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Scam Warning – Fraudulent Rental Property Postings
 The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
recently issued an alert after receiving many complaints from victims of
rental property scams. The common theme in these scams is fraudsters using
the Internet to try and capitalize on the desperation of people needing to
find affordable rental property within a short amount of time.
Here's a typical scenario: You're searching online (on Craig's List or elsewhere)
and come across an ad about a rental home in a great area at a great price.
It appears to be legitimate so you start communicating with the
"owner" by email. You're told the place is yours if you wire money
to cover an application fee, security deposit, first month's rent, etc. You
wire the money and then never hear from the "owner" again.
How does this happen? Scammers hijack legitimate home listings including the
photos, change the contact information, and then list the modified ads on
another site. Or they make up listings for places that aren't for rent or
don't even exist.
Take these precautions to avoid becoming a victim:
- If the rental price sounds too good to be true, it
probably is. Research average rental rates for similar properties in the
area.
- If you're communicating by email, check for common
red flags like poor grammar, misspellings, character/spacing mistakes,
and excessive capitalization.
- Be suspicious if there seems to be an unusually
strong sense of urgency to rent the property quickly or if the person
insists on communicating only by email.
- It's a red flag when the person says he/she currently
lives overseas or is out of the country on business. Scammers often tell
victims this to explain why they can't meet in person.
- Never send money to anyone you haven't met or don't
already know and trust.
- Do your homework online. Search the rental address,
the landlord's name, and any contact information used in the posting
before you proceed.
- Do not fill out a detailed rental application and
return it to an unknown person either by email or postal mail. You put
yourself at risk for identity theft.
Please be careful
out there! You don't want that "home sweet home" to turn sour.
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Speed Change Status Update.
In last
month's newsletter we informed you of our speed changes. We are about 30%
complete and plan to be complete by July 1 with the possible exception of the
Moapa Indian Reservation and the resident's area at the Valley of Fire State
park. It is taking some time because we are retiring older DSL systems and
therefore, need to replace some of our older modems. The Moapa Indian
Reservation and the Valley of Fire resident's area are delayed because we are
waiting on backordered equipment for those locations.
At the Moapa Indian Reservation we plan to install VDSL2 which is the latest
generation of DSL. Wireless companies like AT&T and Verizon advertise 3G
and 4G service which is short for 3rd generation and 4th generation. We could
call VDSL2 the 4th generation of DSL at MVT Internet. First we started with
an HDSL service that offered a maximum speed of 768 Kbs. Our second
generation was ADSL which had a maximum speed of 8 Mbs. The third generation
was ADSL2+ which can provide measurable speeds of 40 Mbs with the use of pair
bonding—putting two ADSL2+ lines together into one DSL modem. The fourth
generation is VDSL2. In our lab we are measuring speeds of 100 Mbs. With pair
bonding and other tactics this speed will only increase.
The gold standard for Internet access is fiber optics. No other technology
comes close to matching its speed and reliability. Currently we have the
schools and libraries all connected with fiber. We also have some businesses
connected and some residents in northern Logandale. Our goal is to make fiber
optics and VDSL2 available to an increasing number of customers.
At MVT Internet we've had a history of providing speed increases to our
customers without increasing their cost. We fully expect this history to
continue, and we are continuing to make improvements to our network to meet
the ever growing demand for more speed.
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Two To View – A Couple Of Amazing Videos You Don't Want To
Miss
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Oh Baby! This Boy
Is Strong!
At just 9-10 months of age, baby Jonas is already displaying an impressive
combination of upper-body strength and determination. Take a look as he
does chin-ups on the edge of the desk in order to try and see what's
playing on the computer screen.
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Delightful Dog Duo
Dining
With a little help from four human hands, two dogs enjoy a meal at a busy
restaurant. You can't help but smile as you watch them politely dab their
mouths with napkins, eat from china bowls using silverware, and interact
with each other and the waitress.
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This Month's FAQ – How Can I Tell If My Computer Might Be
Infected With Malware?
 Question: Lately, my computer has been acting strangely and I'm
concerned that something is wrong. Is there a way to tell if it's infected
with malware?
Answer: There are common warning signs (listed below) of the presence
of malware and if your computer is exhibiting them, it could very well be
infected. Keep in mind, however, that some of these symptoms could be caused
by other reasons; for example, slow performance could be due to insufficient
hard drive space.
A sudden change in how your computer is running is often the result of
malware. Watch for the following signs:
- Slowness
- Your computer suddenly takes much longer than before to run programs,
access files or the Internet, or even shut down.
- Freezes
- Your computer frequently seizes up or you can't leave websites or
close your Web browser.
- Frequent pop-up messages - Be especially vigilant if these are warnings that
you need to purchase software to remedy a security threat. (The software
is generally fake.)
- New browser homepage – Malware, once installed on your system, can change
browser settings without your knowledge. A sign of this is an unexpected
change in your browser homepage to a site you typically don't visit.
- Mysterious messages
- Your friends and family receive email messages from your account but
you didn't send them. Or they notice status updates on Facebook or
Twitter that couldn't possibly have been posted by you.
- Automatic start-ups
- Familiar programs on your computer (or ones you didn't know were
there) start unexpectedly or you're randomly connected to unknown
websites.
Remember, prevention
is always better than cure when it comes to malware so make sure you keep
your computer's security software updated. Please contact us if you need
additional information or recommendations.
