Scammers are on the rise, because they know we’re home. How to stop them dead in their tracks? A friend called today who answered a call from (supposedly) Amazon, claiming they owe hundreds of dollars, because someone ordered things on their account. They said “I’m trying to help you resolve this. ” SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM  How do I know? Amazon, Apple, eBay, IRS, your bank, credit card companies, phone company, Social Security and most all reliable companies will NEVER CALL YOU. If it FEELS ODD, just hang up. If they call back, don’t answer. You can always call the company or go online to check your account REMEMBER: Once you answer, they KNOW you’re a real, live potential victim. When scammers find out you’re real, they can SELL your info to other scammers. STOP  ANSWERING YOUR PHONE Let all your calls go to voicemail, unless you recognize the caller ID Simple guidelines to stay safe. Make sure all your friends, relatives, doctors, banks, investment companies, stores, people you do business with, are in your contacts. That way, the caller ID will be visable and you can decide if they are a friend or foe. Scam callers should show “Possible Scam” on your phone WHEN IN DOUBT, DON’T ANSWER. LET IT GO TO VOICEMAIL CHECK IT CALL BACK IF YOU KNOW WHO IT IS If you want to double check, CALL the company and double check. ASK: Did you call me? Is there anything on my account I should know about? For the fake Amazon call, we went to her account on line and checked her orders. There was no orders for anything odd. PROBLEM SOLVED AGAIN, JUST …. STOP  ANSWERING YOUR PHONE Unless you know who it is. By the way, T-Mobile has a new free app in the app store to help with fake calls. It’s called SCAM SHIELD Download at the app store and it helps identify callers. I’m hoping to send more items like this to help you all stay safe. I have been gathering a lot of information about online privacy. It’s a HUGE issue and most people don’t grasp the dangers of what private information we’re giving away to companies who are selling our information to the highest bidders. Google, Facebook, Instagram and others are the worst offenders. There are solutions. My goal is to distill this huge amount of information, so it’ll be easy for you to take control, not be a victim or lose your personal identity, your social security, your savings, investments and more. Good news: The new upcoming release of our IOS (iPhone and iPad Operating System) makes it clear what private info we give away, so we can choose. Facebook, Google and other companies HATE this, because they won’t be able to hide the preferences. Remember, Facebook, Google and other big tech companies give you free software, BUT, in return, they’re making billions using your private information. BE SMART and I’LL DO MY BEST TO HELP YOU STAY SAFE. More on this later. ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARTISTS: I’VE BEEN USING MY TIME INDOORS TO POST SOME OF MY PHOTOS ON A FREE WEBSITE AIMED AT CREATIVE PEOPLE. CHECK OUT MY SITE TAP ON A PHOTO TO SEE ALL THE PRODUCTS MADE USING YOUR PHOTOS. IT’S BRILLIANT. AND PLEASE KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS  TOO. YOU CAN ALSO SELL YOUR ART AND PRODUCTS WITH YOUR ART, LIKE COFFEE MUGS, TOWELS, BAGS, AND EVEN MASKS FOR VIRUS PROTECTION. IT’S A LOT EASIER THAN IT LOOKS. I PROMISE. THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS IN PLACE. ALL YOU DO IS ADD PHOTOS OR YOUR ARTWORK. F R E E   F U N Here’s the link to my site. https://rrandallschroeder.pixels.com  Let me know what you think? Click here to start your own gallery for free. Stay happy and safe, Randy