Dennis Faas

Infopackets Reader 'Oadby' writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently received a spoofed phishing email from my own email address. But Outlook won't let me report it as it thinks it's from me! Is there a way to report them? I know it's probably useless but I ... try to do my bit. Also, why don't email programs and services provide a simple way to see where an email has originally come from in order to prevent spoofing? " My response: Thanks for your message - I'll explain how to report a spoofed or phishing email below - but first, let's understand what some of the terminology means for those who might ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Tyler M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just came across your article on Facebook Dating sextortion article - thanks for that. I have a somewhat different issue, though similar. While on vacation in Thailand, I met a beautiful local ... woman at a bar in Bangkok. She offered to be my personal guide (plus benefits!) and promised to show me around for the duration of my visit. I was skeptical at first, but knew that this type of ' transactional relationship ' was common in Thailand. After a few drinks I gave in - we exchanged numbers and added each other on Instagram. Everything seemed ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jenna M. writes: "Dear Dennis, Thanks for your article on Being Harassed on Instagram - it was a very informative read. I have a much more complicated issue: I separated from my husband last year and recently decided to give ... Facebook Dating a try. A few days in, I matched with a man who said he was an architect from a nearby city. He was attractive, polite, and claimed his wife had cheated on him. He told me he was originally from Germany and his daughter lives there. His profile said he lives in Minnesota - but his phone number has a New York area code. Not long after ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sarah B. writes: " Dear Dennis, Please help - I'm being harassed on Instagram . A few months ago, I met a guy on Instagram claiming to be stationed overseas in the US Military. He moves from base to base, which makes it difficult ... for him to stay in touch with people. Initially, he was sweet, charming, and always had a good excuse for why we couldn't video chat - so we exchange some photos instead. At first, he just wanted someone to talk to, but not long after, he hinted that he was struggling financially. He needed money for things like Internet access, food, and other ' ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Mark R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just came across your article on How to Stop Cyber Harassment and I'm reaching out because my teenage son is brutally being harassed online . He recently met a girl in a chat group on Reddit; she ... seemed nice at first, and claims to live nearby. They chatted for a few days, then things got more 'personal': she convinced him to move to Snapchat, where they exchanged some private messages and pictures. After that, the tone shifted instantly and now she's demanding money. She's taken screenshots of all of his Instagram followers and says ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sam J. writes: "Dear Dennis, My teenage son got caught up in an online sextortion scam. He thought he was talking to a girl his age on Instagram, but it turned out to be a scammer who tricked him into sharing private photos. He ... already sent the blackmailers $500 in Steam cards. Now, they're threatening to send those images to his friends and family unless we pay more. He's terrified, ashamed, and deeply depressed. As a father, I feel completely helpless. How can I stop cyber harassment and online blackmail in order to protect my son? Please help!" My response: If you or ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Dennis J. writes: " Dear Dennis, What happens when Windows 10 reaches end of life after October 14, 2025? My computer isn't compatible with upgrading to Windows 11. Will I still be able to operate using Windows 10 safely? I have ... MalwareBytes but I don't understand these things. I'm retired, and just shy of 80, and can't afford a new computer this year. I'd appreciate your advice thank you. " My response: Thanks for your question. As you mentioned, after October 14, 2025 your Windows 10 PC will no longer receive security updates. One option is to pay Microsoft for Extended ... (view more)

Would you entrust your data to an AI system that may be subject to one of the world's most sophisticated surveillance regimes ? Recently, DeepSeek has gained national headlines as a disruptive AI pricing model. On one hand, the promise of cheaper AI ... services is tempting, especially for businesses and individuals who rely on AI for content generation, data analysis, and automation. On the other hand, DeepSeek is owned and operated by a Chinese entity, raising serious concerns about privacy, security, and potential government overreach. DeepSeek: High-Performance AI at a Low Cost DeepSeek has ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jarold K. writes: " Dear Dennis, I own a small business and have eight PCs running Windows 10, including an already unsupported Windows Server 2012 machine. I had a tech that managed this for us but he's moved on, so I am looking ... for someone else to manage this for us and came across one of your older articles. At any rate, we keep receiving messages that Windows 10 will reach 'end of life' in October 2025 and will no longer receive security updates . I ran the 'PC Health Check' app, and none of the devices are able to upgrade to Windows 11. I understand upgrading is ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Mike D. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just purchased an AMD Ryzen 9700x (8 core, 16 threat, 65 watt TDP, 4nm) and MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi motherboard. The processor is a beast and can handle just about everything I throw at it - plus ... it stays nice and cool. Unfortunately, I have an audio lag issue when playing videos . When I click to start a video, it plays the video straight away, but the audio won't start playing until a few seconds later. To be clear, this is not an 'audio out of sync' issue - the audio is muted for a few seconds whenever I start playing a video. The same ... (view more)