Mar. 1 & 2, 2025 Show Notes
Academy Awards Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm on C-FAX
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
Your crew this weekend:
Cst. Berle Zwaan
Saanich Police, and founder of Outsmart The Scammer Fraud Prevention Society
email: BZwaan@SaanichPolice.ca
The Podcast
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1) If you get a text advising that the RCMP were unable to deliver court documents to you, it's a scam
The text looks like the screenshot below, and encourages you to click on a link to reschedule delivery of the court documents…
If you click on the link (the one in the screenshot has been shutdown), it takes you to a fake RCMP website, where you're encouraged to click on another "Reschedule Delivery" link, with a note that a 'small service fee may apply'…
That second link takes you to another fake RCMP page where you're asked to provide your name, address, phone number, and credit card info to pay the small redelivery service fee.
But, if you type in your credit card info, overseas scammers will immediately begin using your credit card info to make online purchases of expensive items which they can easily resell. NEVER DO THAT!
Law enforcement agencies will never text you about undelivered court documents, or unpaid fines, or unpaid traffic tickets.
If you get a text like this, contact the agency which it claims to be from, so they can try to have it traced.
2) If you're paying online for a purchase or subscription, watch out for adjacent ads that may lead you to buy something else by accident
Perfectly legitimate websites often reduce their costs by 'renting out' space on their web-pages to ad brokers like Google Ad Services, who fill the space with rotating ads, some of which can be misleading. Take this example from the Times-Colonist web-page for signing-up for a subscrption to the newspaper…
Here's the problem: that huge "Start" button is NOT for subscribing to the newspaper (that's farther down the page)…it's an ad for a subscription to ContentLists.com (see the tiny gray print on the far right along with the ad-triangle and x in the upper-right?)…and if you click it, you'll be taken here…
…and if you click "continue", you'll be signing-up for a free five-day trial for $1.98 USD, followed by a monthly subscription at $49.99 USD, which is spelled-out in tiny print (magnified here) at the bottom of a long web-page…
The Times-Colonist has arranged to have that ad removed from their websites, but there'll be others.
If you're buying or subscribing to something online, take your time, and check the website address you're taken-to if you click on something, and stop, if it doesn't seem right.
3) When downloading an app, watch out for ads for other apps that appear above the one you want
You park in a parking-lot, and to pay, you're told to use an app like Honk Mobile or Pay By Phone…
…so you pull out your phone and go to your App Store (Google Play Store or Apple App Store) and search for it, and you see this…
Just like the Times-Colonist subscription page above, that green-&-white START button is not for the Honk Mobile app…it's to download an unrelated app which comes with an expensive auto-renewing subscription. It does say "advertisement" in faint gray, and the telltake ad-triangle and 'x' in the upper-right are there, but on a small phone screen, most people wouldn't spot that.
If you're downloading an app, scroll up and down on the download page and make sure you're downloading the app you want, and not a similar one that comes with an expensive subscription!
And if you do get tricked into a subscription app, if it's on an iPhone, use the Apple Support app to request a refund. If you got it through the Google Play Store, you can get refunded within 48 hours within the Play Store app. Instructions are below…
4) Canadians lose hundreds of thousands in fake PC Financial GIC investment scam
If you search online for the best GIC rates in Canada, you'll find lots of very professional-looking websites offering rates that are higher than others. If you contact them, they'll send you links to webpages that look very good, selling GIC's from PC Financial.
The only catch is, PC Financial doesn't sell GIC's.
If you go to your bank and wire-transfer money, it's gone and the scammers will vanish.
RCMP Const. Cory Riggs says the GIC scam isn’t new, but it is sophisticated. He says criminals create professional-looking websites that may seem legitimate. This entices people to provide a method of contact. “And then at that point, it turns more into a phishing scam, where they pose as another business or government official,” said Riggs. “Then they gain their trust so that they send money over to them in the form of investment or to pay a fine or something of that nature.”
