These are a few of the exciting internet banking security features that banks are keeping you safe from banking scams in 2025. We often cover the doom and gloom of internet scams, reminding readers to secure their accounts and use strong passwords. With Kiwis losing over $1.6 billion to online threats in 2024, it’s clear scams are a serious risk. But 2025 is looking brighter; banks are introducing new tools and protections to help keep your hard-earned money safer than ever.

Discover our favourite internet banking security features from Kiwi banks. Make sure that if you’re a customer, you make the most of these exciting new features. This is not an exhaustive list, so be sure to research what security features your bank has.

One major feature that has now rolled out to all major Kiwi banks is Confirmation of Payee. You’d have likely noticed this if you’ve recently paid someone new. This is when the banking app or website checks to make sure the name and account details match up, ensuring you’re not paying the wrong person.

New ASB security features

Aside from the standards like 2FA and Face ID, ASB has made some exciting announcements in 2025 designed to keep Kiwis safer when banking or shopping online.

Caller Check

Caller Check is ASB’s latest innovation in its fight against scammers. The tool helps protect customers from impersonation scams by allowing ASB customers to confirm they’re speaking with an actual ASB employee when they receive a call from the bank. This is done using a push notification from the ASB Mobile Banking App. Scammers will often call victims claiming to be from trusted organisations, including banks. This feature allows you to verify that simply and easily, using a trusted app already on your device.

24/7 Fraud Line

Although launched in 2024, the ASB 24/7 fraud line is a great resource for customers who require urgent help. The helpline is able to provide advice and assistance to victims and potential victims around the clock.

New Westpac security features

ASB is not the only bank to roll out new security features and tools designed to keep its customers safe. Westpac Bank has improved online shopping security for its customers with its latest security tool.

Digital Westpac Card

A digital card has a few benefits to users, including convenience and accessibility but the main drawcard is the added security provided by a dynamic security code. This replaces your regular 3-digit CVC on the back of your card and changes every 24 hours in the Westpac One app. This means you can shop with extra peace of mind, knowing that if your card details are entered into an unsafe website or recorded by scammers, they won’t be able to continue shopping with your card details once the CVC resets. Westpac is the first New Zealand Bank to offer a dynamic security code feature alongside instant issuance for debit cards.

24/7 Helpline

Just like ASB, Westpac bank also has a 24/7 helpline for urgent assistance. Meaning as soon as you are suspicious that something isn’t quite right, you can reach out to the bank and get things sorted.

Recent BNZ Internet Banking Security Improvements

BNZ also has some great security features that go above the likes of 2FA and in-app card blocking. Their biggest new features were introduced late last year and are designed to improve customer safety and reduce the number of successful scam attacks.

Online Banking Lock

This feature lets customers disable all online banking activity if they suspect a scammer has gained access to their accounts. BNZ says “While anyone who suspects they’re the victim of a scammer should always call their bank immediately, this tool gives customers the ability to lock their online banking while they’re making the call.”

To regain access, customers must verify their identity in a branch. This is a great feature with instant results, saving precious seconds in the important time immediately following or during a scam attack.

Voice identification

Again, not an entirely new feature but one that is sure to provide some peace of mind. BNZ has extra protection when you call to speak with the Contact Centre. This is in the form of a pre-set voice identification, allowing the bank to securely identify callers.

No More NetGuard

NetGuard cards were seen as a breakthrough for internet banking security in 2006 when they were first launched. Of course in the nearly 20 years since then the online banking landscape has changed a lot. BNZ has used an app-based system to authenticate logins since 2012 but has only recently scrapped the NetGuard option altogether.

ANZ Security Features

ANZ has a stack of security features designed to keep internet banking users and online shoppers safe. These include their versions of some of the features mentioned above.

ANZ Dynamic Security Code

This feature is the same as Westpac’s, with the changing CVC number, however ANZ’s option has a shorter window, changing every 12 hours. This acts as an extra layer of protection for your ANZ Visa card when shopping online.

Control How Your Card Can Be Used

One interesting security feature that not every bank has is the ability to turn off certain types of purchasing. In the ANZ goMoney app, users can turn on and off online shopping, overseas in-person purchases, contactless and online gambling purchases.

This gives you peace of mind and added security by limiting what exactly a scammer could do if they gained access to your card details.

Biometric identification

You may have seen videos of this online already. ANZ has numerous options for biometric identification, including Voice ID. Voice ID allows you to log in to ANZ Phone Banking or identify yourself with our contact centre with your own unique and secure voiceprint. This is a great extra layer of security, especially if you prefer to do your regular banking over the phone. It can also give you extra security when making payments above $10,000 in the ANZ goMoney app, by verifying your identity using your unique voiceprint.

Other Good News

Even if you didn’t see your bank mentioned, chances are they have some great security features in place. All of New Zealand’s major banks have 24/7 monitoring, keeping an eye out for suspicious transactions. Most banks now require some form of two-factor authentication. Most also have some form of guarantee or protection in the event you are scammed through no fault of your own. There will be terms and conditions with these, so make sure you’re complying with them whenever you’re using your cards or accessing your accounts.

Need help identifying scams?

In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, online safety has never been more important. At Geeks on Wheels, we understand the need for a reliable defence against the ever-growing threat of online scams. That’s why we’ve developed GeekSafe – a membership designed to empower you. Providing the tools and knowledge to stay safe online, ensuring you can browse, email, and connect with confidence. For just $85 A YEAR, you can unlock a world of online safety knowledge and protection.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is no longer just a buzzword, it’s everywhere, that’s why spotting AI is so important! From social media to the arts and media! With it becoming so mainstream, the line between what’s real and what’s not becomes blurred.

