Scammers will even use something negative to ply their trade. With the South African Post Office strike going on for 3 months, companies that usually made use of the Post Office are resorting to using couriers to do deliveries. Scammers have made use of this and are flooding e-mail boxes (and sending scam SMSs) with messages from “courier companies” – like Fed-Ex and DHL – about parcels that need to be delivered. These mails trick you into filling in personal details on a  website to obtain the tracking code, or to download an attachment containing details of the shipment etc. Some might even address you personally.

In all cases these are phishing and spear-phishing attacks, no links or attached files should ever be clicked on or opened up as they might contain malware, compromise your security and personal details. In one particular case I received a mail from FedEx ( I was expecting a parcel) that was addressed to me personally, and only my naturally suspicious nature protected my computer from being infected with a particularly nasty Trojan virus. I was lucky this time but it only takes a click, opening up a infected attachment to ruin your day!

Please be very careful when receiving mail from couriers, especially if you are expecting deliveries. In most cases companies will contact you directly on your phone number or the original sending company will send you a tracking number to trace the progress of the parcel.

It’s nerve-wracking when you can’t find your phone – whether it’s really lost or just stuck down the back of your settee. Over the next few weeks, we’ll give you all the information you need to protect and track your phone and your information.

First up this week, Windows phones.

Find My Phone can help lay your worries to rest when your phone has suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth. This free service in the My Phone section of windowsphone.com can ring, lock, erase or show your phone on a map from any Internet-connected computer. Find My Phone makes it easier to recover your phone – or to prevent someone from using it without your permission.

To learn more about what you can do at My Phone – such as seeing your OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) pictures and reinstalling applications – see My Phone FAQ.

Note

If you’re having trouble getting Find My Phone to work, see Error messages when using Find My Phone on windowsphone.com/my in Microsoft Support.

1. To map your phone’s location

1. On your computer, open a web browser and go to windowsphone.com.
2. Navigate to the My Phone drop-down menu, located in the top-right corner of the screen, then sign in with the same Windows Live ID you use on your phone.
3. In the My Phone menu, click Find My Phone.
4. Click Find My Phone, then follow the instructions in the dialogue box (you’ll only need to do this once – after that, your phone will automatically show up on the map when you go to Find My Phone).
5. If your computer is connected to a printer, click Print to make a hard copy of your phone’s location.

Tips

• Not seeing the latest location? Click Refresh.
• If you’ve scrolled the map and lost track of your phone’s location on it, click Centre on map.

2. To make your phone ring

1. On your computer, open a web browser and go to windowsphone.com.
2. Navigate to the My Phone drop-down menu, located in the top-right corner of the screen, then sign in with the same Windows Live ID you use on your phone.
3. In the My Phone menu, click Find My Phone.
4. Click Ring, then follow the instructions in the dialogue box (you’ll only need to do this the first time you ring your phone).

Tip

• When you ring your phone, it will ring even if the volume is off or it’s on vibrate mode.

3. To lock your phone and show a message

1. On your computer, open a web browser and go to windowsphone.com.
2. Navigate to the My Phone drop-down menu, located in the top-right corner of the screen, then sign in with the same Windows Live ID you use on your phone.
3. In the My Phone menu, click Find My Phone.
4. Click Lock, then follow the instructions in the dialogue box. If you don’t already have a password set up on your phone, you’ll need to enter one – you’ll use it to unlock the phone when you get it back. You can also type a message to display on your phone’s screen. Typically you’d enter an alternative phone number or an email address, so someone who finds your phone can contact you.

4. To erase your phone

1. On your computer, open a web browser and go to windowsphone.com.
2. Navigate to the My Phone drop-down menu, located in the top-right corner of the screen, then sign in with the same Windows Live ID you use on your phone.
3. In the My Phone menu, click Find My Phone.
4. Click Erase. On the confirmation screen, do one of the following:
   • To start erasing your phone, select I’m sure! Please erase my phone now, then click Erase.
   • If you’ve changed your mind, click Cancel.

WARNING

Be careful! This is your last chance to back out.

Note

It’s a good idea to let your mobile operator know that you’ve lost your phone.

5. To change settings for Find My Phone

You can set up Find My Phone to save your location every few hours or to use push notifications instead of text messages to send commands to your phone. Change these settings on your phone, not on your computer.

1. On Start, flick left to the Application list, then press Settings.
2. Press Find My Phone.
3. Select one or both of the following:
   • Connect to these features faster (may use more battery). The Find My Phone service uses text messaging to send commands to your phone. Check this option to use push notifications instead. Why? Push notifications can be faster than text messages, and if your mobile operator charges you for each incoming text message, push notifications might also be cheaper. Also, My Phone can only send 15 text messages to your phone in a three-day period. With push notifications, there’s no limit.
   • Save my location every few hours for better mapping. Microsoft can save your phone’s location details every few hours so that if your phone is out of range or the battery dies, we can still show your phone’s last-known location on a map.

In two weeks’ time we’ll look at tracking on Android, Blackberry and Apple phones.

[Information supplied by M.Ridoh Rylands, IT HUB]

Dis senutergend as jou selfoon skielik soos mis voor die son verdwyn het – of dit nou regtig weg is, of net erens tussen die kussings van jou bank verlê is. Oor die volgende paar weke sal ons jou al die nodige inligting gee om jou foon na te speur en jou data te beskerm.

Eerste aan die beurt die week is Windows-slimfone.

