What's Going Wrong This Week
A weekly look at the tech problems affecting everyday people — plus exactly what to do about them.
The Postcard Offering You Extra Veterans Benefits Is Fishing for Your Details
On August 24 the FTC warned about postcards turning up in veterans’ mailboxes across the country. The card says you — or your spouse — may qualify for extra monthly money through a "Veterans Savings Program." There is no such program. The card often names the state you live in and mentions real benefits like CHAMPVA or TRICARE For Life so that it reads as official, then tells you to call right away or risk losing out. The FTC says the goal is to get you on the phone and talking, and to walk away with your Social Security number or your bank account details.
How to check if you're affected
The hurry is the tell. The VA does not send word that a benefit runs out this week, and it does not ask for your Social Security number or your bank details over the phone. Do not dial the number printed on the card. If you want to know whether anything has changed with your benefits, call the VA Benefits Hotline yourself at 1-800-827-1000, or sign in at VA.gov and read your own account. A real change shows up there.
How to fix it
Throw the postcard out and do not answer it. If you already called and read out your Social Security number, put a free fraud alert on your file with any one of the three credit bureaus and pull your reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. If you gave bank or card details, call the number on the back of your card. Report the postcard to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the VA at VSAFE.gov or 1-833-38V-SAFE. Then mention it to other veterans you know — the FTC says these cards go out in batches, so anyone who got one probably has a neighbor who did too.
Recent Weeks
A Package You Never Ordered Is Not a Gift
On August 20 the FTC warned about brushing scams. A parcel arrives with your name and address on it and something cheap inside — baby wipes, toothpaste, a packet of seeds. Nobody sent it as a favor. A seller needed a delivery record in your name so it could post a fake review under that name and lift its own ratings. The FTC also says the package can be a sign that someone already has your personal details, or is working to get them.
What to do: Change the password on every shopping account you hold, in case one of them was opened by someone else. Tell the marketplace — Amazon or whichever site the parcel appears to come from — so it can look into the seller. Pull your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and read them for accounts you did not open. By law you may keep an item you did not order and you owe nothing for it, though the FTC suggests caution about using something when you do not know who sent it. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
FTC Consumer Alert — August 20, 2026The Top Search Result for Paying Your Bill May Not Be Your Biller
On August 17 the FTC explained how bill-payment impersonators use paid search ads. You search for your lab, your phone company, or your state toll authority, and the first result looks like the company you wanted. It is an ad for a middleman with no relationship to that company. The FTC settled with one such firm, Doxo, for $21 million in August 2026, saying it presented itself as an official payment channel for companies including Labcorp and AT&T and added fees people did not expect.
What to do: Pay through the company’s own site or its phone number from your bill. If you already paid through a site you found in an ad and were charged a fee you did not agree to, call your card company and dispute that fee, then contact the biller to confirm the payment reached them. Report the site at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
FTC Consumer Alert — August 17, 2026Nobody Is Checking the Ads in Your Facebook Feed
On August 10 the FTC reminded shoppers that social media platforms do not always vet the ads they show you, or the companies behind them. An ad for a designer bag at half price sits in your feed looking exactly like a post from a friend, which is what makes it work. Some of these sellers ship a counterfeit. Some ship nothing at all. Some exist only to collect your card number.
What to do: Pay by credit card, which gives you the right to dispute the charge. If you have already paid another way, contact your bank or the payment app today and ask to reverse it. Report the ad to the platform, and report the seller at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If the goods never arrive, the FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Rule entitles you to a refund.
FTC Consumer Alert — August 10, 2026Scammers Are Calling People Who Were Already Scammed
The FTC warned on August 3 about a second wave aimed at people who have already lost money. Scammers buy lists of earlier victims, then call or email offering to recover the money, the prize, or the merchandise that never arrived. To sound official they claim to be from a government agency, a consumer group, or a law firm. Some name the FTC itself.
What to do: Do not pay and do not share bank or card details. Hang up. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, which is free and is the actual FTC. If you already paid, call your bank or card company right away and ask about reversing the payment. Tell one person you trust — these calls work partly because embarrassment keeps people quiet.
FTC Consumer Alert — August 3, 2026Widespread Facebook Password Reset Scam Emails
Scammers are blasting out fake "Facebook has detected suspicious activity on your account" emails. The emails look official — Facebook logo, professional formatting — but the reset link leads to a fake login page that steals your password. Reports spiked across the US in mid-April.