Unfortunately, you can’t check every piece of media with an AI content detector. So, improving your AI spotting skills is a must! Sometimes, content is conveniently marked as AI-created. Other times, it’s simply not. Avoid being misled, start spotting AI-generated content today.

AI-generated images

AI-generated images often look a bit too perfect! The lighting might seem too even, and the contents of the image can appear glossy and artificial. AI struggles with the finer details, so always make sure to check for distorted imagery in the background of an image and look out for garbled text and numbers. Also, if there are persons present in an image, check that they don’t have extra or misplaced hands and limbs. This is a dead giveaway!

For detailed instructions on spotting AI-generated images, make sure to check out our dedicated blog. You’ll be a pro AI content detector in no time!

Spotting AI-generated videos

The first thing you should be thinking to yourself is, “Does this scenario seem believable?” If a video’s contents are unbelievable, or too good to be true, stay suspicious and look for other signs. Like AI-generated images, an obvious sign that a video is AI-generated is if the quality of the video looks too perfect, glossy and artificial.

We’d also suggest looking out for discontinuity when spotting AI content. For example, an item of clothing might change colour across different clips or different elements may blend into each other.

Unnatural body posture or facial movements is another giveaway. If the mouth or chin area looks blurred and the audio doesn’t sync with the mouth, treat the video’s origins with suspicion!

With Google’s release of Veo 3, their latest AI video model, AI-generated videos have become a lot harder to spot! It’s worth mentioning, AI-generated videos don’t always look polished or high quality.

Many people creating and posting AI-generated videos are now using poorer quality clips to make them more believable. Passing them off as security camera footage or clips filmed on a mobile phone.

Audio quality is currently another way that you can spot AI videos. Voices often sound metallic and tinny. Read our next section to learn more. Keep in mind, updates will likely fix these flaws very soon. AI is rapidly evolving and will likely not be distinguishable from non-AI-generated content in what could be a matter of months.

AI-generated audio

AI has provided the ability to copy a person’s voice and pretend to be someone else. This also makes it a great tool for scammers who can imitate a loved one or someone you know. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use an AI content detector for a phone call.

So, if you get a call or a voice message that seems suspicious, listen closely. Is there oddly no background noise at all? Or is there background noise that sounds unnatural, such as static or crackling noises?

Oddities like this should be an indication that something is not legitimate. If you pay attention to the speaker’s voice, does their tone sound robotic, flat or unnatural? Context clues are also important to pay attention to. It’s strange to get a call from your high school friend saying, “Hello, I’m having trouble remembering the name of our history teacher, could you help me out?”

An unexpected call out of the blue like this could be an attempt to gather personal information to access accounts. Another common tactic is using the voice of a loved one in distress. Err on the side of caution; you could be very likely listening to AI-generated audio.

Make a safeword with your loved ones.

We suggest families create a “safeword” that only they know. This can be used to verify their identity to each other. This method has even been recommended by the FBI.

According to the FBI “Criminals exploit generative artificial intelligence (AI) to commit fraud on a larger scale, which increases the believability of their schemes. Generative AI reduces the time and effort criminals must expend to deceive their targets.” Criminals can create convincing images and videos of loved ones in distressing situations. These are designed to cause victims to act without thinking, as well as provide money, information and sensitive data.

Creating a secret word or phrase with your family is an important way to verify their identity. Make sure this phrase isn’t shared online.

For more advice on scam protection, staying safe online and/or spotting AI-generated content, call the Geeks on 0800 424 335. We’re here to help!

This 2025 International Youth Day just been, we’re homing in on prevalent scams that are affecting popular online games for kids! In particular, we’ll be focusing on Roblox scams, Minecraft scams and Fortnite scams!

We know it’s more often than not a parent’s card connected to their child’s gaming account. That’s why we’ve put together this handy blog which lists common scams on each online game and details how exactly they work. If anything, it serves as a perfect opportunity to initiate a family discussion around online safety tips for kids. That way, you can avoid any unexpected transactions on your credit card in the future!

Roblox

Roblox has been around since 2006 and it has become a hugely popular gaming choice for kids, mostly under 16 years of age. It’s got a pretty distinctive look, with characters giving off a boxy and animated appearance. Some might even say it slightly resembles Lego! It’s like a virtual playground rather than a single game. Kids can play a wide variety of user-created games, or even build their own to share with other players.

Roblox fake trading scams

Like all of the online games for kids that we’ll be covering in this blog, trading scams are probably the most prevalent. In this Roblox scam players will trick victims into giving up Robux (the games digital currency) in exchange for something else.

Roblox has official system features, one their “trade feature” and the other their “selling feature”. Any trades or deals made outside of these features are unofficial and therefore suspicious of intent.

Some examples of suspicious trades include:

• If another player requests to “borrow” your account or items or even suggests to “lend” their own.
• Making a trade where the other player makes you go first.
• When another player offers to sell or trade for you on the condition they have access to your accounts and items.

If a trade feels risky, it probably is. So don’t risk it and opt out!

Free Robux generator scams

“Free Robux generator” scams can appear anywhere online, from YouTube videos to links in Roblox games and even in search results that rank high on the search engine results page.

These “free generators” will always result in your account, your Robux and your other items being stolen. Or in some cases, Malware being loaded onto your device. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as free Robux, free memberships, tricks or codes. So if a shady website or pop-up ad is promising you any of these freebies, walk away!

Buying and selling experiences

A Roblox “experience” refers to a user-created game or virtual world that is generated using the Roblox studio. They can be owned by one individual user, or a group of users.

