The Digital Safety Check-Up
A top-to-bottom scam-proofing of your phone, computer, and accounts — in one visit.
$99 in-home · $49 remote · free once a year for Support Plan members
I sit down with you, lock the doors scammers use to get in, and leave you with a simple plan on the fridge. If you're an adult child, I'll email you a plain-English report the same day — call it "Scam-Proof Mom."
lost to online crime by Americans 60 and older in 2025
of that was tech-support scams alone
from AI scams — cloned voices and fake videos
Source: FBI 2025 Internet Crime Report (IC3). These are reported losses for adults 60+ — the real numbers are higher, because most scams go unreported.
What I check and lock down
Nothing to buy, nothing installed without showing you first. Everything I set up, I show you how to undo later if you ever want to. You keep your hands on the keyboard — I never ask for or store your passwords.
Remove leftover remote-access tools
If a "support" caller ever had you install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, or similar, it may still be on your machine — a back door. I find these and remove them.
Run a reputable malware scan
A clean, trusted scan to see what's actually on there. If something serious turns up, I tell you straight and point you to the right fix — no fake "infections," no scare tactics.
Password manager + strong, unique passwords
We set up a simple password manager and give your email and bank their own strong passwords — because those two are the keys to everything else.
Two-factor on email & bank
The text-code (or app) second step, turned on the right way so it protects you without locking you out. This one change stops most account takeovers.
Credit freezes at all three bureaus
Equifax, Experian, TransUnion — free, ten minutes total. Stops anyone opening credit in your name. I write your PINs somewhere you'll find them.
Carrier spam-call blocking
Your phone company's free spam filter switched on, plus "Silence Unknown Callers" set up so your doctor still gets through. Most junk calls stop the same day.
Browser clean-up
Remove sketchy browser add-ons and toolbars, block pop-ups, and reset any hijacked search or homepage — so "your computer is infected" warnings stop appearing.
A family safe word
A private word only your family knows. If "your grandson" ever calls in a panic asking for money, you ask for the word. AI can clone a voice — it can't know your word.
"Bill's Five Rules" fridge card
A big-print card for the fridge with the five rules that stop almost every scam. Simple enough to remember in the moment a call comes in.
Plain-English report to your adult child
With permission, I email a same-day summary to your son or daughter: what we did, what's protected, and what to watch for. Peace of mind for the whole family.
Bill's Five Rules (the fridge card)
Remember these five and you'll stop almost every scam before it starts.
- 1. No real company or agency ever asks you to pay with a gift card. Ever.
- 2. If a pop-up or a caller says "call this number right now," it's a scam. Hang up.
- 3. Never let anyone you didn't call connect to your computer.
- 4. The real Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, your bank, and Medicare do not cold-call you.
- 5. When in doubt: don't click, don't pay, don't panic — call Bill first.
The scams I see almost every week
Recognize even one of these on your phone or in your inbox? This visit is for you.
- 🚩 "Your computer is infected — call this number." A scary pop-up with a fake Microsoft logo. Real Microsoft will never call you.
- 🚩 "This is Medicare — confirm your number…" Medicare doesn't cold-call you. Hang up. (Need real help with a Medicare.gov login? That's fine — I do the technical side. Plan questions belong with a free OSHIIP counselor.)
- 🚩 "Grandma, it's me — I'm in trouble, don't tell Mom…" AI can clone a voice now. This is exactly what the family safe word is for.
- 🚩 "Your Amazon order shipped — click to track." The link goes to a fake login page that steals your password.
- 🚩 "Pay this bill with a gift card." No real bill in the United States is ever paid with a gift card. Ever.
Think you've already been scammed?
Don't wait for a scheduled visit — and don't be embarrassed. Acting fast, in the right order, is what limits the damage.
🚨 I think I've been scammed — what to do now →Or call Bill right now: (330) 200-8042.
For small businesses: the email-spoofing & invoice-fraud check
The scam that empties a small business isn't a virus — it's a fake email. A message that looks like it's from you, the boss, or a vendor, asking someone to pay an invoice or change where a payment goes. The FBI calls it business email compromise, and it's one of the costliest scams there is.
I'll check your business email for spoofing protection, set up a simple "verify before you pay" rule for staff, turn on two-factor for your email and money accounts, and teach whoever answers your phones how to spot a fake invoice or a gift-card demand. Plain English, one visit, no enterprise-IT contract.
📞 Call about a business checkWho this is for
👵 Anyone who's already gotten one of these calls
You hung up — good. Spend one visit with me and you'll be locked down and confident for the next one.
🧑💼 Adult kids scam-proofing a parent
You're worried and you live out of town. Pay over the phone, schedule it for a day that works for your parent, and I'll email you the "Scam-Proof Mom" report the same evening.
Common questions
Do I have to give you my passwords?
Is this free with the Support Plan?
Will the credit freezes mess up my real credit?
What if I think I've already been scammed?
What if my computer is old or my phone isn't an iPhone?
Lock the doors. One visit. Real peace of mind.
$99 in-home, $49 remote, or free once a year with the Support Plan. Same rate whether I drive to Atwater or Aurora.
Mon–Sat, 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM · 30+ years of professional experience · Serving all of Portage County, Ohio, plus nearby communities