So many Canadians have been scammed that PC Financial has now put a banner across the top of their website warning people that they don't sell GIC's…
Before you wire money to someone you don't know, talk with a financial advisor or someone at your bank and have them determine if the investment opportunity is real or a scam.
5) Usain Bolt admits being scammed out of almost $12 million USD in investment scam in Jamaica
Usain Bolt is one of the most successful and marketable athletes of all time, but his fortune took a serious dent when he was the victim of banking scam in 2023…
6) Dell has agreed to pay $2.1 million CAD to Canadians victimized by a tech support scam that used stolen Dell customer data
A judge in Nova Scotia has approved an out-of-court settlement to a class-action lawsuit filed on behlaf of more than 14-thousand Canadians who were scammed out of money by a former Dell service provider who targeted them back in 2017 with fake tech support calls using stolen data.
Dell was accused not doing enough to safeguard client data, and has now agreed to the settlement without admitting to any wrongdoing.
Canadians who were scammed will get between $50 and $2,000 depending on how much they lost.
Wagners Personal Injury Lawyers
Dell Data Theft - Wagners Personal Injury Lawyers
On October 1, 2020, Wagners filed a proposed class proceeding against Dell Technologies Inc. and Dell Technologies Canada Inc. The proposed class proceeding is on behalf of customers who had their personal and private customer information breached in June and November 2017 due to inadequate safeguards employed by the multinational computer technology company when employing a third party call centre in India for technical support issues. As a result of the breaches, the proposed representative plaintiff and other impacted Dell customers have been subjected to numerous targeted tech support scams.
6) The UK will neither confirm nor deny that it’s killing encryption, and other than Apple, other messaging firms aren't talking, either
After the Washington Post reported that Apple has been secretly ordered to create a 'backdoor' to let UK law enforcement and spy agencies gain access to the encrypted content of iCloud users, Apple pulled the plug on data encryption for UK users, saying it would never create a backdoor.
Meta, who own Messenger, and the owners of Signal, both said last year that they would shut down in the UK before they would submit to a backdoor request…but now that the legislation authorizing those secret requests has been passed into law, those firms and other are not talking.
There's been a lot of pushback against the UK legislation from governments in the USA, Canada, and around the world, because the Washington Post says the legislation allows for backdoor requests for access to the data of any cloud user, not just of citizens of the UK or people in the UK. Part of the problem is that companies are not, under the new law, allowed to reveal if they've been ordered to grant access. Will the UK reverse course? The government isn't talking…
Tech Deals This Weekend
Fido is replicating its Boxing Week deal, offering a Google Pixel 8a for free, on two-year plans starting at $50/month — save $796!
Rogers-owned Fido has brought back its popular offer of a free Google Pixel 8a phone for this weekend. To get that deal, you have to be a new Fido customer, and you have to sign-up for a two-year plan at $50/month, which gets you 60GB/month of Canada-wide data, unlimited calls and texts from Canada to the USA, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, and UK.
They also offer a $55/month plan that includes 80GB/month of Canada-wide data and texting, plus unlimited calling to numbers in Canada, the USA, and Mexico. No texting outside Canada, though.
Freedom Mobile is knocking $4/month off its Canada/USA/Mexico + Roam Beyond plans — but only if you subscribe this weekend
Just in time for people going travelling for Spring Break, Quebec-based Freedom Mobile is reducing the price of its top three already-great Canada/USA/Mexico + Roam Beyond plans by $4 a month through Monday, and the reduced price will continue unless you change your plan…
The plans, which are $4/month off through end of business on Monday, all include unlimited calling to Canada, USA, and Mexico, unlimited global texting, and from 60GB to 100GB a month of 5G data including Canada/USA/Mexico roaming.
In addition, the $45/month and $55/month plans let you use your phone at no extra cost in 106 countries, so you can phone anyone in the country you're in or call back to Canada, you can text worldwide, and you also get 15GB or 25GB of Roam Beyond data to use in those 106 countries.
