Inner Circle — Kareem Jamal, Sole Owner OperatorNumber lock on your carrier account
I turn on your carrier’s number lock or port-out PIN, so nobody can move your phone number to their own phone (a SIM swap).
Scam help · Chatsworth & the west Valley
Scam texts and spam calls getting to you? I’ll come lock it down.
I come over, lock down your phone number, email and bank, quiet the spam calls, and teach you how to handle it next time. Calm, plain, at your kitchen table.
Text me now(818) 402-7326 · or book a time at da.gd/ictech
Limited spots. Open 2–3 days a week. Route spots and visits are limited.
Right now, before I get there
- 01
Don’t tap the link
Don’t tap links or call numbers in a text you weren’t expecting. Delete it, or forward it to 7726 (SPAM) first to report it to your carrier.
- 02
Never share a code
Your bank, Apple, Google and your carrier will never call or text asking you to read them a code. Anyone who asks is the scam.
- 03
If you tapped and typed a password
Change that password right away from your own app or by typing the website yourself, not from the link.
- 04
If it involved your bank or card
Call the number on the back of your card and tell them what happened.
- 05
Then text me
Tell me what happened in a sentence or two. I reply within one business day.
What the visit does
One visit, about an hour or two. You keep your passwords; I show you where everything lives.
An authenticator app on the accounts that matter
Proton Authenticator or the app you prefer, on your email, your bank, and your Apple or Google account.
Passkeys where they’re offered
A passkey signs you in with your face or fingerprint. There’s no code to steal.
Printed backup codes
Printed and kept somewhere safe at home, so a lost phone doesn’t lock you out.
Quieter phone
Silence Unknown Callers (or Android’s spam filter), plus your carrier’s free spam blocker turned on.
Do Not Call list and people-search opt-outs
Your number on the Do Not Call Registry, and opt-out requests sent to the big people-search sites that list your number and address.
Lock-screen previews off
Codes and messages stay hidden until your phone is unlocked.
The one rule
Never share a code. We practice what a scam call sounds like, so you can hang up without a second thought.
Text codes, in plain words
Should I turn off text codes?
No. A code by text is much better than no second step at all. Keep it on. Where your bank or email offers an authenticator app or a passkey, we add that too and make it the main way in.
How do text codes get stolen?
Three common ways. A SIM swap: someone talks your carrier into moving your number to their phone. Phishing: a fake text or call gets you to read the code out loud or type it into a fake page. The lock screen: the code shows up on your screen where someone nearby can read it. The number lock, the never-share rule and hidden previews close those three doors.
Is a sudden spike in spam calls a sign I was hacked?
Usually not. Most of the time your number landed on a new marketing or scam list. It’s annoying, not a break-in. We quiet it with call filtering and your carrier’s blocker, and I check your accounts so you know for sure.
One Route stop
A Route member saw a TV segment about text codes getting stolen and asked me about it on our next stop. We locked down her phone number with her carrier, added an authenticator app to her email and bank, printed her backup codes and turned off lock-screen previews. Now when a code shows up that she didn’t ask for, she knows to ignore it and text me.
What it costs
- Inner Circle Route members Covered by your Route hours ($45/hr locked, 2 hours a month). Just text me before your next stop, or sooner if it can’t wait.
- Not a member yet Your first meeting is free (a 20-minute chat, once per household). A scam visit after that is $55/hr.
- Joining the Route It starts with the $99 Setup visit, about 90 minutes. Waived for insiders 1–5 (3 of 5 spots left).
What to have ready
- Your phone, and your computer or tablet if you use one for email or banking.
- Your carrier account login, or the account holder nearby if it’s a family plan.
- Your email and bank logins, or a way to reset them with you there.
- A rough list of what happened, if something already did: the text, the call, the link.
Honest limits
- I can’t get money back. If money left your account, your bank handles that, and I’ll help you call them.
- I can’t stop every spam call or text. We cut most of them down and make the rest easy to ignore.
- I don’t read or keep your passwords. You type them in; I show you where things live.
Want me to keep an eye on this every month? The Inner Circle Route covers scam checks on every stop. Prefer to try first? The 10-second scam text check is free.
FAQs
I keep getting scam texts. What should I do?
Don’t tap the links or reply. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) to report it to your carrier, then delete it. Turn on your phone’s filter for unknown senders. If they keep coming, text me and I’ll come set up the blocking with you.
I got a verification code I didn’t ask for. Am I hacked?
Not necessarily. It usually means someone typed your phone number or email into a sign-in page. Don’t share the code with anyone. Change that account’s password from the app or website you normally use, and add an authenticator app. Text me if you want me to check it with you.
Someone asked me to read them a code. What now?
Hang up. No real bank, carrier, Apple or Google rep will ask for a code. If you already read it out, change that account’s password right away and call the company using the number on their website or your card.
What is a SIM swap, and how do I stop one?
A SIM swap is when someone talks your carrier into moving your phone number to their phone, so your text codes go to them. Turn on your carrier’s number lock or port-out PIN. I set it up with you on the visit.
Should I turn off text message codes?
No. Text codes are much better than nothing. Keep them on, and add an authenticator app or a passkey where your accounts offer one.
What is Proton Authenticator?
A free authenticator app from Proton. It makes the six-digit sign-in codes on your phone instead of by text, so a SIM swap can’t catch them. It works with most email, bank and shopping accounts. I set it up with you and print your backup codes.
Why am I suddenly getting so many spam calls?
Usually your number landed on a new marketing or scam list. It’s not a sign you were hacked. Silence Unknown Callers, your carrier’s free spam blocker and the Do Not Call Registry cut most of them down.
I clicked a link in a scam text. What do I do?
Don’t panic. If you typed a password, change it from the real app or website. If it involved your bank or card, call the number on the back of your card. Then text me and I’ll come check your phone and accounts with you.
Can you help my elderly parent with scam calls?
Yes. I come over, set up the blocking and the account locks on their phone, and walk them through the never-share-a-code rule in plain words. You can be there or on the phone.
Do you do scam help in Chatsworth, Northridge or Simi Valley?
Yes. I come to homes in Chatsworth, West Hills, Canoga Park, Winnetka, Reseda, Northridge, Porter Ranch and Simi Valley. Not sure if you’re on the route? Text me your ZIP.
A note from Kareem
Remember when the paper showed up on your porch, same day every week? This is that, for your home tech. I come by, fix what’s broken, and tend the rest so fewer things break.
It’s just me: Kareem Jamal, Sole Owner Operator. Your route, not a ticket queue.