Unlike the trading and buying of other stuff, Roblox has no official way to buy or sell experiences. And, since there is no official system, Roblox suggests not giving other players Robux or any other items in exchange for an experience. 

Usually, a scam will start when a scammer offers to buy or build experiences for victims on the condition that they provide access to their account, aka providing login details. This often results in the scammer stealing other items, Robux, and ultimately taking over the victim’s account.

Spam chain mail scams

This particular Roblox scam creates a sense of urgency and pressures the victim by strongly implying something terrible will happen to the them and their account should they not share a circulating message. The message will read something like, “Forward this or something bad will happen”.

This is obviously a hoax. Roblox has no policies or features that would require such a thing to avoid facing “negative consequences”. These messages are designed to spread malware using malicious links and could result in stolen data.

It’s also worth noting that if you do forward along messages like these, your account could get a legitimate warning from Roblox themselves for spamming.

Minecraft

Minecraft was initially released in 2009 and was created by Markus Persson, also known as Notch. Explained simply, it’s a sand box game where players can build, explore and survive in an iconic pixelated terrain. It’s seen as one of the more beneficial online games for kids, thanks to its educational value. It’s even been used in schools! There are five different game modes that players can choose from. Survival mode, hardcore mode, creative mode, adventure mode and spectator mode.

Fake Minecraft app scams

Recently, an investigation found 80 fake Minecraft mobile apps on Google’s Play Store that were downloaded approximately a whopping million times!

These malicious apps will aim to do a number of things. They spam users with ads, redirect users to shady websites, and/or spread malware that’s main purpose is to steal important information and data from the victim.

Our online safety tips for kids, when it comes to downloading applications, include the following.

• Only download from trusted sources. (Apple’s app store, Google’s Play Store, Microsoft Store etc.…)
• Check out reviews and app permissions before you hit install.
• Keep your device up to date so it has the latest security software.
• Ensure you have a reputable anti-virus loaded onto your device. We recommend Malwarebytes!

Minecraft phishing scams

Since Microsoft owns Minecraft, scammers will often send out phishing emails that claim to come from the reputable tech company.

These phishing emails can allege a number of things. From account issues to prompting the recipient to update.

These emails will likely include malicious links that either spread malware or take you to fake websites or payment portals. You will often be prompted to enter sensitive information, such as your login details or even financial details, ultimately resulting in money loss, account takeover or virus infections.

We’ve put together some tips for parents and kids to help spot phishing email scams. While younger children might not have their own email accounts, scams can still land in a parent’s inbox. So, both kids and parents could be tricked if they don’t know what to look for. Here’s what to keep an eye on.

• If you hover your cursor over the email and the hand pointing icon appears, this means the entire email is one image and could have something malicious linked.
• Poor spelling and grammar
• Not personalised. Doesn’t address you by name.
• Unexpected or unasked for.
• Includes strange links or addresses. Legitimate ones should end in mojang.com, minecraft.com, minecraft.net or microsoft.com.
• Names or logos might not look quite right.

If you’ve checked all these points and you’re still not 100% confident, go directly to the Minecraft website or Microsoft website. Just log in to your account and you’ll be able to see if there are any new notifications or pending account updates available.

Minecraft fake discord server scams

A popular Minecraft scam is when scammers pretend to need a teammate and invite users to a fake discord server that looks official.

Discord is a communication platform where users can speak to other users using text, voice or even video. People often use it to join “servers,” which are like group chat rooms for specific games or communities, so they can strategise, share updates, or just hang out and talk with friends who enjoy the same games.

In order to “join in as a teammate” via Discord, the victim is made to “verify” their account and tricked into giving up login details and a one-time code. What the victim doesn’t know is, this “one-time code” is actually for a password reset so the scammer can gain complete access to their account.

Some online safety tips for kids regarding Discord servers:

• Don’t talk to random people asking you to “verify your account” on Discord. (If you do, don’t join their server)
• If you’ve joined the server, don’t complete the verification if they ask for your Microsoft email or a one-time code. Real Minecraft servers will never ask for these.
• Stay cautious and do some research if you’re not 100% confident in the legitimacy of the server. Try googling what the scammer requested of you followed by the word “scam”. In this case “Minecraft Discord verification scam”.

For more advice on Discord scams, click here to read Discord’s official tips!

Fortnite

Fortnite was released in 2017 and is an online multiplayer shooting game. It has a lot of different modes that players can choose from, such as Save the World, Lego and Creative. The most popular online games for kids being Fortnite Battle Royale. This is where 100 players enter an online game with the goal of being the last individual or group standing.

Fortnite fake trading scams

A big part of the appeal of Fortnite, is the buying, earning and collecting of skins, features and items. Fortnite “skins” are outfits or costumes that a player’s character will wear in the game. Features or items can be anything from free battle passes to cosmetics, to pickaxes (used for gathering resources in Fortnite).  

Several of these skins and features are not for sale in Fortnite’s online store, but are only available based on a rewards system and other accomplishments. Because these items are so in demand, some players may choose to buy and trade for user accounts that have the items they are after.

As you can probably guess, the victim of this Fortnite scam will either pay real-world money using payment methods like Apple Pay or PayPal, or trade V-Bucks (Fortnite’s digital currency) or even their own account in exchange for the scammer’s account with its coveted skins and features. In the end, the scammer will block the victim after getting payment or access to their account. That is, without ever handing over their own account or whatever they promised to trade.