The $35/month plan comes with 5GB of Roam Beyond data, but does not including the unlimited global talk and texting of the higher plans. Freedom says the $4/month discount will not expire unless you change your plan.
iPhone 16e: BOGO (buy one, get one free) at Freedom Mobile
Apple's new entry-level iPhone 16e has just arrived in stores, and there's already a great deal to be had to get one. More accurately, to get two of them.
Buying an iPhone 16e at Freedom Mobile for $25/month will get you a second iPhone 16e for free, as long as both phones are put on Freedom's $49 per month plan (which is $45/month this weekend), and you buy them in-store.
The $45/month plan gets you unlimited Canada/USA/Mexico calling, unlimited global texting, 80GB of 5G data in Canada/USA/Mexico, and 25GB of data in more than 100 other countries.
So that's $140/month all-in plus taxes for two new iPhone 16e's with plans!
Staples has iPads on sale for $50- to $100- off
Staples has almost all of its iPads on sale through April 4, to reduce inventory in anticipation of new models expected to be announced next month.
The lowest price model is the 9th-gen iPad, which has dropped to $379, a $100 saving.
The 10th-gen model is $649, a $50 saving. Most other stores will price-match.
Tech News Of The Week
Items start at #10, so the numbers don't get thrown-off if we add more security items above!
Tip: if an item in these Show Notes has the icon on the right in the upper-right corner, you can click/tap on it to make the additional info open in a new tab.
10a) It's the end of an era: Skype will be retired May 5
More than two decades after it burst onto the tech scene as an easy and free way to chat, call, and later to video-chat with people anywhere in the world, Skype is going to be shut down on May 5.
It may be hard to believe for younger people, but Skype used to be the main way we stayed in contact with friends, family, and colleagues around the world. Skype was first released in 2003 and, after going through several owners, was finally purchased by Microsoft for $8.5 billion USD in 2011.
Microsoft says usage — especially paid usage — of Skype has dropped as people switched to mobile phone messaging apps, to the point its not worth them maintaing the Skype infracstructure.
Microsoft is offering to replace Skype with the free version of Microsoft Teams, its corprate messaging service, and will allow existing Skype users to log in to the Microsoft Teams app and have their Skype message history, group chats, and contacts all automatically available without having to create another account…or they can choose to instead export all that data to preserve it.
10b) Microsoft is also phasing-out support for calling domestic or international phone numbers
If you have a current paid Skype calling subscription that expires before April 3, you can pay to renew it for one more year, if you want.
If your subscription expires after April 3, you'll be able to continue making and receiving Skype calls until your subscription expires. More info is at the link below…
Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers have 60 minutes a month of free calling via Skype to phone numbers around the world, and that will continue until March of 2026.
11) If you don't have a smartphone, you're soon not going to be able to get into Gmail or Google Docs
Google says it's going to stop texting security codes for ID verification, and wants us to instead scan a QR code or use biometrics.
Google has been slowly requiring users of its services such as Gmail, Google Docs, and YouTube accounts to start using two-factor authentication, where you confirm your identity both with a password and with a security code that's texted to you.
But because its possible for text messages to be intercepted, Google says over the next six months, it's going to phase out the use of text codes. Instead, you'll have to confirm your identity by using your face or fingerprint on your smartphone, by scanning a QR code with your smartphone, or by using a smartphone authentication app.
While that'll make it virtually impossible for scammers to get into Gmail, Google Docs and YouTube accounts, that change is also going to make it virtually impossible for people without smartphones to continue using those services.
12) Amazon unveils AI-powered Alexa+ — but it won't be available here in Canada till later this year
Alexa+ is designed as a smarter, more intuitive software upgrade to Amazon’s popular virtual assistant, and it'll be free to all Amazon Prime members.
Alexa + will work on most Echo devices, but not the original Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Tap, Echo Spot, and Echo Show units, and not on the 2nd-gen Echo Show, either.
The Alexa refresh, which will be released next month in the USA, will be able to read your personal schedule, smart home devices, favourite entertainment apps, and services. With all of these in tandem, Alexa+ is made to support more personal experiences with the user.