Find My Phone kan jou rustig laat slaap as jou foon voete gekry het. Hierdie gratis diens in die My Phone-afdeling van windowsphone.com kan lui, sluit, uitvee of jou telefoon op `n kaart aandui vanaf enige rekenaar verbind aan die internet. Find My Phone maak dit maklik om jou foon op te spoor of te voorkom dat iemand dit gebruik sonder jou toestemming en wete.

Om meer te leer oor wat jy kan doen met My Phone – byvoorbeeld om jou OneDrive fotos te sien of toepassings te herinstalleer – loer by die My Phone FAQ.

Nota

As jy sukkel om Find My Phone aan die werk te kry, kyk by Error messages when using Find My Phone on windowsphone.com/my in Microsoft Support.

1.Om jou foon se ligging te bepaal

1. Op jou rekenaar, maak `n webblaaier oop en gaan na windowsphone.com.
2. Navigeer na die My Phone afrol-spyskaart, bo regs in die hoek van jou skerm en teken aan met dieselfde Windows Live ID wat jy op jou foon gebruik.
3. In die My Phone-spyskaart, kliek Find My Phone.
4. Kliek Find My Phone en volg die instruksies in die dialoogboksie (jy hoef dit slegs een keer te doen, daarna sal jou foon outomaties wys op die kaart as jy gaan na Find My Phone).
5. As jou rekenaar verbind is aan `n drukker, kliek Print om `n harde kopie te kry van jou foon se ligging.

Wenke

• As jy nie die nuutste ligging sien nie, kliek op Refresh.
• As jy rondbeweeg het op die kaart en jou plek verloor het, kliek  Centre on map.

2. Om jou foon te laat lui

1. Op jou rekenaar, maak `n webblaaier oop en gaan na windowsphone.com.
2. Navigeer na die My Phone afrol-spyskaart, bo regs in die hoek van jou skerm en teken aan met dieselfde Windows Live ID wat jy op jou foon gebruik.
3. In die My Phone-spyskaart, kliek Find My Phone.
4. Kliek Ring, volg die instruksies in die dialoogboksie (jy hoef dit slegs eenkeer te doen)

Wenk

• Indien jou foon lui, sal dit selfs lui wanneer die volume af of op vibreer is.

3. Om jou foon te sluit en `n boodskap te wys. 

1. Op jou rekenaar, maak `n webblaaier oop en gaan na windowsphone.com.
2. Navigeer na die My Phone afrol-spyskaart, bo regs in die hoek van jou skerm en teken aan met dieselfde Windows Live ID wat jy op jou foon gebruik.
3. In die My Phone-spyskaart, kliek Find My Phone.
4. Kliek Lock en volg dan die instruksies in die dialoogboksie. Indien jy nie reeds `n wagwoord opgestel het op jou foon nie, sal jy nou een moet insit – jy sal dit gebruik om die foon te ontsluit wanneer jy dit terugkry. Jy kan ook `n boodskap intik wat op jou foon se skerm sal verskyn. Tipies sou dit `n alternatiewe telefoonnommer of e-posadres wees sodat die persoon wat jou foon vind, jou kan kontak.

4. Om jou foon skoon te vee

1. Op jou rekenaar, maak `n webblaaier oop en gaan na windowsphone.com.
2. Navigeer na die My Phone afrol-spyskaart, bo regs in die hoek van jou skerm en teken aan met dieselfde Windows Live ID wat jy op jou foon gebruik.
3. In die My Phone-spyskaart, kliek Find My Phone.
4. Kliek op Erase. Op die bevestigingskerm, doen een van die volgende:
   • Om jou foon skoon te veel, kies I’m sure! Please erase my phone now, en kliek Erase.
   • As jy van plan verander het, kliek Cancel.

WAARSKUWING

Wees versigtig, hierdie is jou laaste kans om van plan te verander!

Nota

Dis `n goeie idee om vir jou selfoondiensverskaffer te laat weet dat jy jou foon verloor het.

5. Om verstellings te maak aan Find My Phone

Jy kan Find My Phone so opstel dat dit jou ligging elke paar ure stoor of eerder stoot-kennisgewings te gebruik in plaas van teksboodskappe om bevele na jou foon te stuur. Maak hierdie verstellings op jou foon, nie op jou rekenaar nie.

1. By Start, beweeg links na die Application-lys en druk Settings.
2. Druk Find My Phone.
3. Kies een of beide van die volgende:
   • Connect to these features (mag meer batterykrag verg). Die Find My Phone-diens gebruik teksboodskappe om versoeke na jou foon te stuur. Kies hierdie opsie om eerder stoot-kennisgewings te gebruik. Hoekom? Stoot-kennisgewings kan vinniger wees as teksboodskappe, en as jou selfoonverskaffer jou geld vra vir elke inkomende teksboodskap, mag stoot-kennisgewings goedkoper wees.  My Phone kan ook net 15 teksbookdskappe na jou foon binne `n periode van 3 dae stuur. Met stoot-kennisgewings is daar geen beperking nie.
   • Save my location every few hours for better mapping. Microsoft kan jou foon se liggingsdetails elke paar uur stoor sodat, indien jou foon buite ontvangsgebied is of jou battery doodgaan, dit steeds jou selfoon se laaste ligging op `n kaart kan wys.

Oor twee weke kyk ons na opsporingsmeganismes vir Android, Blackberry en Apple slimfone.

[Information supplied by M.Ridoh Rylands, IT HUB]