Fortnite free V-Bucks generator scams

Any Fortnite scam centred around the promise of free V-bucks is always likely to catch young Fortnite gamers who want fast money! Often, by offering “free V-Bucks generators” scammers can easily lure kids into providing their parents’ card information and other sensitive information.

Scammers will link these “free V-Bucks” promotions on websites such as YouTube and Facebook, which are platforms that are already pretty loaded with adware. They’ll also strategically promote on videos that are intended for kids. These ads will link to the scammer’s malicious websites, where the child will then be prompted to provide sensitive information.

The best lesson you can teach your kids here, is that there is no work-around for earning V-Bucks and patience is important (probably not what they want to hear!). Whether it is an Epic Game’s employee promising free V-Bucks, or a very genuine-looking ad on YouTube, it’s never legitimate!

Fortnite fake tournament scams

Since competition is a big lure for Fortnite players, scammers have wisely taken advantage of this and started creating fake tournaments.

Scammers will entice players with tournaments that promise considerably large prizes such as V-Bucks, rare items or exclusive skins.

You’ll notice the promotion of these fake events on social media or on untrustworthy websites. Please note, if a tournament is not advertised on Fortnite’s official channels or other trusted e-sports platforms, you’re probably dealing with a scam.

A fake tournament will usually go as follows. The scammer will ask for a small registration fee and/or ask you to register with personal information and account details. They’ll then collect money and sensitive credentials from hundreds of players and vanish before holding the tournament.

The scammer may also get you to download virus-loaded software by claiming that it’s a gaming tool that will improve game play.

Our biggest red flags for a Fortnite fake tournament scam are:

• Promises of large prizes that are “too good to be true”.
• Asking for a small registration fee. Although some legitimate tournaments may have a small playing fee, more often than not, it is free to enter official Fortnite events.
• Asking players to download third-party untrusted software for “better game play”.

Has your little one fallen for a scam affecting popular online games for kids? Don’t deal with the after affects yourself! Geeks on Wheels can help you manage a malware loaded device and get you set up with scam protection to prevent future mishaps having such a nasty roll on affect! We can also help you set up other preventative measures such as parental controls, data backup and two-factor authentication! Just call the Geeks today!

You’ve likely seen that Windows 10 is ending support on October 14^th, 2025. Whether it’s pop-ups on your Windows 10 devices, emails from Geeks on Wheels or articles in the news. Everyone has been talking about it. Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance or security fixes for Windows 10 for all users. We have mentioned that those who don’t update will be at risk, but what does this mean? Reminder, this doesn’t apply to those using Apple Mac devices.

The risks of not upgrading to Windows 11 are numerous and varied, depending on how you use your devices. For most users, security is the first and major concern. In time, functionality may also be affected, and for businesses, compliance factors may be an issue. Read on to learn more about the risks of not upgrading.

Want to check if you can upgrade?

Do you have a Windows device and you’re not sure what version it is? Or perhaps you want to try upgrading your current computer before splurging on a new device? Check out our how-to guide for checking your OS and updating.

Increased Security Risks

The major concern for most users and us here at Geeks on Wheels is the end of security fixes for Windows 10. Without security updates your device and systems are vulnerable to a range of cyber threats, including viruses, malware, and hacking attempts. Attackers will exploit new security vulnerabilities to gain access to devices. They may then go on to access or steal data, disrupt operations or manipulate your device. Security updates would usually aim to patch these vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

This all sounds very doom and gloom but it is the unfortunate reality of a device that is not properly protected. The consequences of such attacks can include financial losses, data breaches and potentially reputational damage. Nobody wants to put themselves at risk unnecessarily, so check if you can upgrade today.

Reduced Software Compatibility

The next major issue will be the lack of updates. Software is always evolving, with new features, requirements and capabilities rolling out constantly. With the recent advancements in AI we can expect that to continue at a rapid pace.

By continuing to use an outdated software version (Windows 10 or earlier), you will be missing out on new features. Windows 11 has numerous new features, including optimised performance, improved security features, Auto HDR, and updated memory management. Not updating doesn’t just mean you will miss out on the improved capabilities of Windows 11. Over time, the popular software and applications you use will also release updates. These will likely not be compatible with older operating system versions.

For example, the latest version of Google Chrome available for Windows 8.1 users is Chrome 109, which was released in January 2023. For up to date users the latest version available is 137.0.7151.68/69. That means users with outdated software will be missing out on nearly 3 years’ worth of security updates, improvements and new features. You might also notice some of your favourite websites or widgets require an up-to-date browser to use or access them.

These flow-on effects of an outdated operating system are numerous, compounding and inconvenient. They also put your device at constant risk. Not only will your device not have security updates from Windows, it will eventually no longer have security updates from new software versions of your favourite programs.

Increased Operational Downtime

Older devices are less efficient. Just like us, computers slow down as they get older. Especially when they can’t be updated anymore. Running older versions of Windows means your devices will not have access to the latest features and updates, which could save you time and increase productivity. This is also true for the software and applications that will fall behind.

Similarly, cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities cost individuals and businesses both time and money. They can often result in lost business and operational disruptions.

Regulatory Compliance

While this one only affects businesses and organisations, it is a great point to note.
By utilising outdated software, even given the numerous risks, you might not be meeting regulatory requirements. Depending on your industry or how you handle data, the risks may vary. Up-to-date and supported operating systems are standard across most industries and ensure the security of your devices, data and systems.

Remember, you don’t necessarily have to purchase a new device to update to Windows 11. If your device is less than 5 years old you might be able to update, provided it meets the minimum hardware requirements.  Whether you’re updating your existing device or looking for a brand new one with Windows 11 pre-installed, Geeks on Wheels are your experts for all things Windows 11. Give the team a call today and they can recommend the perfect device for your needs.

