Live alone? Here are 7 tech tips to help you feel safe
There are many perks to living on your own. You can dance around the living room to your favorite oldies. All the dirty dishes in the sink are yours and yours alone — washing them can wait.
Perhaps best of all, nobody will be upset if you decide to spend Saturday binging your favorite show. But that comes at its own cost. You’re not alone if you’ve noticed that your streaming bills have been creeping up. Tap or click here for some secrets to rein in your costs.
But there’s another side to the solo life. Fear and doubt can creep in when you’re on your own. You might read about break-ins or theft on social media or worry about local crime. Remember: Just because you live alone doesn’t mean you don’t need to feel safe.
1. Get to know your neighbors
Have you met your neighbors? While staying cocooned in your own world is easy, getting to know your neighbors can be one of the best ways to feel more secure when you live alone. Introduce yourself. Exchange phone numbers if you feel comfortable with them. You’ll feel better knowing the neighborhood has your back.
A great way to get to know the locals is to join a buy nothing group. This is where neighbors pass around items they no longer use. Let’s say you’re upgrading your TV and need to get rid of the old one. Rather than go through the trouble of selling it, just ask if anyone nearby would like to come and get it.
Tap or click here to check out a safe way to give away and get free stuff in your neighborhood.
2. Install a smart security system
Home security technology has come a long way since the days of elaborate hard-wired systems with lengthy, expensive contracts. You can now customize a system for your home that’s comprehensive, affordable and takes advantage of the latest tech.
Our sponsor, SimpliSafe, is an award-winning home security system, so you know it’s engineered with the latest technology you want to keep your family safe. But what really sets SimpliSafe apart is its people: Highly trained security experts who are always there for you when you need them most.
SimpliSafe is there 24/7 with experts trained to not only keep you safe but to make you feel safe and never alone. It’s one of the many reasons U.S. News called SimpliSafe “the best home security of 2022.”
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Have an AirTag? Bad news: It can be hacked to steal your Apple account
Losing your stuff can be frustrating. You try to backtrack and still can’t find what you’re looking for. GPS trackers solve this problem by showing you the location of your things. Apple threw its hat in the ring by releasing AirTag trackers. Just attach one to your car keys, purse, TV remote or whatever you don’t want to lose.
Gas pump skimmers can steal your money - How to spot them and protect your credit card
You wouldn’t think your local gas station is a hotspot for cybercriminals. But you’d be wrong. These crafty thieves have been ripping people off for years at gas stations.
The common method is through card skimming and can be done in the blink of an eye. Criminals attach a card reading device to the pay point at the pump and capture your credit or debit card’s details. Tap or click here to see the difference between skimmers and shimmers.
Scammers are impersonating FBI agents. Don't let your family fall for it
Some robocalls are easy to spot. When a robotic voice warns your Netflix account is locked or that a credit card you don’t have has been compromised, it’s obvious you should just hang up.
But not all scam calls are so easy to spot. Thieves are always coming up with clever ways to trick victims out of their personal data and rip them off. Thankfully there are some steps you can take to stop scam and robocalls on your own. Tap or click here for ways to stop them in their tracks.
Holiday deliveries on the way? 6 ways to protect your packages
Each year, thefts hit an all-time high during the holiday season. People everywhere are desperate to find gifts for their loved ones, and the sheer amount of people with expensive goods in their cars or on their porch is too tempting for criminals to resist.
Contact tracing apps: 4 potential privacy issues you should know about
Apple and Google made headlines when they announced they’d be working together to bring contact tracing to smartphones all over the world. This practice, now in place in many countries, has been key to slowing the COVID-19 pandemic and preventing extensive community spread of the deadly virus.
Looters won't be able to use iPhones swiped from Apple Stores - here's why
Apple has long included security features for its smartphones and other gadgets, and one of the most prominent the company has to offer comes bundled with every single iOS device it makes: Activation Lock.
This feature works by using your Apple ID and password to ensure the phone can be tracked if stolen. What’s more, it can remotely erase the device if the user logs in via iCloud.com. And because this feature takes place at the firmware level, resetting the phone won’t remove the lock. This even applies to people selling their own phones! Tap or click to see why.
New scam spreading online: Grocery orders stolen before being delivered
It’s been a rough few weeks, but the fruits of our social distancing efforts are finally starting to pay off. The spread of the virus seems to have slowed significantly, and early death projections are being revised in favor of much smaller ones.