Social Media Scams – not so innocent fun!

Beware the fun social media scam! What may initially seem innocent enough, having a question asked about what your favourite car is, or your star sign, may quickly become a security headache. Many fun social media questionnaires are set up by hackers to steal your identity.


For instance these quizzes might ask for details such as:

  • What was your first job?
  • What was the name of your first-grade teacher?
  • What car did you learn to drive in?
  • What was your first concert?

These popular quizzes promise to tell your “rock star” name or your “silent film villain” name. You know it’s as reliable as the Magic Eight ball, but you play along anyway. We all need a laugh, right?

Except that the people really laughing are hackers. Many of the questions posed are also security prompts used to verify your identity online.

Cybersecurity experts agree: don’t take these quizzes. It’s not as if there is any real value in filling out the social questionnaire. You’re simply taking the bait and risking having your personal data stolen.

Avoiding Social Media Scams

Here are some tips to help keep you safe from social media hackers:

  • Don’t get hooked by clicking on that post that seems too good to be true, especially shocking, or scandalous.
  • Be wary of any quiz that asks for information that could be relevant to your online password.
  • If you must quiz, fill out questionnaires on reputable websites only.
  • Avoid quizzes that ask you to provide your email address.
  • Contact companies through trusted channels only.
  • Make sure that you are dealing with the proper entity’s real website and not a look-alike site created by a scammer.

Also, think twice about apps that change your face into a cartoon character or a painting. Facial recognition is a more common security tool. Be cautious about letting unknown apps collect your photos and facial details.

What to Do If Your Online Accounts Are Hacked

#1 Have your devices inspected by a respected IT provider that you know. 

This is one more area to be wary. Scam artists will set up sites that appear to be affiliated to the manufacturer or phone numbers that appear to go to technical support specialists. It’s best to take your devices to a physical repair shop with a real human doing the work.

#2 Change your passwords. 

When your account is hacked, you’ll want to change that password immediately. Plus, as annoying as it is, change passwords for all accounts accessed on the compromised device. The hackers may have installed a malware that tracked all data transmitted on the device.

#3 Set up credit monitoring. 

Notify any financial institutions or credit card companies if those accounts are hacked. You’ll likely need to have them issue you new cards with fresh account numbers. You can also ask them to monitor your accounts for fraudulent transactions. You might also set up credit monitoring with your region’s credit reporting agencies.

Keep in mind that criminals can be patient and may not use your information right away. So, don’t think you’re in the clear because nothing happens in the first month.

Worried? It’s okay we can help you….

Need help protecting your devices and online accounts? Easy, all you need to do is get in touch with us to find out how to best protect yourself. You can email us  to have a complimentary chat.

ClipTraining – the new efficient way to train!

Imagine having a way that you provide training for your team remotely, upskill your team effortlessly, and increase productivity. 

These days many employees work remotely. Modernised self-service e-learning solutions have become the new gold standard for IT here in Northland.

ClipTraining is a new self-service eLearning solution for Microsoft 365. With it, you can upskill your team with top notch, bite sized training, track their progress, decrease help desk enquiries, provide training remotely… and all for a very, very low cost! 

What is ClipTraining? 

ClipTraining is the new way for companies to provide training to their staff without overwhelming them. Clip Training is an e-learning solution provider, offering task-based training focused on Microsoft Technology.  

It has over 5,000 short 2-3 minute videos covering Microsoft 365, Windows and other productivity apps. It is the ultimate, searchable library of knowledge we have all been waiting for!  

How can ClipTraining benefit your business? 

#1. Increase productivity by upskilling your team effortlessly. 

One of the best ways to boost productivity is to ensure that your team is kept up to date with their skills. ClipTraining means that your team can improve their skills with the software they use every day, without being overwhelmed. 

#2. Teams Teams Teams 

Now you don’t have to go anywhere for training! All of the training videos are available inside a native Teams application. You don’t even need to open a new window. 

#3. No more annoying calls to the Helpdesk!  

Imagine being able to quickly find the exact training video that you needed. Adoptees of ClipTraining have found that client calls to the helpdesk are massively reduced. Not only that, but users also feel more empowered, can get on with their work, making workflow better.   

#4. Bite Sized learning 

Short lessons mean that you and your team can learn in bite sized chunks, rather than being overwhelmed with information. Not only that – but they can explore what they are most passionate about or interested in. 

#5. Training on any device – anywhere, anytime! 

One of the big advantages is that you can upskill on the go! Maybe you or your team need training while out in the field. With a cloud-based Learning Platform and mobile friendly design, users can improve their skills from anywhere using any device – laptops, smartphones and tablets.  

#6. Learn from the BEST. 

The training videos are created by industry experts, meaning that the information you receive is highly reputable and from trusted sources. No need to travel to a big city to get the best training. 

#7. Regular Updates 

Technology is always changing, and ClipTraining keeps up with these changes, with videos being added regularly. That way your team will never be left behind. 

#8. Easily monitor your teams Professional Development 

With ClipTraining you can easily keep track of what your team is learning, their professional development and who has completed any required training videos. This means less time and money tied up in long-winded training programs, less time away from the office and reduced cost. Understanding their interests and needs will also give you great insight into how to develop them too! 

#9. Easy Search Function 

Fully text-indexed search capabilities means your team can find videos quickly. Nothing worse than searching forever, only to find they do not have what you need. 

#10. Easily train new employees… 

Onboarding is always a pretty resource heavy procedure. The best way to get a new employee up to speed is to give them a bit of a plan. With ClipTraining you can set up a specific training curriculum for new-hire onboarding, matched to job roles or departments. Magic! 

#11. Clip-Training provides value for money. 

Clip Training provides GREAT value for money in comparison with other training.  

Want to get started? 

Easy, all you need to do is get in touch with us to find out how this might work for you. You can email us  to have a complimentary chat. We can easily answer your questions, show you a demo of ClipTraining and help you to understand how ClipTraining can work specifically for your organisation. 

By: Derek Morgan – ClipTraining – APAC Representative