There are countless ways malware can get onto your computer. If you use the internet (which, if you’re reading this you obviously do), then your device could be exposed to viruses, malware and adware. We’ve compiled a list of 7 common ways computers get infected. Knowing these means you can take steps to actively avoid putting your device at risk.

Once malware is on your device, it can cause all sorts of trouble. Such as slowing things down, deleting or corrupting files, stealing personal information and even locking you out of your computer. Before we dive in, we must stress that hands down the best way to avoid viruses and malware is by ensuring you have an active premium antivirus subscription. Antivirus works in the background 24/7, protecting your computer and stopping malware from finding its way onto your device.

Clicking on Malicious links

By far one of the most common ways computers get infected with a virus is by clicking on malicious links. These are everywhere, from phishing emails and scam texts to sneaky call-to-action buttons on social media ads. Malicious links are generally only harmful when clicked, so here are our top tips to help you avoid clicking on a malicious link:

• Always hover before you click. When you hover your cursor over a link or button, the full URL will usually appear at the bottom of your screen or next to your mouse pointer. If it doesn’t match what you expected, don’t click!
  
• Watch out for image-based scam emails. Some phishing emails turn the entire message into one big image linked to a scam website. If your cursor turns into a hand icon when hovering over the email (without clicking), it’s likely a scam. Close the email and delete it.
  
• Look for odd-looking links. If a link is packed with random letters, numbers, or symbols and doesn’t clearly match the company, steer clear!

Visiting Fake Websites

Anyone can make a website and publish it on the internet. So, you should always exercise caution with websites you’re not familiar with. Fake websites are a common way for viruses to sneak onto your computer. Simply clicking on one can trigger an automatic download. Some of these sites might also hit you with fake pop-up warnings designed to trick you into downloading malware. Or even fake payment portals or signup pages designed to steal your information. Learn more about how to spot fake websites.

• Always do your research. Are you shopping somewhere new? Yes? Then it’s a good idea to do a quick Google search on the company for online shopping security measures! Look for any negative news articles, verify their contact details, ensure they offer customer support, and check their physical location on Google Maps.
  
• Double-check that everything lines up. Check that the URL of the website matches what the company is selling. For example, if a company with the URL Betty’s Baked Goods was selling Nike shoes, that should raise a red flag that the website is illegitimate. 

One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from these dangerous sites is by using an anti-virus browser extension. We recommend giving Malwarebytes Browser Guard a try!

Clicking On Malvertising

Malvertising is another of the common ways computers get infected with a virus.
We have a whole blog breaking down malvertising, what it is, how it works and most importantly, how to avoid it. Scam ads, better known as malvertising, are everywhere. They can show up on websites as pop-ups or banners, sneak into sponsored search results, and even take over your social media feeds!  

Usually, ads will run ‘clean’ for a week or two, sometimes even months, in order to build trust. After this period of time, scammers can implement the virus so that anyone who clicks it from that point on can be infected.  

These are our top tips for avoiding malvertising:

• Avoid sponsored search result listings. Sponsored results are a common way for scammers to direct traffic to their malicious links. When you search for something on a search engine, the top results are usually “sponsored”. You can tell this by the “sponsored” tag usually above the listing. Simply scroll past these results to the organic ones.
  
• If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. We all love a good deal, but take the time to stop and ask yourself if the promotional offering seems too good to be true.
  
• Avoid ads with headings like ‘Official Website’. This isn’t always a sign of a scam, but it is usually a wise idea to look a bit more closely before clicking on links that try to convince you they are legitimate.

Connecting To Public Wi-Fi Networks

Using free Wi-Fi at places like cafés or airports might seem handy, but it can be risky. Hackers often hang around these networks, looking for ways to steal personal information or send viruses to your device.

 Here are some simple ways to stay safe on public Wi-Fi:

• Avoid entering sensitive info. When using public networks, try not to input important details (like passwords or credit card details).
  
• Use protection. If you need to use public Wi-Fi, use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). This creates a secure, private connection,  even on public networks.
  
• Set up security measures. At home, always protect your Wi-Fi with a strong password and make sure your router uses WPA2 encryption (this is a setting that helps lock out hackers).

Downloading Unsafe Files or Programs

One of the most common ways computers get infected with a virus is by downloading infected software. This usually happens when you download software from websites that aren’t safe. Pirated programs or apps from unknown places often come with hidden viruses that install themselves on your device without you knowing.

Our tips for avoiding viruses in this scenario:

• Use trusted sources. Only download software from official websites or trusted sources. This helps avoid sneaky viruses hiding in the files.
  
• Only use certified software. Don’t download pirated or cracked software. It often comes with hidden malware.
  
• Protect your devices. Use antivirus software to scan files before you open or install them. This adds an extra layer of safety.

Use An Antivirus

You should always have an anti-virus active on your devices! Antivirus acts like a security guard for your device — scanning files, blocking threats, and warning you about anything suspicious. Without it, you’re leaving the door wide open for viruses, malware, and other cyber nasties to sneak in. At Geeks on Wheels, we install and recommend Malwarebytes Premium. If you need any help with staying safe online and avoiding viruses, make sure to call the team.

Overly airbrushed and glossy

AI images often look a bit too perfect! The lighting in the image might appear too even, making the image seem overly airbrushed. Skin can also appear so smooth that people look more like animated movie characters, rather than real humans.

Basically, what we’re saying is, if a picture looks more like a digital painting, CGI or something from a life-like video game, it’s most likely made by AI.

