Letting one trusted person help you, from far away
Let your daughter see your screen and fix something, and tell that apart, instantly, from the call that pretends to be the same thing.
Screen sharing means somebody far away can see your screen, and if you allow it, press things on it. It is how a patient granddaughter fixes a printer in nine minutes rather than ninety.
It is also, almost word for word, how one of the largest frauds in this country works — which is a reason to know which is which, not a reason to avoid it. The difference is not subtle.
Key points
- Invite one person you know to look at your screen, and choose how much they get
- Stop the sharing in one press, at any moment, with no explanation owed
- Recognize the cold call that asks for the same thing, and hang up
What to remember
- You choose the person, you choose how much they get, and the red bar to stop it never leaves the screen.
- You started it, you know them, you can end it. A call that arrives uninvited fails the first test before a word is spoken.
Try this
Agree with one person — a daughter, a nephew, a neighbor — that they are the one you will call when something goes wrong. Do it this week, while nothing is wrong. Having the name settled in advance is what stops a cold call sounding like an answer.
Practice: Letting one trusted person help you, from far away. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.