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Sites Of The Month – Great Sites To Check Out In June
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 Fresh Recipes For Summer
food.com/recipes/summer – What's
on the menu for your family this summer? If it's backyard entertaining,
picnics in the park, and shopping at farmers' markets, you'll find new
recipes here to fit the bill perfectly. Try the Chipotle Taco Burger,
Creamy Corned Zucchini and Peppers, Greek Salad Skewers, or Frozen
Cappuccino Bars.
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 Learn About Teen Challenges
notmykid.org – The challenges
kids and families face today are complex and have the potential to
devastate lives and derail futures. This site provides facts and resources
on topics including substance abuse, depression, eating disorders, safe
dating, bullying, and Internet safety. Learn the warning signs and find out
how to take action to help your child.
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 History Meets Mystery
mysteriousplaces.com – Who
made the head statues on Easter Island? How was Stonehenge constructed? Why
did the Mayans build pyramids? You can explore sacred sites and ancient
civilizations around the world by visiting this site. If you want an even
closer look, check out the travel information to help plan trips to these
exotic destinations.
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 Keep Caring For Your Car
carcare.org – To keep your car
safe, dependable, and on the road longer, you need to keep up with
recommended maintenance. This site can help by building a service schedule
for your car when you enter the make and model. You can even have service
reminders emailed to you. Also, be sure to check out the "Ask the
Tech" and DIY sections.
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 Civil War 150th Anniversary
nps.gov/civilwar – Although
150 years in the past, the Civil War's causes and consequences still
reverberate today. This new website from the National Park Service features
an impressive collection of Civil War stories, photos, and illustrations as
well as a timeline and map of battles. You can even get a firsthand account
on Twitter by following @CivilWarReportr.
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Short Tutorial – Changing The Default Search Engine On Your
Browser
Are you searching for a new twist to your computer routine?
Perhaps changing your default search engine would do the trick. While Google
remains number one in the search engine rankings, you may want to start regularly
using one of the other popular options such as Bing, Yahoo! Search, or Ask.
Simply follow the steps below for your browser and operating system.
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 Changing The Default Search Engine In The
Search Bar When Using...
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer
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Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7
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1. With Internet Explorer open, click your
cursor arrow on the down arrow on the right side of the Search Bar (to the
right of the magnifying glass) and select "Add" from the resulting
drop-down menu.
2. When the Manage Add-ons window opens, make
sure "Search Providers" is selected and then click on the search
provider of your choice. If you don't see your favorite search engine on the
list, choose "Find More Search Providers" from the bottom of the
window.
3. Once you have chosen the new search
provider, click the "Set as default" button and your new selection
will be labeled "Default" in the "Status" field.
4. Click the "Close" button to save
your changes and close the Manage Add-ons window. The Search Bar will now
show the name of your new search provider.
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Changing The Default Search Engine In The
Search Bar When Using...
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer
9
Computer Operating System: Windows Vista and Windows 7
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1. With Internet Explorer open, click your
cursor arrow on the down arrow on the right side of the Search Bar (to the
right of the magnifying glass) and select the icon of the search provider you
prefer from the bottom of the drop-down menu.
2. If you do not see the icon of the search
provider you prefer, click on the "Add" icon from the bottom-right
of the drop-down menu.
3. When the Manage Add-ons window opens, make
sure "Search Providers" is selected and then click on the search
provider of your choice. If you don't see your favorite search engine on the
list, try sorting the list by selecting "most popular" from the top
of the list.
4. Once you have chosen the new search
provider, click the "Add to Internet Explorer" button. You will
have the option to make this your default search provider in the resulting
pop-up window.
5. Click the "Add" button to save
your choice. The icon of your newly added search provider will now be
available in the search drop-down menu described in step 1.
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 Changing The Default Search Engine In The
Search Bar When Using...
Internet Browser: Mozilla Firefox*
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7,
and Mac OS X
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1. With Firefox open, click your cursor arrow
on the down arrow on the left side of the Search Bar field and select one of
the other search engine options from the resulting drop-down menu. If you
don't see your favorite search engine in the list, choose "Manage Search
Engines" to add even more.
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 Changing The Default Search Engine In The
Search Bar When Using...
Internet Browser: Google Chrome*
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7,
and Mac OS X
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1. With Chrome open, click your cursor arrow on
the icon that looks like a wrench in the far right corner of the screen and
select "Settings" from the resulting drop-down menu.
2. The Basics window will open. In the
"Search:" section, click on the down arrow to display other search
engine options. Select the one that you would like to make as the default. If
you don't see your favorite search engine in the list, choose "Manage
Search Engines" to add even more.
3. Close the tab to finalize your changes.
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 Changing The Default Search Engine In The
Search Bar When Using...
Internet Browser: Safari*
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7,
and Mac OS
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1. With Safari open, click your cursor arrow on
the down arrow on the left side of the Search Bar field (to the right of the
magnifying glass) and select one of the other search engine options from the
resulting drop-down menu.
2. Alternatively, you can manage your default
search engine on the "General" tab of the Safari Preferences
accessed through the top Safari menu.
* Tutorial written
for the latest non-beta version of the browser available at publishing time.
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We hope you found
this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the
happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins,
click here.
Thanks for your business!
Best regards
Brad Lyon
Internet Manager
Moapa Valley Telephone Company
183 S Anderson St
Overton, NV 89040
702-397-2601
©2012 Cornerstone
Publishing Group Inc.
Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are
trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.
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