Muddled background and details

AI puts most of its effort into making the main subject of a picture or video look right. This means often the background and its finer details end up a mess.

When observing a suspicious video or image online, look closely at the background. Are faces distorted and/or do people or objects blend together? If you see anything strange or confusing when you take a closer look, it’s probably AI generated.

Misspelled and garbled text

As we’ve just mentioned, AI isn’t great at handling small background details. And this includes text.

Instead of real words, it will often create pictures that just look like text. So, if you’re trying to be an expert AI detector and spot whether an image is AI generated, take a closer look at any text—it can reveal a lot! Notice any strange looking letters or misspelled words? Or, is the text simply unreadable? If that’s the case, you’re probably dealing with AI generated content.   

Extra and/or misplaced hands and limbs

A very common mistake AI makes is adding extra hands and limbs or misplacing them.   

AI has a hard time generating hands correctly. This is because the technology has only been taught to recognise them from pictures, not how they’re “put together” in real life. As a result, AI generated images often show people with extra arms or six fingers on one hand. Especially when there are several people in the picture.

Even if the subject in the foreground doesn’t seem to have anomalies with its hands or limbs, make sure to check the people in the background. If the image was created by AI, you might spot someone with three legs, hands with too many fingers, or maybe even arms that don’t seem to connect properly to their body.

Inconsistent shadows and lighting

Like the anatomical structure of a hand, widely available AI doesn’t truly understand how light and shadows work. Instead, it uses patterns from the data it was trained on.

This will often lead to strange AI generated results. For example, multiple light sources or shadows coming from different directions.  So, if you spot light hitting a person or object from conflicting angles, it’s a good clue that the image is AI generated.

Symmetry and geometry

If you’re feeling suspicious about an image that pictures buildings or rooms, watch out for odd looking geometry.

Floors and walls might appear bent or twisted, columns may not touch the ground properly, and patterns that should repeat exactly look mismatched. This is because AI often struggles with symmetry and identical shapes, so it’s always a good idea to take a closer look at the details of any architecture in an image.

Unbelievable and far fetched

If a picture or video looks too good to be true or seems a bit too far-fetched, trust your gut!

AI generated content can produce images that look almost real but feel slightly off. So, if something seems unbelievable, don’t hesitate to do a quick internet search to check if others have confirmed whether it’s fake or AI generated. A little research can go a long way in helping you spot what’s real and what’s not!

Now that you have the necessary tools up your sleeve, you can confidently spot AI generated images and videos online! If you’re ever not confident ask a trusted friend for their opinion. Or you can always give Geeks on Wheels a call for expert advice on anything tech related! Oh! And make sure you share this blog with a friend or family member that you think could benefit with some AI detector skills! Happy AI spotting everyone!

Google

The world’s most popular search engine and maps app is great at finding us the information we need or pointing us in the right direction. But it also knows a whole lot about us! Depending on your privacy settings, Google collects search data based on your previous Google searches. It also collects location data thanks to Google Maps and viewing history from YouTube. This data is used to improve Googles search algorithms and provide improved results and personalised recommendations.

Bear in mind that Google makes its money through advertising so targeted and hyper relevant ads are key to their success. If you’d like to see what Google knows about you or what ads it’s serving you currently, follow the steps below.

Find out what Google knows about you

Thanks to all the data gathered Google is pretty good at making assumptions about your lifestyle and habits and serving you relevant ads. To check these “assumptions” and perhaps update your privacy settings follow these steps.

1. Open your browser and log into your Google account
2. Click the profile icon in the top right
3. Click Manage your Google Account
4. On the left menu panel click Data & privacy
5. Select My Ad Center

Once in My Ad Centre you can see what Google knows about you and the categories they use to show you ads. These include your relationship status, income level and education.

You can also look at what ad topics Google has been showing you recently. Usually these match pretty closely to topics you’ve searched recently or videos you’ve watched on YouTube.

Whilst you’re in Data & Privacy or My Ad Center you can manage your privacy settings. You can even update your categories such as relationship status and choose if you don’t want to be shown ads by certain brands or share certain data.

It’s worth taking the time to explore what Google knows about you and the data it collects to gain a better understanding.

Facebook

As the world’s largest social media platform with over 3 billion active users, it’s no surprise that Facebook and Meta collect quite a lot of data. Much of the information like our personal details, interests and hobbies is entered when we first setup an account. If you want to know how much websites know about you, this is a great place to start.

However, one category that is worthwhile exploring is your Ads interests. This is a list of Interest Categories that Facebook uses to serve you ads. You can edit this list and remove certain categories.

To access the Interest Categories list simply open up your Facebook profile and follow the steps below.

1. Click the small profile icon in the top right corner.
2. Select Settings & privacy then click Settings
3. Open your Accounts Center
4. Click Your information and permissions
5. Select Access your information
6. Click Logged information on the left panel
7. Click Ads interests

Now you can see a full list of Interest Categories that advertisers can use to reach you.

If you’re tired of receiving ads for a particular product you have no interest in, feel free to adjust your interest categories. You can remove as many different categories as you want. This won’t affect the number of ads you see but might just stop those annoying ads you don’t want to see.

ChatGPT

Although not as widely used as Facebook or Google, ChatGPT is the most popular AI tool with over 180 million active users. We all know AI has some pretty advanced capabilities and can instantly scour the web to find out public information about you. It can also piece together a comprehensive understanding of you as a person.

ChatGPT can create some spookily accurate assumptions about your personality traits and characteristics. It does this using your past queries and entries, putting together snippets of information to create a detailed response.