Most importantly, Alexa+ is capable of forming ongoing conversations. After one query, you can continue the conversation with Alexa, building off the last question or request without reiterating yourself. This more conversational advantage breaks down the barriers and monotonous chore of asking Alexa one question after another and having to repeat yourself.
Further, Amazon is working with a ton of partners. Alexa+ will integrate with OpenTable, GrubHub, TripAdvisor, Uber, Forbes, Sonos, and many more. You'll ideally be able to search for a restaurant on OpenTable and book a reservation for the evening. Alexa+ can then be used to order an Uber for a family member attending the reservation. Recognizing the location and time of dinner, Alexa+ can then ensure the Uber is ordered and arrives on time.
Alexa+ will be $20 a month in the USA when it launches next month, but free for Amazon Prime subscribers. Here in Canada, Alexa+ is expected to be $28 a month when it becomes available later this year, but again, free for Amazon Prime members.
13) Apple's entry-level iPhone 16e is now available, with the best deals available from carriers, but shop around as prices vary a lot
Apple's long-awaited new entry-level iPhone, the iPhone 16e, has just started arriving in stores and at carrier, and it offers excellent value for the $900 price, which is $230 less than the iPhone 16.
But, unless you're on a screamingly-good data plan, you can already significantly reduce the price by buying it on a two-year carrier plan. Freedom Mobile has the best deal so far, especially if you're going to be doing lots of overseas travelling, offering buy-one-get-one-free. (See Tech Deals This Weekend section above.)
The iPhone 16e has the same 6.1" screen size as other iPhones, so you get a full-screen image because it replaces space-wasting Touch ID with much more-secure and easier to use Face ID.
It's powered by the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16, so it's way more-powerful than the iPhone SE 2022 which it replaces. Having the A18 chip also means the new entry-level iPhone will be easily able to run the new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.
The iPhone 16e battery is the longest-lasting battery of any 6.1" iPhone — it'll run for up to 12 hours longer than all iPhone SE models which it replaces!
To bring the price down, the iPhone 16e has only one camera instead of the two on other iPhones (and three on iPhone Pro's, but the camera has a 48MP Fusion chip, so it'll take great photos and videos, plus it has an integrated 2x telephoto so you can zoom in without any noticeable image degradation.
It also is the first iPhone to come with Apple's own 5g cellular modem, the C1.
14) Adobe Photoshop is now available on an iPhone
Five years after Photoshop landed on the iPad, Adobe has finally brought its popular photo-editing software to the iPhone.
With a completely overhauled UI designed for mobile interfaces, using Photoshop on iPhone is as easy as using it on iPad.
Now, iPhone photographers, digital artists, and content creators can edit images nondestructively on the go. Users will also have access to familiar features like selections, layers, and masks.
A helpful Tap Select tool makes it easy for users to replace, remove, or recolor parts of an image. The Spot Healing Brush makes an appearance as well, helping users to brush away distractions instantly.
Adobe Firefly generation features are available, too. This includes generative fill and generative expand.
All of these features are free, and there are additional premium features available as part of a subscription. Adobe Photoshop is available now on the Apple App Store.
15) Apple is working on a smart video doorbell
A known Apple leaker has shared a series of veiled hints about Apple's rumoured smart doorbell.
It's not expected till next year, but Apple's rumoured Smart Video Doorbell is sure to be a hit with iPhone users, as it'd just work, letting you see and talk with someone at your door no matter where in the world you are, without needing a third-party app.
Reports are that if someone rings an Apple Video Doorbell, it'll not only ring on an iPhone, iPad and Mac, but also on a HomePod and even if you're wearing AirPods Pro.
16) Supreme Court of Canada asked to decide if a👍emoji is a legally binding acceptance of a contract
If I agree to buy or sell something by messaging you a👍emoji, is that a legally-binding contract?
Canada's highest court is being asked to rule on that very issue, in the case of a Saskatchewan farmer, who, when sent pictures of a draft contract to sell flax to a buyer for $83,000, replied with a👍emoji, but later claimed he liked the contract, but wasn't actually agreeing to it.
