Android 17 is getting a dedicated gaming mode for foldables that will put a virtual gamepad with touch controls on half of your screen to theoretically make it easier to play games.

With foldable gaming mode, which is set to launch in the coming months, the virtual controller emulates physical button presses at a system level and is designed to work “with any game that supports physical controllers,” says Google’s Mishaal Rahman on Reddit. For the actual inputs, the virtual controller will have a D-pad; left and right virtual sticks; A, B, X, and Y buttons; L1, L2, L3; R1, R2, and R3; and a start button. And you’ll be able to configure the gamepad in several ways, such as keeping the virtual joysticks inline or staggered from each other, scaling the size of the buttons, and toggling haptics on or off.

Turning on the mode “is as simple as unfolding your device, either before or after launching a compatible game,” Rahman says. You can also choose to hide the gamepad, and if you connect a physical controller, the virtual gamepad will turn off on its own.

“Android allows you to play a wide variety of games on the go,” says Rahman. “While touch controls work incredibly well for many titles, certain games are better enjoyed with physical gamepads. The problem is that carrying a Bluetooth controller or a snap-on gamepad with you everywhere isn’t always convenient. We want to bridge that gap, and we’re addressing it with a new feature in the Android 17 platform release that’s specifically tailored for foldable devices.”

A letter arrives about a debt you don’t remember, from a company you’ve never dealt with, for an account you never opened. For a growing number of people, that notice is how they first learn someone used their identity.

Complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) about attempts to collect a debt not owed rose about 115% above their prior two-year average in 2025, and many of those consumers reported balances they didn’t recognize and suspected identity theft.

Before you panic or pay, it helps to understand why these letters show up and what rights you have.

WHY LAST YEAR’S BREACH IS THIS YEAR’S IDENTITY FRAUD

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report

• Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
• For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
• Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.  

Why debt collectors contact you about a debt you do not owe

When a charged-off account is sold to a collection agency, the agency receives the original creditor’s application file, including whatever identifiers were used to open it. That contact information is often 90 to 180 days out of date by the time the account changes hands.

HOW SCAMMERS BUILD A PROFILE ON YOU USING DATA BROKERS

Before the first call, the agency runs skip tracing: matching a name, Social Security number (SSN) and past addresses against public records, postal change-of-address data, property and utility records and data-broker files to find the current person behind the account. At bulk volume, each lookup costs the agency pennies.

The agency then contacts you directly, by phone or mail, whether or not you have looked at your credit file.

How fake debt can start with identity theft

The account behind the notice may have been opened with your information pulled from breaches and resold, then approved by an automated check that matched the data to an existing file without confirming that the applicant was you. Opening a new account is the leading form of attempted identity misuse reported to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), which counted it more often than takeovers of accounts people already held. What happens after is less understood.

10 SIGNS YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS BEING SOLD ONLINE

Charged-off debts, including fraudulent ones, are sold in bulk portfolios for pennies on the dollar, often with thin supporting paperwork. One fraudulent balance can be sold and resold across several agencies. A debt you dispute and clear with one collector can be repackaged and reappear with another months later.

With medical debt, a bill can sometimes move toward collections before you see every explanation of benefits, insurance update or corrected statement. That is why you should contact the provider and your insurer before paying a collector.

What debt collectors legally have to tell you

Federal law gives you a defined response, and the clock starts at first contact. Under the CFPB’s Regulation F, a collector must send a validation notice describing the debt and your rights in, or within five days of, its first communication with you.

5 MYTHS ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT THAT PUT YOUR DATA AT RISK

You have 30 days from receiving that notice to dispute the debt in writing under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Dispute inside that window, and the collector must stop collecting until it verifies the debt.

One important note: the FDCPA generally covers third-party debt collectors, not every original creditor. However, credit reporting laws, identity theft protections and state laws may still give you rights.

If the debt came from identity theft, send the collector an FTC Identity Theft Report from IdentityTheft.gov. Also, tell the collector in writing that you dispute the debt, that it resulted from identity theft and that you want it to stop reporting the account to the credit bureaus.

IS YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AT RISK? SIGNS SOMEONE MIGHT BE STEALING IT

Ask Equifax, Experian and TransUnion for a block under Section 605B of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

With a valid identity theft report and proof of your identity, the bureaus must block the fraudulent item within four business days. A block is harder to reverse than an ordinary dispute, which counts when the same debt can be resold.

The CFPB has said it may expand the meaning of identity theft under Regulation V to cover “coerced debt,” money run up in someone’s name without their consent, including in domestic and elder abuse cases.

What to do before you pay a debt collector

Before you send money or confirm any personal details, slow down and make the collector prove the debt belongs to you.

1) Ask for proof in writing

Do not pay, promise to pay or give out more personal information during the first call. Ask for the validation notice in writing and save every letter, voicemail and call log. Then send a written dispute within 30 days.

2) File an identity theft report if the debt looks fake

If you believe identity theft caused the account, create an FTC Identity Theft Report at IdentityTheft.gov. Send copies to the collector, the original creditor and all three credit bureaus. Also, place a fraud alert or credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, so it becomes harder for someone to open another account in your name.

3) Check medical bills before paying a collector

With medical debt, contact the provider and your insurer before paying a collector. Ask for an itemized bill and an explanation of benefits. A medical bill can end up in collections while paperwork, insurance reviews or billing disputes are still catching up.

4) Respond quickly if a collector sues you

If a collector sues you, do not ignore the papers. Respond by the court deadline or contact a consumer law attorney or legal aid group. Even a debt you do not owe can create bigger problems if you miss a court deadline.

Why early fraud alerts can save you money

Once a fraudulent account charges off and sells, cleanup gets harder. You may need to dispute the debt with the collector, the original lender and all three credit bureaus. If someone resells the debt, the same problem can come back months later.

YOU HAVE A CREDIT FREEZE. IT STILL ISN’T ENOUGH

Credit monitoring can help you spot a new account or hard inquiry before the debt reaches collections. That gives you time to contact the lender, dispute the account and freeze your credit sooner.

No service can prevent every account opened in your name. However, three-bureau credit monitoring can alert you when lenders report new accounts or hard inquiries. That can help you act before a collections notice arrives or a lender denies you credit.

See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at CyberGuy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaways

A collection letter for an unfamiliar debt deserves a closer look. It may mean someone opened an account in your name. Do not pay just to stop the calls. Ask for written validation and dispute the debt fast. If someone misused your information, file an FTC Identity Theft Report. Then freeze your credit and check all three credit reports. Early alerts can help you catch fraud before collections begin. That can save you money, time and stress.

Have you ever gotten a collection letter or call for a debt you knew you did not owe, and what did you do first? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

• Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
• For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
• Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.

Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.  

RAMageddon has come for computers. The price of memory chips, hard drives, and solid state storage has skyrocketed. That’s led to price increases on desktop and laptop RAM, SSDs, spinning hard drives, and pretty much everything that uses any of those things. Consoles are more expensive. Desktops are more expensive. Laptops are more expensive. Tablets and phones are more expensive. Even MacBooks, which started out expensive but then started looking like a pretty good deal, just got more expensive.

All that sucks. But if (if) there’s a silver lining, it’s that most of the stuff you plug into a computer — keyboards, mice, webcams, monitors, and so forth — isn’t getting bananas expensive. Actually, there are some good deals out there.

Great keyboards on the cheap

Hot deals on mice in your area

Monitors to watch (get it?)

Cases and stands, hubs and docks, and other stuff