How to see what ChatGPT knows about you?

There are two ways to go about this. Firstly, you can get ChatGPT to put together a summary of public information listed elsewhere on the internet. To do this, simply use the prompt “What do you know about _Name_ from _Location_”. The location is just to narrow the search down so ChatGPT can give you info about the right person.

The second and arguably spookier way is to see what ChatGPT itself knows about you. To do this use the prompt “tell me something about myself I might not already know”.
This works best if you have an OpenAI account and have been using ChatGPT for a while. The first answer is usually quite positive and fluffy, but you can easily ask ChatGPT to be more critical and it might give you some insightful truths about yourself.

There you have it, some spooky internet facts to get you through the spooky season. So, if you’re spooked out and want to know exactly. How much do websites know about you? consider updating your privacy settings! If you need help protecting your data or your important devices, make sure to get in touch with the team at Geeks on Wheels today!

The internet is how we connect with the world. So, understanding the different ways in which we can connect our office or household to the internet is important. Your internet or broadband connection type can affect speeds, reliability and available plans and packages. Read on to learn about each common connection type.

DSL Internet Connection

You’ve probably heard of DSL before. It’s the connection type many of us used when we first gained an internet connection. DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line and uses old copper telephone lines generally installed in most homes and buildings.

DSL especially VDSL is a great alternative where fibre isn’t an option. However, you won’t be able to choose your connection speed, and the length and quality of your copper line can affect the service.

DSL encompasses both ADSL and VDSL. ADSL isn’t as common nowadays and uses mainly copper cabling and older technologies. Because of this, ADSL is the slowest cable internet connection available. Providing speeds of up to 24Mbps.

Thankfully VDSL (super-fast broadband) is available to 80% of New Zealand homes and delivers speeds of up to 70Mbps. VDSL uses the fibre network to get to a cabinet positioned on the street, and then uses the copper network via telephone lines from the cabinet to the home or office. One good feature of DSL is that it uses a dedicated line to your property. Therefore, bandwidth is available just for you, meaning the connection won’t slow down in peak times.

Ultra-Fast Fibre Connection

Ultra-Fast Broadband or UFB provides the best broadband available. With ultrafast speeds and consistent performance. UFB relies on fibre as its core technology. With the help of fibre optic cables composed of thin strands of glass, fibre is known to deliver the fastest speeds!

Your speeds depend on your retailer, available plans for your address and the plan you settle on. These range from Home Fibre Starter (50Mbps) all the way to Hyperfibre (2000Mbps). To find out what options are available at your address head to the Chorus Broadband Checker.

Apart from its great speeds, fibre also offers the most consistent performance. The main downfall is that there are a number of rural locations where fibre is not yet offered. For many, the set-up costs can often be prohibitive. In that case you might need to look at one of the following options.

Wireless Connection

If a wired connection like DSL or Fibre isn’t available where you are, or you need internet on the go, then a wireless connection might be what you need.

Wireless broadband uses 4G (Fourth Generation) and 5G (Fifth Generation) mobile networks. Both utilise mobile phone towers to provide a wireless internet connection to your devices. This means that unlike a wired connection, the signal is shared with everyone and speeds can slow at peak times.

A good Wireless Broadband connection is also reliant on good 4G/5G coverage. In remote areas with limited coverage this can be hard to come by. If possible, a wired connection like VDSL or Fibre is the preferred option so it’s worthwhile checking if these are available in your area.

Starlink

The final option we’re covering today is Starlink. This wireless internet connection type operates off radio waves sent between an orbiting satellite to a specialised satellite dish at your home. This means that if you have a clear view of the sky, you will be able to connect. In recent years Starlink has become more affordable and can now be purchased from major electronic retailers like JB Hi-Fi.  Starlink speeds in New Zealand can vary and may be affected by poor weather. But, according to their website, users can expect download speeds between 25 and 220 Mbps and upload speeds between 5 and 37 Mbps.

The main disadvantage of Starlink, aside from the weather interruptions, can be the latency. As the signal must travel a long distance there can be a delay. This may make the service undesirable for some users, especially the likes of gamers.

New Zealand has some very remote areas and getting a stable internet connection is not always easy. Making sure you understand different internet connection types comes in handy! The first step you take should always be establishing what connection options are available in your location. You can do this by using a few handy tools. For example,  Broadbandmap or Chorus’ Broadband checker. Once you know what’s available you can then compare broadband plans using Broadband Compare. If you need help getting connected, then the friendly team at Geeks on Wheels can help out!

GeekSafe Scam Smart quiz

From email and social media messages to texts and phone scams, there are so many to cover! In this article, we’ve decided to just focus on scam emails and iMessages. Read on to learn what scams to look out for in 2024.

Tax Scams in 2024

Tax scams are nothing new. However, with the end of the financial year just behind us and tax return season fast approaching, it’s important you know what to look out for. This year has seen the usual type of tax scams. From emails asking you to follow links and submit returns, to requests prompting you to download tax refund forms. Here are a few key things to look for if you spot a message claiming to be from IRD.
 

1. Lack of personalisation – IRD will usually address you by name when sending a message.
   
2. Links to myIR – IRD will not include links to the myIRD login page in emails or texts. You will need to find your way to the website yourself.
    
3. Refund amounts – IRD will not include refund amounts in emails or texts.
    
4. Similar email address/link – Some senders may use very similar addresses to the official IRD address for example ird.co.nz, ird.qovt.nz or ird.gov.nz. 
    
5. Threats of arrest/intimidating language – IRD won’t use threats of sudden arrest.
    
6. Payment methods – IRD will only ask for payment using their official methods. Electronically, by phone, in instalments or in person at Westpac branches.
    