Lawyers for the buyer pointed-out that the seller had previously responded with short phrases like "ok", looks good", and "yup" to previous contracts, which were subsequently honoured.
Lower courts ruled that the thumbs-up emoji was a binding contract, but the seller is now requesting that the Supreme Court of Canada decide if a thumbs-up emoji or similar message, combined with metadata that indicates who sent the text message, constitutes a legally binding signature.
17) 2nd-gen Apple AirTags may be available in May or June
We're big fans of Apple AirTags, which are a really simple way of finding misplaced, lost, or stolen keys, wallets and purses, backpacks, bikes, luggage, and vehicles and more.
And now, Apple is said to be preparing to release a new 2nd-gen model in time for summer travel and activities, a model which we're told will have greater range and a louder sound to help you locate it.
18) Google is finally fixing Canadian provincial park names and buildings that showed in Google Maps as being 'State' parks and buildings, and Microsoft is doing the same
The patriotism fuelled by US President Donald Trump's desire to make Canada their 51st state has prompted Google and Microsoft to finally start fixing the mislabelling of provincial parks and legislatures here in Canada in their Google Maps and Bing Maps services.
Instead of wrongly being labelled State Parks and State Capital buildings, the names are being rapidly corrected to Provincial Parks and Provincial Legislative buildings in Google Maps…
Microsoft says it's preparing to make similar changes in Bing Maps. Apple Maps have been correct all along. It turns out Canada is not the only country with this type of mislabelling…maps for Argentina and Russia also have the same errors, and Google and Microsoft say those will also be corrected, once the Canadian errors are all fixed.
CBC
Google removing 'state' designation from Canadian government buildings. Microsoft following suit | CBC News
Canadians filed widespread complaints after noticing the designation amid 51st state rhetoric. Google has already started updating parks and says it will also be turning its attention to buildings.
19) Paramount+ now has more than 77 million subscribers
On the eve of the sale of Paramount Global to Skydance Media, its Paramount+ streaming arm has posted impressive Q4 numbers, and a forecast to turn a profit this year.
Revenue was up 16% in Q4, thanks to 5.6 million new subscribers, pushing its total subscriber base to more than 77 million.
That makes Paramount+ the fifth-most-popular streaming service in North America, behind undisputed leader Netflix with 270,000,000 subscribers, Amazon Prime Video in 2nd spot with 200 million subscribers, Disney+ in 3rd with 154 million subscribers, Max (formerly HBO Max now integrated with Discovery+) in 4th with 100 million subscribers.
Here in Canada, theTop 5 are slighly different: Netflix is #1 with 7 million, Prime Video is 2nd with 4 million, Disney+ is 3rd with 3 million. Bell;-owned Crave is 4th with 2.9 million, and AppleTV+ is 5th with 1.5 million subscribers.
To find out which movies and shows are available on which platform, install the free Just Watch app, or on the web, go to JustWatch.com/ca.
20) Elon Musk claims Canada isn’t ‘real’ after more than 351,000 Canadians sign petition to revoke his citizenship
Spoiler alert: the Government of Canada can't revoke Musk's Canadian citizenship.
That can only be done if it can be proved that South African-born Musk committed fraud or misrepresentation to obtain his citizenship, and no-one is suggesting he did that.
Musk's citizenship has been in the spotlight since BC author Qualia Reed last week launched a formal House of Commons petition calling for the Canadian government to revoke Musk's citizenship and his Canadian passport, claiming that Musk has engaged in activities that go against the national interest of Canada, that he's using his wealth and power to attempt to influence our elections, and that he's now become a member of a foreign government that's attempting to erase Canadian sovereignty.
Shortly after the petition topped 170,000 signatures, garnering media coverage around the world, Musk responded with a terse post on X — one which he has since deleted…
23) We've also started compiling a list of our favourite phone apps
The "Our Favourite Apps" list — which will have a lot more added in the coming weeks — is on our home page, and you can also get to it by going to Tech-Talk.ca/apps.
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
A young man in London created and inserted this sign into a bus shelter in the middle of the night…
And so it goes…