AskMarc

AskMarc Someone to call when technology has you stumped. Local, patient tech support for residents of the Macleay Valley.

Get real, friendly answers in plain English—with no jargon, and absolutely no judgement.

04/08/2026

Quick tip: That "free gift card" message is not from who it says it's from.
Whether it lands by text, email, or Facebook message, a message offering a free gift card, prize, or voucher — especially one that needs you to "claim it now" — is almost always a scam designed to harvest your personal details or card information.
Real competitions you've actually entered don't usually need this kind of urgency. If you didn't enter it, you didn't win it.

Quick tip: Before you type in a password or card number online, take a quick look at the website address.Real websites f...
29/07/2026

Quick tip: Before you type in a password or card number online, take a quick look at the website address.
Real websites for banks, shops, and government services will have an address that clearly matches who they say they are — like ato.gov.au or commbank.com.au.
Fake sites often look almost right, but something's slightly off — like:
❌ comlbank.com.au (extra letter snuck in)
❌ ato-gov.net (wrong ending — real Australian government sites end in .gov.au)
❌ mybank-secure-login.com (too many words, doesn't match the bank's real address)
Also look for the padlock 🔒 in your browser bar — it means the connection is encrypted, which is a good sign, though it doesn't guarantee the site is genuine.
When in doubt — don't type anything in. Close the tab and go directly to the organisation's website by typing their address yourself, or call them on their official number.

26/07/2026

Quick tip: A real bank or government department will never ask for your full password over the phone.
They might ask you to confirm your identity with a few details, but legitimate organisations never need your complete password, PIN, or a one-time code that was just sent to your phone (unless they sent it during the actual phone call and not before the call) — they already have ways to verify you without it.
If anyone asks for these over the phone, hang up. It's not them.

25/07/2026

Running low on ideas for next month's tips — over to you.
What's something tech-related you've always wondered about but never quite knew who to ask? Drop it below, I'll turn the best ones into posts (and you'll get the credit for asking the smart question 😉).

24/07/2026

Quick tip: Lock your phone screen properly.
If your phone only asks for a 4-digit PIN (or worse, nothing at all), anyone who picks it up can get into your texts, emails, photos, and banking apps.
Takes 30 seconds to fix:
📱 iPhone: Settings → Face ID & Passcode → turn on, set a 6-digit code
📱 Android: Settings → Security → Screen Lock → set a PIN or pattern
Do this today if you haven't already. It's the single biggest thing standing between a lost phone and a real headache.

Quick tip: Your phone has a "Do Not Disturb" setting — and if you haven't tried it, it's worth knowing about.When it's o...
21/07/2026

Quick tip: Your phone has a "Do Not Disturb" setting — and if you haven't tried it, it's worth knowing about.
When it's on, your phone goes quiet. No notification pings, no screen lighting up every time someone likes a post. Calls from people you choose will still come through, so you won't miss anything urgent.
It's handy for:
😴 Overnight — so a random notification doesn't wake you at 2am
🍽️ During dinner or family time when you just want to be present
🩺 At an appointment when you don't want interruptions
How to find it:
📱 iPhone: Settings → Focus → Do Not Disturb
📱 Android: Settings → Sound & vibration → Do Not Disturb
It's one of those settings people discover and wonder how they managed without it. Give it a try this week.

20/07/2026

Quick tip: Smart TVs and speakers are listening more than people realise.
Most smart TVs and voice assistants (Alexa, Google Home) have a microphone always semi-active, listening for a wake word. That's how the "always on" features work — but it's worth knowing it's happening, and checking your device's privacy settings if it bothers you.
You can usually turn off the microphone entirely in settings if you'd rather not have it listening at all.

15/07/2026

Quick tip: You don't need to remember 40 different passwords.
A password manager is an app that remembers all your passwords for you. You just remember the one password for the app!
It sounds like "more tech," but it actually gets rid of a huge daily headache — no more "forgotten password" loops, no more reusing the same password everywhere and risking losing everything.
If the idea appeals but setting it up feels daunting, that's a one-off job I often help people with.

Quick tip: A pop-up saying "Your computer is infected, call this number now" is almost always fake.Genuine antivirus sof...
12/07/2026

Quick tip: A pop-up saying "Your computer is infected, call this number now" is almost always fake.
Genuine antivirus software doesn't usually demand you call a phone number urgently, and it definitely won't be a random pop-up while you're just browsing the web.
If you see one of these: don't call the number, don't click anything on it. Close the browser entirely (or restart the device if it won't close), and you'll likely find nothing was actually wrong.
If one pops up and you're not sure whether it's real, that's exactly the kind of quick call I'm happy to take. 📞 0439 912 982

11/07/2026

Saturday share: what's a tech tip you swear by that you learned from a friend or family member (not the internet)? 👀​
Sometimes the best advice comes from someone who just figured it out themselves. Pass it on below. 👇

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