7. Unexpected calls – If you get a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from Inland Revenue, ask for their name and number. After that, contact IRD on one of the numbers listed on their website.

Image Based Scams

This type of email scam has been around for a while. However, as email providers continue to get better at blocking scams and phishing emails, they have become increasingly prevalent.

Image-based scam emails will not contain obvious links or instructions to click. Instead, the entire email will be an image with a hyperlink. This is done in the hope that you may interact with the email by clicking on the page somewhere. This will then open a link to a third-party page.

We always advise that you avoid opening emails from unfamiliar senders. However, if you do happen to, one way of confirming whether or not the entire email is an image is to hover your mouse pointer over the email without clicking. If the hand-shaped pointer appears, then what you are hovering over is a linked image.

Make sure to use this tip next time you come across a suspicious email and make sure not to click the image in the process!

Giveaway Scams

Again, not an entirely new format of scam but we’ve recently spotted scammers using New Zealand brand names in their phishing emails. This is in an attempt to gain trust. Making it one of our scams to look out for in 2024.

Always remember the golden rule. If it seems too good to be true, it likely is! The format of these emails varies. But, one of the ways to gauge if an email is legitimate is to look for personalisation in the email. A generic greeting like “Hi shopper” or “Hi Joebloggs@Gmail.com” should be raising suspicions!

Genuine emails sent by a business or organisation, especially larger ones, will most likely come from a custom domain email address. This means the email should end with @businessname.com (or .co.nz). For example, all Geeks on Wheels email addresses end with @geeksonwheels.co.nz. So, be sure to look out for these signs.

iMessage Scams

Scam combating efforts by mobile carriers One NZ and Spark are beginning to take effect on scammers’ abilities to send scam text messages en masse. As a result, scammers have started looking for alternative methods to message large numbers of mobile devices.

An increasingly common method we’ve seen for achieving this is through iMessage scams. The format of these scam messages is similar to other text scams. They include toll payment scams, postage scams and scams claiming family members are in distress. If you receive an iMessage from an unfamiliar email address, be sure to treat it with suspicion. Especially if the message claims to be from a business or trusted organisation.  This is because they will most likely contact you using a New Zealand number or a special 3 – 4-digit number.

Help with staying scam-safe

If you need some help with keeping your devices safe from scammers, then check out our blog on Free steps for staying safer online! It’s packed with great scam protection tools that cost absolutely nothing!

However, the best way to keep yourself safe is to be able to identify scams as soon as you encounter them. That’s where our scam protection service GeekSafe comes in. Becoming a GeekSafe member lets you forward any suspicious electronic messages to our team of expert technicians for them to assess and report back to you. This way you have a helping hand next time you’re trying to spot a scam. To learn more, click here! If you’re worried you may have interacted with a scam message, turn off your device and give the Geeks on Wheels team a call today. We’ll be able to scan your device for malware or viruses and get you safe, secure and back online! You can also report scams by heading to CertNZ.

Creating tab groups

Tab groups allow you to select and group certain tabs. You can group tabs based on the website, the theme, topic or anything you wish. Tidying up your browser window and organising your tabs into different categories has never been easier!

This comes in handy if you’re online shopping and want to compare a range of options. Or, if you have a list of websites you always use for work that you want to separate from a list you use when at home. There are a bunch of other reasons you might use tab groups too, but whatever your reason, it’s sure to make your Chrome experience organised and streamlined.
So how do you set up tab groups? All you need is to have at least two tabs open in Google Chrome. Then, follow the steps below:

• Right-click any tab in Google Chrome.
• Look for ‘Add tab to a new group’ and click it.
• A pop-up will appear asking you to name the group and choose a colour.
• Once you have named and chosen a colour for the group, click off of the pop-up or press enter.

Now you’ve created your first tab group! To add and remove tabs from existing groups it’s as simple as dragging and dropping the tab in or out of the group or right-clicking on the tab and selecting ‘Remove from group’ or ‘Add to group’.

Checking memory usage

Did you know that surfing the web can use a lot of your RAM (Random Access Memory)? RAM is used to store information that needs to be accessed quickly.
Browsers, 3D rendering software and computer games all use a lot of RAM. But, the amount of RAM Google Chrome uses at any time varies, depending on what kind of websites and how many tabs you have open.

Websites with a lot of graphics, ads or videos and constantly changing screens will need more RAM than text-based websites. Such as a Wikipedia article. To check how much RAM a tab is using simply hover your mouse over the tab.  A small window will pop up with the full website details as well as how much memory that tab is currently using. So, if you ever notice your device being a little sluggish, maybe check if any of your Google Chrome tabs are using up large chunks of RAM.

Reopening a closed tab

Ever accidentally closed a tab that you needed? Well, thankfully there’s a quick and easy way to open it back up, without going through your history!

Simply right-click on an empty space on your Chrome bar and click Reopen closed tab. Now, the next time you accidentally close a tab you needed; you can easily reopen it with just two clicks.

Pinning a tab

Have a website you visit almost every browsing session? Why not pin the tab to your Chrome bar and keep the website quickly accessible? Pinning a tab is super easy to do! Simply right-click on the desired tab and click Pin. Your pinned tab will automatically shift to the far-left side of your Chrome bar and be pinned there for future easy access!

Next time you’re surfing the web (or even right now) make the most of these handy tab management features that are built into the Google Chrome browser. If you’re device is struggling to keep up with your computing needs, get in touch with the team at Geeks on Wheels for some tech help today!