What to do: If you already clicked the link and entered your password, change it immediately at facebook.com > Settings > Security and Login. Turn on two-factor authentication while you are there. Report the email to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
FTC Consumer AlertsiOS 18 Update Draining Battery Fast
A number of iPhone users reported that the most recent iOS point update caused their batteries to drain 30-50% faster than normal, especially on older models. Apple acknowledged the issue and is testing a fix.
What to do: Restart your phone, then check Settings > Battery to see which apps are using the most power. Disable Background App Refresh for apps you rarely use. A hotfix is expected within days.
Apple SupportNetflix Profile Switcher Breaking on Smart TVs
Netflix pushed an app update that caused the profile picker to freeze on several Samsung and LG smart TVs from 2019-2021. Users were stuck on whichever profile was last used.
What to do: Sign out of Netflix on the TV, then sign back in. If that fails, uninstall and reinstall the Netflix app from your TV’s app store. Netflix rolled out a server-side fix on April 5.
Netflix Help CenterGmail Marking Legitimate Emails as Spam
Gmail’s spam filter began aggressively flagging legitimate emails — including bank statements, appointment confirmations, and family messages — as spam after a filter update.
What to do: Check your Spam folder for missing messages. Open the email, click "Report not spam," and add the sender to your contacts to prevent future false flags.
Google Gmail HelpRing Doorbell Going Offline in Cold Weather
Ring users in colder regions reported their battery-powered doorbells unexpectedly going offline when temperatures dropped below 32°F. Motion alerts stopped working entirely for many.
What to do: Bring the battery pack inside to warm up, then recharge fully. Consider upgrading to a hardwired setup for year-round reliability. Ring published cold-weather tips on their blog.
Ring SupportMedicare.gov Login Issues After Update
Medicare.gov rolled out a redesigned login page and many users — especially those using older browsers — could not sign in. Error messages were vague and unhelpful.
What to do: Try signing in using Chrome or Edge on a computer instead of an older tablet. If problems persist, call 1-800-MEDICARE. Medicare published a troubleshooting page with screenshots.
Medicare.gov HelpInstagram Story Privacy Setting Defaulted to Public
After an app update, many Instagram users discovered their story privacy had been switched from "Close Friends" to "Public" without warning. Photos intended for a small group were visible to everyone.
What to do: Open Instagram > Profile > Menu > Settings > Privacy > Story and verify your audience setting. Delete any story you shared during this window that you did not intend to be public.
Instagram HelpBank of America App Unexpected Logout Loops
The Bank of America mobile app repeatedly logged users out mid-session, forcing them to re-enter passwords and verification codes. Sessions timed out after as little as 60 seconds.
What to do: Update the app to the latest version, then uninstall and reinstall if the problem continues. If you cannot log in, use bankofamerica.com in your web browser instead.
Bank of America HelpAmazon Prime Video Buffering on Older Fire TVs
Prime Video streams were buffering heavily or refusing to start on Fire TV Stick models from 2018 and earlier. Amazon pushed an app update that increased memory requirements.
What to do: Restart your Fire TV, then go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > Prime Video > Clear Cache. If the issue continues, a newer Fire TV Stick is recommended.
Amazon Customer ServiceChromebook Suddenly Requiring Verification Codes
Many Chromebook owners were unexpectedly asked to enter a Google verification code at login — sometimes every single time. This followed a rolled-out security update.
What to do: Make sure your phone number or recovery email in your Google Account is current. You can also generate backup codes at myaccount.google.com/security for times when your phone is unavailable.
Google Account HelpiCloud Photos Duplicating After Restore
iPhone users who restored their device from an iCloud backup reported seeing every photo duplicated — sometimes triple or quadruple. Photo library sizes ballooned overnight.
What to do: In the Photos app, go to Albums > Duplicates to review and merge duplicates. Apple’s built-in duplicate detection will safely combine them while preserving originals.
Apple Support — PhotosHow we pick these
Every Monday, our team reviews reports from the FTC, CISA, official vendor status pages, and tech news sources to identify the issue most likely to affect everyday users that week.
We prioritize problems that are widespread, actionable (there is something you can actually do), and explained in plain English.
See our full news feedSuggest a problem
Noticed something breaking for you or people you know? Drop us a line. If it's affecting a lot of people, we'll feature it and help folks fix it.
problems@teksure.com