your computing devices - rather than calling after problems get out-of-control. With reports of websites and databases getting hacked occurring on a daily basis, and the increasing chance of your personal information being compromised, it’s more important than ever to keep your computing devices secure, up-to-date and maintained.

Thanks to the peace-of-mind that our Computer Maintenance Plan provides, clients that sign-up for the plan don't have to worry about the seemingly constant barrage of updates, security patches and computer hackers. They also get priority callbacks and messaging replies.

With our Computer Maintenance Plan we will maintain, update and check the security on your computer - and other devices (when performed on-site) - on a convenient regularly scheduled basis.

For more information read more...


Thank you!

Mark Cobb
Owner/Technician/IT Consultant